What goes on in a sleep center during a sleep study?

Most people have never been inside a sleep center.  If you are scheduled to participate in a sleep study at a sleep center, here’s a preview and a few tips to help you prepare for your visit.

Your appointment with the sleep center will generally take place at night; however, you may be able to schedule your sleep study around your work schedule if it does not permit a nighttime sleep study.

Preparing for your sleep study at the sleep center

Download the medical sleep history questionnaire (aka sleep study questionnaire) because our sleep center staff will request it when you arrive.  If you do not bring it with you, you can complete it here. While you are completing the sleep study questionnaire, you may need to ask your bed partner a few questions – you may not be aware that you snore, make unusual movements or stop breathing while you sleep.

Once you arrive at the sleep center

When you arrive at the sleep center, you will be asked to provide your photo ID and insurance cards before your sleep study begins.  You’ll be shown to your private room in the sleep center.  The technician will ask you to complete a survey to tell the sleep center about your day – you’ll be asked questions about your caffeine intake, what medications you took and whether you took any naps before your sleep study.

If you have any questions, please ask; we want you to be as comfortable with your sleep study as possible.

Our sleep center offers a video about your sleep study and specific disorders like obstructive sleep apnea.  We’ll address what you should expect during your sleep study – and again, we welcome any questions you may have about the sleep center or your sleep study.

After the sleep center’s paperwork is finished, you will be asked to change into your nightclothes so the sleep study can begin.  Your technician will then carefully place electrodes on your body; this does not hurt, and is necessary to record your brain waves, track muscle movements, and monitor rapid eye movement (REM), air intake and limb movement during the sleep study.  A microphone will be attached to your neck to record snoring, and two lightweight straps will be placed around your chest and abdomen to show us how your muscles move during breathing.  These help the sleep center’s doctors determine whether you have sleep apnea.

Your technician will then leave the sleep study room and contact you by intercom from our sleep center control room.  You will be asked to perform small tasks to assure the technician your electrodes are recording properly.

Falling asleep at the sleep center

After adjustments have been made, we will turn off the lights so the sleep study can begin.  Most of our patients are so tired that they have no problem falling and staying asleep.

Waking up at the sleep center

When you wake in the morning, your electrodes will be removed.  Removal is not painful, because the electrodes are attached with water-soluble paste or tape.  We will ask you to fill out a post-sleep questionnaire about how well you slept during the sleep study.

Leaving the sleep center

All the sleep study rooms at the Sleep Apnea Specialty Centers have handicap-accessible showers, and you are welcome to use them before you leave.  You will need to make an appointment with your physician or sleep specialist to review the results of your sleep study.

After your sleep study

Whether or not you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may be prescribed another sleep study to help your physician or sleep specialist determine which treatment is best for you.

Please see our brochure for ideas on what to bring and things to do on the day of your sleep study.