Polysomnography

Polysomnography

Sleep study

Polysomnography (also known as PSG) is a diagnostic method that involves the use of an instrument called a polysomnograph to measure the quality of sleep and identify sleep disorders. The procedure records measurements of brain activity, eye movement, facial muscle tension, and may also include the measurement of heart rate, breathing rate, leg movements, blood pressure, and body temperature.

Types of Sleep Studies

There are several types of sleep studies. The most common sleep studies monitor and record data about your body during a full night of sleep. Other types of sleep studies include:

• Multiple Sleep Latency Tests (MSLT): These tests measure how quickly you fall asleep during a series of daytime naps and use sensors to record your brain activity and eye movements.
• Daytime Maintenance of Wakefulness Tests (MWT): These tests measure your ability to stay awake and alert during the day.

Purpose of Polysomnography

Sleep studies can help doctors diagnose sleep-related breathing disorders such as sleep apnea, sleep-related seizure disorders, sleep-related movement disorders, and sleep disorders that cause extreme daytime tiredness, such as narcolepsy. Doctors may also use sleep studies to help diagnose or rule out restless legs syndrome.

Sleep Study Procedure

Your doctor will determine whether your sleep study should be conducted at a sleep center or if you can do it at home with a portable diagnostic device. If your sleep study is done at a sleep center, you will sleep in a bed at the sleep center for the duration of the study. Removable sensors will be placed on your scalp, face, eyelids, chest, limbs, and a finger. These sensors record your brain waves, heart rate, breathing effort and rate, oxygen levels, and muscle movements before, during, and after sleep. There is a small risk of irritation from the sensors, but this will go away after they are removed.

Treatment and Risks

Your doctor will review your sleep study test results and develop a treatment plan for any diagnosed sleep disorder. Untreated sleep disorders can raise your risk for heart failure, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and depression. Sleep disorders have also been linked to an increased risk for injury and car accidents.

Also see

• Home sleep study

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