Sleep Testing (home and lab based)
Sleep studies are tests that record the changes occurring in your body while you are asleep. These studies also help in evaluating problems with the stages of sleep including non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). During sleep, these stages alternate approximately 4 to 5 times throughout the night. Any change in this pattern of sleep may create difficultly in having a restful sleep.
Sleep studies are performed in special sleep units, equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic tools. Some of these studies include:
- Multiple sleep latency test measures the time required for you to fall asleep and determines when you enter the REM stage of sleep.
- Maintenance of wakefulness test evaluates if you can stay awake when you are supposed to be awake.
- Polysomnogram records many functions of your body during sleep, such as eye movements, levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, heart rate, rate of breathing, snoring, and movement of your chest and belly.
- Actigraphy test measures when you are active and when you are sleeping. This test is ordered if you have sleep disorders related to working in shifts or problems with your body's circadian rhythm of sleep and wakefulness. A device will be placed on your wrist to measure your active movements.
If the results of your sleep study are abnormal or you are diagnosed with a sleep disorder, your sleep specialist will assist you for further therapy.
