Author
Dr. Ing. Heinz Stutzenberger, revised by Prof. Rembert Koczulla, Alpha1 Deutschland eV, as published in Alpha1 Journal 2/2022.
Overview: Sleep disorders¹
Difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep (so-called insomnia)
Typical complaints include difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, difficulty falling back asleep, waking up too early in the morning, the feeling of "not sleeping deeply enough", and complaints of unrefreshing and insufficient sleep.
Disorders with increased daytime sleepiness (so-called hypersomnias)
Typical symptoms include difficulty staying awake during the day, involuntarily falling asleep or dozing off during the day, and feeling constantly drowsy despite sufficient sleep duration. Often, but not always, this is accompanied by snoring at night. Concentration and memory problems may also occur.
Sleep-wake rhythm disorders
A typical symptom is difficulty falling asleep at a "normal" time. Instead, those affected go to bed much earlier or much later, but then usually have no sleep problems. In other cases, no predictable sleep-wake rhythm can be identified at all. This is often a temporary problem after long-distance travel.
Sleep disturbances/abnormalities (so-called parasomnias)
This includes abnormalities in sleep such as sleepwalking, sleep talking, teeth grinding, and other things.
Morning headache, fatigue
Increase in blood carbon dioxide due to exhausted respiratory/accessory respiratory muscles.
The sleep lab and its significance for people affected by AATM
Most people associate the term "sleep lab" with complaints such as snoring, sleep apnea, or significant daytime fatigue. These three types of complaints are the most common, but not the only reasons why patients visit a sleep lab. There are up to approximately 80 different forms of sleep disorders.
Given the complexity of potential sleep disorders, it seems impractical to address the entire topic within the scope of this essay. Instead, a focus on the aforementioned widespread symptoms, such as daytime sleepiness, snoring, and pauses in breathing during sleep, appears more appropriate. The effects of these symptoms are usually daytime fatigue, lack of concentration, impaired memory, headaches, high blood pressure, and also the risk of microsleep episodes, which can occasionally have fatal consequences. These consequences include, on the one hand, sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) with disrupted sleep phases, and on the other hand, reduced blood oxygen saturation. It should also be noted that some sleep disorders, due to the associated noise, often negatively impact the sleep quality of the bed partner as well.
For a definitive diagnosis of these disorders and to determine appropriate treatment measures, those affected often consult a sleep laboratory. In Germany, there are several hundred sleep laboratories, more than 300 of which are certified by the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine (DGSM). This certification ensures that the laboratories in question have both appropriate equipment and adequately trained staff.
The following measurements, bodily functions and activities are recorded in the sleep lab³
- Brainwaves (they provide information about light/deep and dream sleep phases (REM*), measured with electrodes attached to the head (EEG**))
- Eye movements (also provide information about light/deep and dream sleep phases (REM*)), measured with attached electrodes (EEG**)
- Heart rate and heart rhythm, measured with electrodes attached to the chest (ECG***)
- Blood oxygen level, measured with a finger clip (oximeter)
- Airflow at the mouth and nose, measured using a stalemate device in the nose.
- Snoring sounds recorded with a microphone attached to the neck
- Breathing movements of the chest and abdomen, measured with strain gauges
- Muscle tension of the chin, measured with attached electrodes (EMG****)
- Leg movements, measured with attached electrodes (EMG****)
- Body position, measured with sensors in a chest strap
- Blood carbon dioxide (paCO2*****) measured with an ear clip (Transcutaneous CO2 measurement)
- Blood pressure (blood pressure cuff)
Dr. Ing. Heinz Stutzenberger,
Revision by Prof. Rembert Koczulla
Want to read the full article?
Our sleep lab article was sent out as a newsletter in July of this year. Would you like to read the entire article and learn about treatment options for sleep-related breathing disorders? Then visit our website: https://www.alpha1-deutschland.org/04-2022-das-schlaflabor-und-seine-bedeutung-fuer-a1atm-betroffene
* REM = Rapid Eye Movement; describes a sleep phase characterized by rapid eye movements with closed eyelids and accompanied by vivid dreams. ** EEG = Electroencephalography = measurement and recording of brain waves. *** ECG = Electrocardiography = measurement and recording of heart waves. **** EMG = Electromyography = measurement and recording of electrical muscle activity. ***** paCO2 = Partial pressure (corresponds to the amount) of carbon dioxide in the blood. ****** Transcutaneous = through the skin without breaking it.
www.schlafgestoert.de/site-6.html
www.dgsm.de/
www.apotheken-umschau.de/diagnose/diagnoseverfahren/die-untersuchung- im-schlaflabor-744157.html#was-wird-im-schlaflabor-gemessen
