Once you have been evaluated at the Piedmont Sleep Disorders Center or referred for a sleep study by your doctor, you will be instructed to come to the sleep lab for an overnight study, termed polysomnography. During your study, your brain waves, eye movements, breathing patterns and air flow, heart rate and EKG, oxygen level, and muscle activity will be monitored throughout the night.
You should eat dinner prior to coming for the overnight study, bring with you pajamas, an overnight bag, toiletries, and a towel to shower in the morning if you would like. Our rooms are extremely comfortable with bedside lighting, televisions with DVD players, ceiling fans, and comfortable bedding. If you have a favorite pillow you would like to sleep with, by all means bring it along.
What do I do upon arrival to the Sleep Center for my study?
What wires are used and how are they held in place during the study?
What about bed time and wake time?
I was told I might need a “nap study”; what does that mean?
A nap study is a daytime study called a Multiple Sleep Latency Test or MSLT. This test is usually preceded by an overnight study the night before. The next day, you will be given 5 opportunities to nap, separated by 2 hours. This test is done to determine the degree of sleepiness you experience and to detect other sleep disorders that may not be seen on an overnight study.