Has anyone gone through Home Sleep Apnea Test? How does this help?

Normally, a sleep test is generally done in a hospital as the whole sleep cycle needs to be recorded. In-home sleep apnea test you will be in charge of the equipment and you will be able to get an idea about the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea which you might be suffering from.

An oximeter is placed on the finger to see the oxygen saturation level, belts used from chest to abdomen to help in measuring breathing.

Thank you

Dear health seeker Vikash,

Why do you want to undergo a sleep apnea test? In our pure nature cure, we don't go for any diagnostic test for there is no disease only lower/diminish the level of health which can be reversed back to health provided you follow the eternal laws of nature governing our organism. 

I am herewith attaching my article on the subject for perusal and follow up action. If followed properly, your health issues of sleep apnea will be radically cured.

Dear health seeker, today only I have delved in detail about sleep, and for your ready reference, it is again posted here.

Modern medical and psychological studies indicate that sleep is a period of comparative quiescence in which extra reserve of energy is accumulated, making possible a renewed burst of activity afterwards. Good sleep and hunger are the two main criteria for good health, of these, sleep is more restorative than food. When we are fatigued we go to the bed and not to the dining table to get energy back. In sleep it is possible to heal wounds, to renew energy ( for younger people) to grow. Hence sleep is perhaps the best of Nature's boon. Only a healthy individual can sleep soundly though he will have no need to "Oversleep", on the contrary, the unhealthy individual will experience some sleep difficulties, the type and degree would vary according to the extent of ill-health of the person.

During sleep, the subtle body has greater access to the cosmic power known as Ether or aakaasa which is the subtlest of foods and the most needed one.

Sleep is defined in Webster's new world dictionary as " a natural recurring condition of rest for the body and mind, during which time it is little or no conscious thought, sensation or movement ".

Natural sleep is the best medicine of all. It has no deleterious effects and permits an escape from all the harsh realities of life.

A large section of humanity that today inhabits the civilized part of the world suffers from sleeplessness to a lesser or greater extent. Oh, poor sleep in older people is surely is the inevitable feature of ageing, some may say. While the duration of sleep may become somewhat less as one age and in fact, less sleep would do in old age, the quality of sleep can be and should be good. One need not be a poor sleeper in old age unless he happens to be very unhealthy.

Even the sufferers do not seem to go into the question as to why and how sleeplessness is caused. The sleepless ones knock in vain at the doors of the healers so-called ( who are in reality none other than drug and dope-dispensers ) one after the other till finally they become reconciled to their ' fate'. 

How to judge the sleep- 

Whether one has had enough sleep or not could be verified by the individual himself. If on waking up, he feels thoroughly refreshed, he has had good sleep. If that feeling of freshness is not there, it means that he has not slept adequately.

Merely sleeping for a long stretch is not enough. there are persons who 'sleep' for a long time and yet have insomnia. Only persons who have a sound nervous system can enjoy a deep sleep of good quality.

Effect of insomnia-

The effect of insomnia may manifest in over in many ways forms of disorganized behaviour, low mental efficiency, forgetfulness, irritability, apathy, poor, judgement, anger, thought-disturbances may be there. There may be auditory and visual hallucinations, depression, self-depreciation etc..

Basic factors responsible for insomnia-

1. Worry

2. Disregard to positive food and overeating( particularly at night)

3. Excessive stimulation or depression( over-stimulation is always followed by depression )

4. Inability to relax

5. Overwork

6. Voluntary curtailment of sleeping time

7. Very poor circulation of blood

8. Constipation, indigestion or some digestive disorder 

 The cure lies in the removal of the cause. So let the sufferer not to resort to any symptomatic remedies doled out by the "different healing systems".

The barbiturates usually recommended by allopaths for insomniacs have many side effects:-

a)These have an adverse effect on the vitamin 'D' metabolism, very much upsetting the general health of the individual.

b)These cause several biochemical and electro-physical changes in the brain tissue, resulting in memory - impairment, failing mental powers leading to the confusion.

c) As there can be no drug or chemical that is entirely free from the risk of causing liver damage - so central is the role of the liver in the metabolism of foreign substances - barbiturates may cause hepatitis ( inflammation of the liver).

d Barbiturates may cause skin diseases.    

e)If anyone addicted to the use of barbiturates tries to stop using then, withdrawal symptoms would be there. Generally, 'fits' occurs at this stage.

 The antidepressants and tranquillizers for a certain type of insomnia cause nervous disability acute urinary retention etc.

Let it be remembered that the sleep 'induced' by the drugs is no sleep at all, it is just unconsciousness. The individual who uses any of these remedies can never feel fresh after his so-called sleep, can not enjoy the 'Natural Happiness' referred to earlier.

Let not the sufferer resort to "pincushion treatment" we mean acupuncture- for here too the cause is not attended to and hence the cure can never be a radical one. The health level would not be raised this way.

1. The natural cure --: Besides taking care of mental causes, that is, removing negative emotions such as worry, fear, hatred, anger, bitterness, annoyance etc.

Nature cure methods of healing insomnia which are in harmony with eternal natural laws are as below:-

1  Positive diet

2  Fasting

3  Avoidance of stimulants 

4  Hydrotherapy

5  Relaxation

6  Correction of faulty habits

1.  Diet - Normalize your nutrition. Eat sensibly, moderately, take predominantly positive food. Observe the principle of Vital Economy, both in regard to eating and in regard to every other aspect of your life that includes sensual pleasures that should be regulated. Excessive indulgence results in poor nervous system and health.
2.  Fasting - Fast occasionally, for a day or two, fasting is one of the best ways to purify the system from within. Understand the rationale of fasting and fast according to hygienic principles.
3.  Avoidance of all stimulants - Keep away from refined, processed, tinned and bottled foods. Do not use fried, stale foods etc. Avoid the use of condiments, spices etc, flesh, meat & poultry products. Remember " let hunger be your spice". Give up tea, coffee, smoking, alcohol etc.
4. Relaxation - Master the art of relaxation. Relax yourself the right way. Remember that relaxation and stimulation are opposed to each other. Have spinal baths regularly everyday ones or twice for 20-30 minutes. The spinal bath is a boon to all insomniacs & nervous wrecks.

Do some exercise daily. Walk 2-3 km. in the morning depending upon the state of health you are in. Keep yourself as active as possible, physically and mentally without tension. The sluggish ones, the shirking ones, the lazy ones do not sleep soundly.

Once or twice a day, and at night while retiring one should lie down on the bed or floor and do SAVASASANA to accomplish complete relaxation.

One of the characteristics of sleeplessness is anaemia of the brain - reduced blood supply to the brain. It is not the full answer to sleep but it is one of the main essentials.

Use of enema - Enema used non-violently will help the patient to some extent to clear the colon at least of some of your clogging matter and constipation. This may help you to sleep somewhat better.

The bedding should be firm if not hard. Spring and sponge mattresses are highly undesirable as the body sinks out of alignments. High pillows caused tension in the neck muscles and impede blood circulation to the head, hence they are to be avoided. Bed clothing should be light, of course, commensurate with the needs of the climate. The face should on no account be covered and there should be free ventilation in the sleeping room.

Minimise viewing T.V. videos, laptop and mobile screens. The younger generation is using these gadgets unnecessarily for frivolous activities which should be completely avoided. 

Face the problem of life, face them squarely, develop confidence in your capabilities to face them. Improve your real personality. Conduct yourself in such a way that you will keep calm, tranquil all the time. Without mental hygiene, one can not keep healthy. The individual can also benefit from non-violent Pranayam and air bath.

In quite some cases there may be psychological factors causing insomnia. Some might have been affected by factors like loss of a job, financial crisis, departure (or death) of a loved one etc.

Some others might have been afflicted by loneliness and might have developed despondency. It may be difficult for such patients to help themselves, as in most cases their mental health may be at a low ebb. Instead of seeking the help of a medico, psychologist or psychiatrist who would very likely exploit the situation, he should seek the guidance of a true friend or a Guru, who would not mock at him, who would not laugh at him, who would not exploit him but who would lovingly help him to restore his mental health by guiding him aright.

Let him, last but not least combined the daily prayer with the methods suggested above. Prayer done sincerely every day, morning &evening. Combined with the adoption of prayerful living (which means adopting nature cure in daily life) is what will help the individual to achieve the desired objective. He can enjoy good sleep every day and lead a long and healthy life.

V.S.Pawar Member Indian institute of natural therapeutics1980

If you suffer from any of the sleep problems, a sleep specialist can help you determine your need for further evaluation. This evaluation often involves overnight monitoring of the sleep center of your breathing and other body functions during sleep. The home sleep testing method could be an option. These tests help us to detect sleep apnea which includes the following testing methods:

• Nocturnal polysomnography. During this test, a person is hooked up to equipment that monitors your heart, lung and brain activity, breathing patterns, arm and leg movements, and blood oxygen levels when you are sleeping.

• Home sleep tests. Your sleep specialist might provide you with simplified tests to be used at home to diagnose sleep apnea. These tests usually measure your heart rate, blood oxygen level, airflow and breathing patterns.

  If the results are abnormal, your sleep specialist might be able to prescribe a therapy without further testing.

Otherwise, there are simple and natural methods to see the quality and quantity of sleep.

Sleep has a direct impact on your daily life. The quality of sleep when your eyes are closed matters a lot. To measure the sleep you may ask a few questions yourself.

1. How long does it take for me to fall asleep? ( One of the indicator to find the quality of sleep )
2. How many times do I wake up in between the sleep? Look for the total number of minutes you are awake after the initial bout of sleep.
3. What percentage of time that you are actually asleep? You may spend about 8 to 10 hours but you may not have slept well still. It all matters if you have 85 percent of your time spent with eyes closed or deep sleep then you might say that you have had a good sleep.

Some natural ways if at all you have a sleep disturbance is Yoga Nidra in yoga which is also called a Conscious Sleep state which has become the best tool for tackling Insomnia. This could be practiced under a trained Yoga teacher who could help you master over the technique in the course of time.