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Home > Education > What is a Sleep Study?  What is a Sleep Study?
A sleep study is a medical test performed while you sleep at night. This test is used to evaluate and diagnose a sleep disorder. Sleep studies are safe and noninvasive procedures that provide valuable information to your physician.
Sleep studies are done on an outpatient basis, so you will not be admitted to the hospital but it will be necessary for you to register. After registration, a Sleep Technician will escort you to your room for the night. You will have a private room with a television and bathroom. The night will begin with some paperwork and questionnaires to help with treatment. After the paperwork is completed, you will be asked to change into your sleep attire. Before the sleep study can begin, the Sleep Technician will apply several monitors to your body for recording sleep functions. The setup includes 9 electrodes that will be secured to your scalp. You do not need to cut or shave your hair. The glue is dissolved with water and is easy to clean out in the morning. Also, you will have 4 electrodes taped to your chin and the temple area to record chin and eye movements. There will also be a breathing sensor taped to the area between the nose and upper lip to monitor your breathing and does not block your airways. Since we monitor your heart throughout the night, we attach adhesive electrodes to your shoulders and 1 to the side of your chest. Two electrodes are taped to each leg to record all leg movements. Also, you will have a cloth belt placed around your chest and abdomen to monitor your breathing. These belts are not restrictive and fit over your clothing. Finally, a band-aid type probe is wrapped around a finger to record the amount of oxygen in your blood. This setup is painless and you may watch television or read during the procedure. Before the sleep study begins, the Sleep Technician will provide you with information regarding common sleep disorders and treatments. A common treatment that may be used during your visit is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). The Sleep Technician will introduce you to this equipment. The sleep study will begin around 10:00pm to 11:00pm and will last until 5:30 to 7:30am. During the sleep study, the door to your room will be closed and the lights and television turned off. We do not allow cellular phones or pagers as this might disrupt your sleep. Your room is monitored with a video camera and a telecom to allow communication between yourself and the Tech. Once the sleep study ends, the tech will disconnect all the wires. The results of your sleep study will be available during your follow up visit with your referring physician. Overnight Sleep Study Doctors call this study a polysomnogram. It is used to help detect a variety of sleep disorders. It is most often used to find out if someone has a sleep related breathing disorder. This group of disorders includes sleep apnea. CPAP Study This study is used to set the right air pressure for CPAP therapy in patients with sleep apnea. Home Sleep Test A home sleep test can detect obstructive sleep apnea in adults. It involves the use of a portable-monitoring system that is small enough for you to use at home. Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) This sleep study is used to measure how alert you are during the day. It shows whether or not you are able to stay awake for a defined period of time. Nap Study (MSLT) Doctors call this study a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). This is mainly used to find out if someone has narcolepsy. It charts how quickly you fall asleep during quiet daytime situations. It also measures how fast you enter the stage of REM sleep. |
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