If you applied for VA disability benefits for a sleep-related disorder, you will need to participate in a VA sleep study to get a diagnosis. A sleep study may also be used to diagnose restless legs syndrome. This article will help you understand what to expect and how to prepare for a VA sleep study.
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In this article about taking a VA sleep study:
Service-related sleep disorders
High rates of sleep disorders in veterans can be attributed to exposure to stressful situations and traumatic events along with an irregular sleep schedule during service.
More than half a million veterans receive VA disability benefits for sleep apnea, while nearly half of veterans enrolled in VA healthcare are diagnosed with insomnia.
Conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease may lead to sleep disorders, and people with sleep disorders are at higher risk of developing other serious health problems including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression.
If you can prove that your condition is related to your time in service, the VA will award disability benefits on a direct or secondary basis. Sleep apnea can be connected on a presumptive basis for veterans exposed to burn pits.
The VA rates sleep apnea at 0%, 30%, 50%, and 100%.
The VA does not have a specific diagnostic code for other sleep disorders like insomnia and narcolepsy, but it uses the same ratings criteria as it does for mental conditions. Veterans with service-connected insomnia can be rated at 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%.
The results of your sleep study will be important in determining your VA rating for any sleep disorder.
How to prepare for a sleep study
If you are asked to take a VA disability sleep study, here are a few general tips you can take the day of to set yourself up as best as you can for the experience:
- Do not take naps
- Steer clear of caffeine as much as possible
- Wash and dry your hair before coming to the lab (skip haircare products)
- Take medications on your usual schedule (unless directed otherwise)
- Bring any medications you might need with you
If you’re attending a sleep study at a sleep clinic, you’ll need to know what to pack in your bag. Here are a few of the items you may want to bring:
- Any medication you might need
- Any snacks you prefer
- Comfortable sleep clothes
- Reading materials to help you fall asleep
- Basic toiletries
- A clean change of clothes for the morning
Now let’s break down what you can expect at your sleep study.
What to expect during a VA sleep study: location
A sleep study (also called a polysomnogram) may be an important step in receiving VA disability benefits for a sleep disorder. The test can even be used in diagnosing restless legs syndrome. Understanding what to expect during a sleep study can help decrease your anxiety about the test.
Although it is possible your doctor will lend you some equipment and give you instructions for how to conduct a sleep study at home, you will most likely spend the night at a sleep lab.
You will usually be able to bring along a family member or friend to keep you company as you get situated, but they will not be able to stay in the room once the study begins.
What to expect during a VA sleep study: equipment
A lab technician will attach several sensors to your head and torso using a medical adhesive. The sensors will be connected to several wires that are used to monitor and measure the following events while you sleep:
- Brain activity
- Eye movement
- Leg movement
- Changes in muscle tone
- Heart rate
- Airflow
- Oxygen level
- Breathing efficiency
A sleep technologist will also monitor and videotape your movements from another room through a video screen.
You may be asked at some point during the night to wear a CPAP mask to see if it’s effective for you.
The morning after your VA sleep study, the technologist will remove all of your electrodes and sensors. While some of the glue from the leads may remain attached to your body or hair, removal is usually quick and easy.
It may take a few weeks to receive your sleep study results.
Will I be able to sleep during a sleep study?
Let’s be real: being in a strange bed in an unfamiliar room hooked up to electrodes and a camera pointed at you are not ideal conditions for a good night’s sleep.
You might appreciate knowing that sleep clinics are usually set up more like hotel rooms than hospital rooms. It’s also worth noting that the testing doesn’t involve needles or other painful medical instruments.
While you might not be able to sleep as well during your study as you would at home in your own bed, you shouldn’t be too uncomfortable. As long as you can get some form of sleep, the test can gather a lot of information.
What if I have to use the bathroom during a sleep study?
Let’s address one of the most common questions: Will you be able to use the bathroom in the middle of the night during your sleep study?
Yes. If you need assistance during the study, you can communicate with the technologist and tell them what you need. Although they can disconnect the wires, try to avoid drinking a substantial amount of liquid before you lie down.
“They brought me from being stuck at 30%. Denial after denial. Finally rated at 70%. Appealed for total and unable to work disability since 2014. Without Woods and Woods, I would still be stuck at 30%.”
F.H.
How our VA disability lawyers can help
Woods and Woods has helped thousands of veterans get the VA benefits they deserve. Call us for a free case evaluation to find out how we can help. If we take your case, you only pay if you win.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Most sleep studies are set up like a hotel rather than like a hospital room. Very few people can stay completely awake for a whole 8-10 hour sleep study. With that said, they can study your sleep even if you only get a few hours of fitful sleep. If you completely fail to fall asleep, that still gives them some results, but they may invite you back the following night to try again.
The VA doesn’t give automatic VA disability benefits for many reasons. The VA rating for service-connected sleep apnea that requires the use of a CPAP machine is 50%. The VA may require a sleep study to verify that you need a CPAP for sleep apnea.
