Diagnosis of a Sleep DisorderA diagnostic evaluation includes a comprehensive assessment of your health and symptoms and may require an overnight sleep study to monitor what happens while you sleep. If a sleep study is required, it is usually conducted at a facility called a sleep center. A sleep study, or polysomnogram, measures your brain wave activity, eye movements, muscle contractions, heart activity, breathing, and blood oxygen levels during sleep. The sleep study itself usually begins in the late evening and ends about 6:00 AM. A specially trained sleep technologist remains awake to monitor your sleep from another room. Before you go to sleep, the sleep technologist places a number of non-painful sensors on your head, chest and legs. These sensors transmit information to the sleep monitoring equipment for later analysis. For patients suspected of having sleep apnea, the sleep study may include a treatment called positive airway pressure (PAP). The PAP device provides a steady stream of air through the nose and/or mouth to help you breathe more easily while you sleep. After your sleep study, a sleep specialist analyzes the information and sends a report to your referring or primary care physician. There are several types of sleep studies: |
