What is a sleep study and when are they ordered by physicians?
A sleep study (or polysomnography study) involves the measurement of a number of bodily responses during night time sleep (e.g., EEG or brain waves, EKG or heart rhythm, leg movements). These measures help the physician to make a diagnosis for the type of sleep disorder, if any. A related test, called a multiple sleep latency study, is performed during the day to measure how long it takes someone to fall asleep during the day and to assess the degree of daytime sleepiness.
