A sleep study, known officially as a polysomnogram, is an overnight laboratory observation of a person while they sleep, which is conducted to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. Sleep disorders affect an estimated 70 million Americans and include disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, sleepwalking, bedwetting and night terrors. Some of these disorders can be a simple inconvenience, or potentially life threatening.
I myself have sleep apnea, and have undergone two separate sleep studies within the past 8 years or so. The most recent occurring these last two weeks. I can tell you from experience that though the sleep study can be an mild irritation and a stretch to a persons comfort zone and humility, the benefits of treatment far outweigh this, and will have lasting positive effects on ones lifestyle for many years thereafter.
So, what can you expect to happen and endure while having a sleep study done? Well, that depends on what the doctors and sleep technicians are testing you for, though the procedures and equipment are essentially the same. You may be asked to undergo either a split study or a series of separate visits about a week apart. During a split study, you will be observed in your normal sleep habits for about half of the night. For the second half, certain treatment techniques, like sleeping with a CPAP machine for sleep apnea, may be applied to observe and actively calibrate effectiveness. In a separate visit study, the concept is the same, except each individual night is used for natural sleep and treated sleep respectively. Personally, I feel that the separate visit approach gives a more accurate result, even though it is a bit inconvenient.
One of the goals of a sleep center, besides observing you for sleep disorders and treating them, is to make your stay as comfortable as possible. You will have a private room that is usually decorated and lit to give it a comfortable atmosphere. A real full or queen size bed will be your resting place for the evening. You will be allowed to relax however you like, depending on your arrival time. They like to get you to sleep at a reasonable time, typically within the 10:00 o’clock hour. Use the restroom, get a drink of water, whatever you need within reason is allowed to help you feel relaxed and comfortable, because if you aren’t, good luck getting to sleep.
On the night of the study, you will be asked to arrive at the sleep study center anywhere between 7:00 and 9:30 pm. It is highly recommended that you do not nap or indulge in large amounts of caffeine during the day of the study. You may be allowed to bring with you anything that may help you sleep, such as your own pillow, mask etc. The use of a sleep aid, such as medication, may be permitted. You will also need to bring a pair of pajamas or comfortable two piece sleep wear.
After you’ve changed and gotten ready for bed, the process of hooking you up for monitoring begins. They start by placing electrodes on your head, face, chest and legs which are wired through your pajamas and behind your head. These electrodes collect brain wave activity, eye and jaw muscle movements and leg movement. These don’t hurt and are relatively comfortable, but you can’t help but notice they are there. A stretchy band sensor is strapped comfortably around your abdomen to record breathing. Another sensor is placed at the nostrils to also record breathing.
After you are all hooked up you will be assisted into bed and the technician will plug in the connections under and behind your pillow. You will be free to move somewhat, but rolling over and side or belly sleeping is discouraged. You are bid goodnight, and depending on the facilities equipment, you may be asked over a speaker to perform a few activities like speak and blink to help the tech adjust the monitoring systems and night vision cameras if installed. It’s off to sleep!
Depending on your study, you may be aware of the technician entering the room to adjust the equipment or your sleeping position. They try to be quiet and subtle so as not to wake you too much or startle you. They will wake you rather early in the morning, anywhere between 4:30 and 5:30 am. The technician will then begin to unhook all the electrodes and sensors. This goes pretty quickly, but can be uncomfortable when removing the ones stuck in your hair. The sticky goo they use to keep them there will remain and take a bit of good shampooing to remove. Once all finished, you can get dressed, collect your things and leave.
Sometime after your study, you will sit down with your doctor and discuss the results and treatment options. These vary of course based on your diagnosed disorder and level of severity.
A sleep study is nothing to worry about. It has its moments of very slight discomfort, comfort zone expansion, and the time frames can be a bit inconvenient. But overall the experience is a very simple and comfortable one. And the benefits of being treated are worth it all, because it will give you back control of your sleep, and in many cases, your entire life.
Note: I’m not an expert, nor do I make any claims to be. But I have experienced this first hand, and it is my hope that through my account of the experience, I can help someone else who has an upcoming study enter into it with knowledge and alleviated fears of what to expect.
