Somnology

[3] The first actigraphy device was made in 1978 by Krupke, and continuous positive airway pressure therapy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty were created in 1981.

In 1989, the American Board of Sleep Medicine was created to administer the tests and eventually assumed all the duties of the Examination committee in 1991.

[5] Somnologists employ various diagnostic tools to determine the nature of a sleep disorder or irregularity.

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale measures general sleep propensity and asks the patient to rate their chances of dozing off in eight different situations.

These variables include electroencephalography, electrooculography, electromyography, and electrocardiography as well as airflow, oxygenation, and ventilation measurements.

Pneumotachography measures the difference in pressure between inhalation and exhalation, nasal pressure can help determine the presence of airflow similar to pneumotachography, thermal sensors detect the difference in temperature between inhaled and exhaled air, and expired carbon dioxide monitoring detect the difference in carbon dioxide between inhaled and exhaled air.

Pulse oximetry measures the oxygenation in peripheral capillaries (such as the fingers); however, an article written by Bohning states that pulse oximetry may be imprecise for use in diagnosing obstructive sleep-apnea, due to the differences in signal processing in the devices.

[7] Transcutaneous oxygen and carbon dioxide monitoring measure the oxygen and carbon dioxide tension on the skin surface respectively, and the pulse transit time measures the transmission time of an arterial pulse transit wave.

The test isolates a person from factors that can influence sleep such as temperature, light, and noise.

Furthermore, the patient is also highly suggested to not take any hypnotics, drink alcohol, or smoke before or during the test.

Surgical procedures for treating snoring include palatal stiffening techniques, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and uvulectomy while non-invasive procedures include continuous positive airway pressure, mandibular advancement splints, and tongue-retaining devices.

[12] Pharmacological treatments are used to chemically treat sleep disturbances such as insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness.

Drugs such as tranquilizers, though they may work well in treating insomnia, have a risk of abuse which is why these treatments are not the first resort.