Preparing for a Sleep Study By Rosei Skipper, MD
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oing to the doctor can be daunting, but have you ever gone to the doctor and tried to fall asleep? If you or your family member ever need a sleep study, that’s exactly what you will do. Doctors order sleep studies when a patient complains of daytime sleepiness, poor sleep at night, unusual movements or dreams during sleep, and sometimes for behavior issues in children. These studies will help your doctor determine what is causing your symptoms. Polysomnography, also known as a sleep study or PSG, is an overnight test that is used to diagnose sleep disorders. During the night the technicians will record many parameters including: brain waves, heart rate, and breathing. They will also monitor the oxygen levels in your blood, track your eye and leg movements, and see how long you stay asleep.
30 | Autumn 2021 | Daytime Sleepiness
In some cases, your doctor will also order something called a multiple sleep latency test or an MSLT. An MSLT can only be conducted on the day after a sleep study because the doctor needs to be certain that you got enough sleep the night before. During the test, you will be given multiple opportunities to doze off. The number of times you fall asleep is noted as well as the time that it takes you to fall asleep. Your brain waves are also recorded in order to measure how quickly you enter REM sleep. The doctor will use all the information from these studies to determine what is causing your symptoms.
Having an accurate diagnosis will be well worth the time you take to prepare for your tests.
