[Ben] "I just didn't feel right.
Every morning I'd wake up exhausted ... with a headache.
I felt tired and grumpy all day. And worst of all ... I was drowsy at work.
I drive a truck, so I have to stay alert."
"My wife was worried about me. I was keeping her up at night too ...
tossing and turning ... and my snoring.
A couple of nights, she said I woke up gasping for air."
"I told my doctor all of this, and he thought I should get a sleep study.
Honestly ... I didn't like the idea. Maybe I wasn't sleeping well ...
but I didn't think I had a condition that needed testing."
"But ... he said a lot of people get sleep studies ... to check for problems like sleep apnea ... which means you stop breathing for short times in your sleep."
"I said I'd read some information and think about it."
[Host] Most sleep studies are done in a sleep lab.
Now ... it's called a lab ... but it usually looks more like a hotel room.
Your care providers try to make the room as comfortable as possible.
Often they can even adjust the temperature for you.
You'll spend a night ... and part of the next day ... in the sleep lab.
During the test, you'll have sensors taped or glued to your body ...
and soft elastic bands around parts of your body ...
which help to get accurate readings.
They're not painful and they're designed to be as comfortable as possible.
The sensors can record things like your brain activity ...
and eye and chest movements ...
They can test how well air flows through your mouth and nose ...
and check for snoring.
They can also check the rhythm and rate of your breathing and heartbeat ...
and measure how much oxygen is in your blood.
Some tests also record how long it takes you to fall asleep ...
and how deeply you sleep.
[Ben] "I decided to do a sleep study ... and it was worth it.
Turns out I have sleep apnea. Which is why I'm so tired all the time."
"The good thing is ... now I know why I haven't felt right.
And I can do something to treat it ... and prevent more serious problems down the road ... like heart problems.
I'll have more energy ... and feel more rested.
My wife and I ... we're both happy about that."
