Although I don’t babysit as much now as I did throughout college, I do still babysit regularly for one family.  I’ve watched these kids grow up, so I just don’t have the heart to stop babysitting for them.

Connor, who is the oldest, had some problems with excessive snoring and sleep apnea when I first met him.  He was only about 22 months at the time.  When he was somewhere around two and a half, his parents had him participate in some sort of sleep study.  Basically, he spent the night in the sleep lab, and they monitored his sleep with an entire army of sensors.

Shortly after that, Connor’s tonsils were removed — apparently, the doctors decided that his tonsils were partially blocking his airway while he slept, causing him to snore and sometimes even stop breathing (a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea).  Luckily, they were right and removing his tonsils fixed the problem.

Sleep studies are also helpful for people with other types of sleep apnea — i.e. those that need to be treated using CPAP equipment.  A CPAP machine basically keeps the person’s airway open by keeping a steady stream of air flowing into the person’s nose and mouth.  The machine has an air hose that is affixed to the person’s nose and mouth using a sleep apnea mask.

Whichever type of sleep apnea you have, and whether the best treatment method ultimately is surgery or some type of non-invasive treatment, a sleep study can really help you and your doctor learn more about your condition!

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