SomnoFile

"How do I get a sleep study quickly? I don’t want to wait any longer." This is an all too common inquiry that we get at Singular Sleep. Here’s your guide to getting a quick sleep apnea test.

Common Reasons Why People Need Fast Sleep Studies

In many areas of the country and in several healthcare systems, sleep medicine is an underserved specialty meaning that there are not enough sleep labs and sleep doctors to care for the population. This problem is more acute in several...

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We commonly see, "I need a sleep study for insurance," on the home sleep apnea test order forms that we receive. What is behind this seemingly unusual request from your life insurance company?

Sleep Studies for Life Insurance

After becoming a first-time dad a few years ago, I thought it would be prudent to get life insurance. During the quote process, I was surprised to get asked the following series of questions from the agent:

• Do you hang glide?
• Do you skydive?
• Do you have sleep apnea?”

Wow, sleep...

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Common Reasons To Get A New CPAP Machine

There are several typical scenarios where CPAP users often consult with me to get a new CPAP machine:

• The original iteration of positive airway pressure (PAP) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea was the fixed-pressure CPAP machine. This machine could only be set to one consistent pressure setting. Technology has exploded since then with the introduction of auto-titrating CPAP machines (commonly referred to as APAP or Auto-CPAP), as well as more advanced forms of...

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1) Are there any medications that can help or treat sleep apnea?

No, currently there are no medications that are FDA-approved for treatment of sleep apnea. 

2) What are the most common sleep apnea risks?

Untreated sleep apnea is associated with the following medical disorders. The most common medical co-morbidities associated with sleep apnea:

• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• type 2 diabetes
• high cholesterol (dyslipidemia or hyperlipidemia)
• heart failure (congestive heart failure or CHF)
• heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• irregular heart rhythms (cardiac arrhythmias or dysrhythmias) NOTE: there is a particularly tight association with...

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You just received the results of your sleep apnea test - the diagnosis? Obstructive sleep apnea. You're committed to taking the next steps to feel better and you know that you've got to get a CPAP machine, but what to do about the mask? You've seen something small that nestles just under the nose and seems appealing. This style of CPAP mask is called "nasal pillows" and it is extremely popular. But if you don't know the facts about whether this is the right option...

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A recent news report out of the Bay Area announced that a clinical trial of the Magnetic Apnea Prevention (MAGNAP) device for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment has begun at University of California San Francisco Medical Center. The initial response to this report indicates that there is an incredible amount of interest from the sleep apnea community in this potential alternative to CPAP for sleep apnea. But, if eventually approved by the FDA for sleep apnea treatment, would this be a good option for you? In this article, I'll explore the forces, both attractive and repulsive, that...

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Of all the numbers on your sleep apnea test report, the AHI is the most important. On some sleep study reports, you will see the terms "RDI" or "REI" in place of AHI. But what does AHI mean and what's the difference between AHI, RDI, and REI?

Of the three, AHI as it is the most commonly used term and is an acronym for "apnea-hypopnea index." To understand the term, we first need to define what apneas and hypopneas are.

Apnea

Apneas are a type of...

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So, you got the results of your sleep study and they say you have pretty bad sleep apnea. Now what? They want you to use a Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) device with a mask when you sleep, but you say, “No way!” You’ve probably been going along pretty well all these years without sleeping with a mask on your face, so why start now? In this blog, I propose 5 steps to have a successful relationship with your PAP.

Let's begin with a little background. Apnea comes from the Greek word apnos, meaning "without breathing." Sleep apnea is...

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