Monitoring your sleep patterns is very important in reaching a diagnosis and assessing the progress of sleep apnea treatment. Grab a notebook and pen and set them on your nightstand for evening or morning recordings. You should document every nuance you observe regarding your sleeping habits, including:
- How often you awaken during the night
- Instances where your snoring is so loud that it wakes up you or your partner
- Any shortness of breath or breathing irregularities
- Any unusual symptoms, such as night sweats, anxiety, irritability, or insomnia
- Characteristics that your partner observes, such as severity and loudness of snoring, tossing and turning, instances of halted breathing, and others
- Effects of interrupted sleep manifested during the daytime, such as daytime drowsiness, inability to concentrate, and lack of energy
A sleep study will be a key tool in your diagnosis and treatment plan development, but keeping a sleep diary will help our dentists get an edge as to where recurring problems lie and how to best target them to find a solution. Maintaining a sleep diary throughout treatment will help you and the dentist discover what may or may not work and help track the effects of oral appliances, medication and/or behavioral therapy.
Learn more about how creating a sleep journal can aid in the successful treatment of your sleep apnea condition. Call 1-847-533-8313 today for your sleep consultation at Think Better Life.
