What is a Sleep Study?

Sources

Fry, A. (2020, October 23). Sleep Study: Definition and What to Expect. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-studies

Mayo Clinic. (2018). Polysomnography (sleep study) - Mayo Clinic. Mayoclinic.org. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/polysomnography/about/pac-20394877

Campbell County Health has an entire department devoted to sleep and how sleep can impact overall health, including sleep studies.

A sleep study, or a polysomnography exam, helps providers diagnose sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, insomnia and abnormal nighttime behavior that occurs while sleeping.

A sleep study is a non-invasive, overnight exam that allows doctors to monitor you while you sleep to see what is happening in your brain and body. While you sleep, an EEG monitors your sleep stages and cycles of REM and NREM. This will help your provider identify possible disruptions in the patterns of your sleep. A sleep study will also monitor and measure eye movement, oxygen levels in the blood, heart and breathing rates and snoring.

There are several different types of sleep studies:

• Polysomnography

• Multiple Sleep Latency Test

• CPAP Titration

• Home Sleep Apnea Testing

If you're having a full polysomnography study in a sleep center, you'll arrive in the evening and stay overnight. If you primarily work at night, your sleep study may be conducted during the day. You may bring items you use for your bedtime routine, and you can sleep in your own nightclothes. At CCH, sleep study rooms are designed for your comfort with a private restroom, TV and full-sized bed.

Talk with your healthcare provider if you are experiencing sleep issues or daytime symptoms such as fatigue, drowsiness, depression, or difficulty concentrating. Patients with obesity with sleep issues should be screened for sleep apnea. Your healthcare provider can help you determine whether a sleep study is right for you. Visit our website for more information about the CCH Sleep Center at https://www.cchwyo.org/services/sleep-disorders/ .