Because of concerns you and your physician may have regarding the amount and quality of sleep you are getting at night, a polysomnography (PSG), or sleep study, has been requested. This study will allow your physician to get information about your sleeping patterns and identify any problems you may have.
You may qualify for a sleep
study if:
- You wake up in the morning sleepy
- You wake up gasping or snorting
- Your partner has complained of your snoring
- You have a history of seizures or epilepsy
- You suffer from depression, irritability, fatigue or other worrisome symptoms during the day
During a sleep study many of your body’s physiological
activities will be recorded. These include:
brain/electrical impulse activity, eye movements, muscle
activity in your chin and legs, breathing effort,
airflow from your nose and mouth, and heart rate. Just
about everything that relates to how your body functions
and moves during sleep will appear on your
polysomnogram. This recording will then be reviewed by a
board certified sleep specialist and a report will be
made for your doctor to review.
A sleep technician is someone who has been trained in the operation and management of sleep diagnostic equipment. At Comprehensive Sleep Wellness Center, our sleep technicians are members of the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT), which is an independent, nonprofit certification board that sets the highest professional and ethical standards for sleep technicians.
You may have many questions or concerns regarding your sleep study, and that's natural. We have complied a list of the most commonly asked questions by our patients. If you do not find the answer you are looking for, simply ask your physician or a member of our staff and we wil be more than happy to provide an answer.
Please pack whatever you would normally have for an
overnight stay. Unfortunately, showers will not be
available, but you may bring with you anything you
need to prepare you for a good night’s sleep and an
easy transition into your day the following morning.
Our goal is that you are as relaxed and comfortable
as possible.
Items you may bring:
- Your own pillow
- A book
- A favorite blanket or stuffed anima
- A noise machine or fan
We understand that some people, especially children, may have a hard time sleeping without a parent or loved one with them. Please let your sleep center know if you would like to either be in the room with your child or would like to have a loved one join you during your study. While a parent or loved one cannot sleep in the same bed as the person being studied, he or she can sleep in the same room. We will be glad to accommodate such needs.
Adults will need to arrive between 9 and 10 p.m.,
children around 8 p.m. You may arrive for your
sleep study in your pajamas or you can change once
you arrive. Our sleep technicians will greet you and
give you a quick tour of the facility.
You will be shown to your room, which will have a
full-size bed with clean bedding, a TV, a camera and
a microphone for communicating with your technician.
You will be allowed a few minutes to familiarize
yourself with the room, brush your teeth, wash your
face, flip through the TV, set your alarms—anything
you would typically do before preparing for bed.
After you’ve settled in, the sleep technician will
return and begin placing monitors on your head,
face, arms, chest and legs. These electrodes, or
wires, will not shock you. They simply record your
activity during sleep. The wires are applied with a
sticky substance, which is removable with soap and
water, and gauze. By strongly securing these wires
as carefully as possible, we can ensure that your
sleep is uninterrupted by us having to reattach or
adjust them. Setup time for the monitoring wires
should take around 15 minutes.
Our technicians are more interested in the polysomnogram than in the video. The polysomnogram gives your sleep specialist the details he needs to help diagnose and treat your sleep problems. However, the video does supplement the polysomnogram should there be any questions about your behavior or movement during sleep. The sleep techs will turn on the camera only after you have gotten into bed. It will be turned off again as soon as you awake in the morning.
Once the wires have been applied, you are free to read, watch TV or go right to sleep. Whatever you’re most comfortable doing. If before falling asleep or even during sleep you awake and need to go to the bathroom, just let your technician know. He/she can come in and remove your wires so that you may take care of any pressing business.
Yes, you can roll over. In fact, your body will
tend to move as it would if you were not wearing the
monitoring wires. While sleeping in a new place can
make a restful night’s sleep a little more difficult
to achieve, most people find that it’s little
different from sleeping at home.
If you are very anxious about your study, please
tell your doctor. He or she may be able to prescribe
a sleeping aid, which will not affect your PSG
results.
Sleep specialists like to record about six hours of sleep. This timeframe allows them to see the stage where your difficulties may begin, whether or not you achieve REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and your breathing patterns.
Your sleep technician will wake you around 6 a.m.
The monitors will be removed so that you can brush
your teeth, wash your face and get dressed for the
day. A small breakfast will be provided along with
orange juice and/or coffee.
While your sleep technician will have a good idea
about your sleep problems, the polysomnogram will
need to be read by a sleep specialist before any
treatments can be recommended. Your specialist will
be in touch with you to schedule an office
appointment to discuss your results. (Results cannot
be discussed over the phone.)
You may need another sleep study to ensure the recommended therapy is helping and/or to make any adjustments to your treatment. For example, a patient who has been given a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine will need another study to check the airflow pressure and fit. Sleep studies sometimes have to be repeated after a person has been on CPAP for a period of time. A treatment pressure may no longer be effective due to a variety of reasons, such as weight change, a change in your medical condition, or aging.
By having a sleep study evaluated by a board certified sleep specialist, you know what steps to take toward better rest. And who can place a value on quality sleep?! Many patients experience improvement in memory and other brain functioning, as well as in mood, physical performance, coordination and job performance. In a sense, you will be awake for life rather than sleepwalking through it! Plus you have a chance to reduce your risk for diabetes, hypertension and other diseases that can worsen if your body fails to get adequate rest. So what do you have to lose—except for another restless night.