Obstructive Sleep Study

So you may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?

What to Expect during your sleep study:

Your Sleep Study and the disorders it may diagnose: Nocturnal Polysomnogram, NPSG – This is the standard overnight diagnostic sleep study. It is used to assess certain sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorders, insomnia, and 24 hour sleep-wake cycle disruptions. Polysomnography records your brain waves, heart rate, breathing rate and depth, the oxygen level in your blood, and eye and leg movements during the study using sensors hooked up to a monitor.

Included in the sleep study Questionnaire Is a series of questions to help determine if and what type of sleeping disorder you have. It may include questions about your

You may bring items used for your normal sleep routine such as pajamas. The room where the test is done is like a motel room; it is dark and quiet and you do not share the room. The room also has its own bathroom. The sleep techs monitoring you can see what 's happening once the lights are out through a series of video cameras in the room. The room also has an audio system, so you and the sleep tech can communicate. Once you are ready to go to sleep, the tech positions sensors on your head, temples, chest, and legs using glue or tape. A computer that records everything is connected to the sensors by wires, but they let you move normally because they are long. To monitor the amount of oxygen in your blood a small clip-like device is placed on one of your fingers or toes. During the study, the tech will have you try a positive airway pressure (PAP) machine for possible sleep apnea. This is a device that involves a nosepiece which delivers a stream of air to help with your breathing. You will be able to try on this device before the sleep study, this way you are not surprised by it if tried later on in the night. (This image shows just one example of a nasal PAP

You may not sleep as naturally at the sleep center as you may at home, but this does not affect the test results. An entire night 's sleep is not required to gain precise results. Follow-up The following morning: the sensors are removed, you may change, and you leave the sleep center. You are then scheduled for a follow-up appointment with your doctor. You may resume all your normal activities.

Potential findings

The data recorded during the polysomnogram provides a lot of information about your sleep patterns. Brain waves and eye movement during sleep. These can help detect interruptions in the stages of sleep which may be due to certain sleep disorders. Changes in heart rate, breathing, and the amount of oxygen in your blood during sleep. If the changes are abnormal, they may hint at sleep apnea. Settings for PAP and/or oxygen If your doctor would like to prescribe any of these for your use at home, the settings will be obtained from the test. Frequent leg movements If the movements disturb your sleep, it may signify periodic limb movement disorder.

All of the data obtained is first examined by a tech, who then uses the data to chart your sleep stages and cycles. This information is then reviewed by a doctor at the sleep