Procedures for Sleep Disorder Studies

If you feel that you suffer from a sleep disorder, expect studies to be done in order for doctors to determine exactly what the problem is. If the idea of having sleep disorder studies done on you makes you uneasy, relax! While they do require a trip to a medical facility of some sort, most centers that perform sleep disorder studies do everything they can to make the experience something that's, if not pleasant, at least a mere inconvenience. Understanding what to expect from sleep disorder studies should help to set you at ease.

The Sleep Center

If you're unlucky, you may end up at a sleep center with a room that resembles a hospital room, but most sleep centers instead shoot for something closer to a motel room, with a regular bed, not a hospital bed, to sleep in. For your comfort, you will probably have your own bathroom, and some sleep center rooms will have a television for those who like to nod off while watching the nightly news. Don't expect to be forced to sleep with beeping machines or technicians in the same room, monitoring you. Your room should be private so you can fall asleep comfortably, and it's likely that instead of having someone in there to watch you all night, you will be videotaped instead.

If you find that the place you've been referred to for your study is not comfortable enough, consider requesting a different sleep center from your physician, since it's difficult to do sleep disorder studies if you're not comfortable falling asleep at the sleep center.

The Testing

When you have your sleep study done, expect it to occur between 10 PM and 6 AM the next day, or around those times, as the sleep centers do adhere to specific schedules for sleep disorder studies. You will need to go through your bed routine, including changing into pajamas and such, and then you will be fitted with everything you need for testing. Don't expect needles or anything painful, though, as you will instead have electrodes stuck on you, usually on your head, chest, and maybe a leg as well. These will measure brain activity and heart rate while you sleep. Other equipment on you for a standard study will include a sensor placed near your nose to detect airflow and belts around your chest to measure breathing.

The final list of things attached to you may vary based on the sleep disorder studies they run, but expect the items listed above to make up the bulk of what you will have placed on you. As you might expect based on the mental picture painted here, other than a few things taped to you, it having sleep disorder studies should be rather non-invasive, so don't worry if your doctor requests you have one done and feel comfortable getting the help you need.