The electrodes—small metal discs with wires attached—placed on your body monitor your brainwave activity and sleep stages, heart rhythm, muscle tone, leg movements, breathing patterns, and bloods oxygen levels. The data collected from a full nights sleep is then interpreted.
What are you hooked up to in a sleep study?
Polysomnography, also called a sleep study, is a comprehensive test used to diagnose sleep disorders. Polysomnography records your brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, heart rate and breathing, as well as eye and leg movements during the study.
Do they shave your head for a sleep study?
Men should shave. If you are normally clean shaven, make sure you come to the lab freshly shaved. If you have facial hair, groom it before arriving. Facial hair can interfere with sensor placement and the effectiveness of a CPAP mask, should you need to wear one during your test.
How many electrodes are used during a sleep study?
The electrode stickers on your head measure your brain waves for a test we call an EEG. An EEG helps tell us what kind of sleep you are getting. (The technician can tell when you are dreaming, but not what you are dreaming about!) You will have nine electrode stickers on your head.
Can I use my phone during a sleep study?
Please do not bring pagers or cell phones, as these items may interfere with hospital telemetry equipment, disrupt the sleep study and affect your test results. If you must have these devices with you, please make sure they are turned off during testing.
How should I wear my hair for a sleep study?
DONT WEAR TOUPEES, WIGS OR HAIR WEAVES Some of the electrodes attached during your sleep study will be attached directly to your scalp. Talk to us ahead of time if you have concerns. DONT BRING YOUR OWN BEDDING No outside blankets or pillows are allowed.
Can you wear deodorant for a sleep study?
You may use deodorant if youd like, but please do not use moisturizers, hair spray, makeup, or other hair oils. Please do not consume any alcohol or caffeine beverages after 12 noon on the day of your study.
Why is the EOG included in a sleep study?
EOG (Electrooculogram): These leads record the movements of the eyes during sleep and serve to help determine sleep stages.
Can you use the bathroom during a sleep study?
Patients needing to use the bathroom during the study need only to notify the technologist. He or she will unhook one or two central connections, which will enable you to get up and walk to the bathroom. Does the test hurt? The test is non-invasive and not painful.
Do I have to wash my hair before a sleep study?
Before going to the sleep center, wash your hair with shampoo only. Dry your hair and do not apply any hair sprays, oils or gels. If used, they could interfere with the sensors during the study.
What stage of sleep is hardest to awaken?
It is most difficult to awaken people from slow-wave sleep; hence it is considered to be the deepest stage of sleep. Following a period of slow-wave sleep, however, EEG recordings show that the stages of sleep reverse to reach a quite different state called rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep.