Polysomnography, also called a sleep study, is a comprehensive test used to diagnose sleep disorders. Polysomnography records your brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, heart rate and breathing, as well as eye and leg movements during the study.
Bring comfortable pajamas and a change of clothes for the morning. Include the same items you would take for a stay at a hotel. You may also want to bring your own pillow. Bring your medications if you will need to take them while you are away from home.
If you absolutely can’t sleep during your study, you may be able to take a sleeping pill. This is one of the questions to ask ahead of time. Unless you take a prescription sleep aid regularly, you’ll be able to use a light over the counter medication like melatonin or Benadryl.
The most common indication for a second sleep study is to initiate and optimize positive airway pressure treatment to remedy sleep apnea. It sometimes proves impossible to find the most effective pressure settings either as part of an initial study or with a trial of therapy at home.
A Level 3 Sleep Test is a portable sleep test performed in the patient’s home. This test is used to screen moderate uncomplicated sleep apnea but is not able to diagnose other sleep disorders. The sleep test equipment is picked up by the patient in the laboratory where instructions are provided for its use.
A sleep study is a non-invasive, overnight exam that allows doctors to monitor you while you sleep to see what’s happening in your brain and body. For this test, you will go to a sleep lab that is set up for overnight stays—usually in a hospital or sleep center. While you sleep, an EEG monitors your sleep stages and the cycles of REM and non REM or NREM sleep you go through during the night, to identify possible disruptions in the pattern of your sleep. A sleep study will also measure things such as eye movements, oxygen levels in your blood (through a sensor—there are no needles involved), heart and breathing rates, snoring, and body movements.
The data from your sleep study will usually be taken by a technologist, and later evaluated by your doctor. This may take up to two weeks, when you’ll schedule a follow up to discuss the results.
Sleep studies collect data about what is happening in a person’s body during sleep. Different types of sleep studies are available depending on one’s symptoms and the sleep disorders that may be present.
Sleep studies are a vital diagnostic tool for many sleep disorders, but they aren’t necessary in all cases. A doctor can prescribe a sleep study depending on a person’s symptoms and overall health.
Talk with your doctor if you are experiencing sleep issues or daytime symptoms such as fatigue, drowsiness, depression, or difficulty concentrating. Patients with obesity with sleep issues should be screened for sleep apnea. Your doctor can help you determine whether a sleep study is right for you.
If you have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder and your symptoms are not improving with treatment, a follow-up sleep study3 can help your doctor determine the next steps for your care.
The cost of a sleep study is difficult to estimate. It depends on the type of testing being used and what a facility charges. Small clinics typically charge less compared to big hospital systems. It’s important to speak directly with the clinic administering your sleep study for the most accurate information.
Director of Cath lab Latamangeshkar Hospital Digdoh Hills HingnaHead of Cardiology Department
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