If you have been scheduled to spend a night, or a series
of nights, in a sleep lab, relax! Results obtained from patients around
the country have shown that sleep specialists can achieve a positive difference
in sleep in approximately 80% of patients following sleep lab studies and
appropriate treatment.
Polysomnography, or sleep study,
is a complex test that evaluates the quality and quantity of sleep stages. Continuous
recordings of brain waves, eye movements, chin and check muscle tension,
chest and abdomen breathing effort, leg movements, airflow, snoring and
blood oxygen level.
The same sleep you experience at
home will also occur in the sleep lab, except that it will be observed
and measured. Nothing
is done in the lab to change sleep-related events, nor is anything inserted
into the body. If fact, an elaborate, well-planned, presleep regimen
is undertaken, which includes preparing and applying external electrodes
and answering any questions you may have concerning sleep and the sleep lab. This
is why you re asked to arrive several hours before your regular bedtime.
Some patients feel uncomfortable
when wired with electrodes and being monitored, but they usually sleep
adequately even on the first night. The sleep lab environment is safe and conductive to sleep. It
is dark, quiet, and pleasing with controlled, comfortable temperature. You
will have your own private bedroom with a restroom nearby.
Most importantly, maintain your normal
daily schedule, and avoid starting a new diet or exercise program until
after the sleep study. Be
sure to tell the sleep center personnel about any medications you are taking
or have recently discontinued.
How
is polysomnography performed?
A specially trained technologist
will conduct the evaluation.
After you are dressed for sleep, the technologist will apply approximately
15 electrodes to your scalp and skin. A band will be placed around
your chest and abdomen to monitor breathing effort. A small airflow
sensor will be placed beneath your nose and a sensor will be placed on your
neck to monitor snoring. Once in bed, the technologist will apply an
oxygen sensor to a finger.
The wires attached to the monitors
are plugged into a box that is then plugged into a cable by your headboard. The technologist
will monitor you from another room. If you should need to get out of
bed during the night to use the bathroom, ask a technologist to disconnect
the cable.
How
long will the polysomnography test last?
An overnight study usually starts at your usual bedtime
and ends at or before 7:00 the following morning. If a nap study is
requested, it follows the overnight study and ends approximately 10 hours
after you awaken (usually between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.). Some studies
require 9 hours of recording in bed.
When
will the results be known?
A tremendous volume of information
is collected in the computer. A technologist analyzes all of the data the following
day after your sleep study. Careful interpretation of the Polysomnography,
your sleep history, and physical examination is then undertaken by the Sleep
Medicine Physician. This leads to a diagnosis of the sleep problem,
as well as recommendations of treatment.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. Your
physician and the sleep lab personnel are ready to help you understand what
is happening during your stay in the sleep lab. They will make the
experience as comfortable as possible for you.
