What is a sleep study?
A sleep study is a recording that measures and identifies the different stages of sleep and the breathing problems that occur during sleep. UnaSource Sleep Center conducts these studies using the most current and sophisticated equipment for monitoring and evaluating patients during their sleep. It is a painless and easy evaluation to have done.
A sleep study is the monitoring of your brain waves and several other body functions while you are asleep. Sleep studies are standard tools in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. Usually when people say sleep study they mean a study at a sleep lab that records an entire nights sleep. The technical term for this kind of study is an overnight polysomnogram. Other, less common, studies where your sleep is monitored are the MSLT and MWT. Return to the top of the page.
A sleep study is also known as an all-night polysomnogram. It is conducted in a private, comfortable room, while you sleep over a period of six to eight hours. The study is a recording that includes measurements used to identify different sleep stages, breathing patterns, blood oxygen levels, muscle activity and heart rhythm. The recording is accomplished by using small metal discs (called electrodes) applied to the head and skin with an adhesive. Flexible elastic belts around the chest and abdomen measure breathing. Blood oxygen saturation is measured by a clip on the index finger or earlobe. None of these devices are associated with pain and all are designed to be as comfortable as possible. For most sleep studies, an initial office visit is recommended. At this visit a history and physical examination is performed to evaluate specific sleep complaints and general medical conditions. For some conditions, treatment may be initiated at this visit. However, in most instances a sleep stu
A sleep study is a period of scientific observation which is designed to provide insight into sleeping patterns. Someone with a suspected sleep disorder may be asked to take part in a sleep study to diagnose the condition and make a start at treatment, and sleep studies are also used more generally to learn about how people sleep, and how changes in sleep patterns affect mental and physical health. Often, a sleep study takes place in a sleep lab, a facility which has been built specifically for sleep studies. In a general sleep study, a variety of tests may be performed on subjects. Subjects may wear special equipment to bed, for example, to monitor things like brain and heart activity, and they may be asked to keep journals about their experiences in the study. Specific sleep studies may focus on things like how interruptions influence mental health, what happens when sleeping patterns are radically changed, or the stages of sleep. Participants in a sleep study are often paid for thei
