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Stroke | Neurosciences

What is a Sleep Study?

A sleep study includes single or multiple diagnostic tests performed by a qualified technician to help diagnose a number of sleep disorders. The tests are non-invasive and do not use any needles, injectable dyes, IVs or shots.

There are several types of sleep studies:

  • Polysomnogram: An overnight test that records brain activity, EKG, eye movements, heart rate, blood pressure, level of oxygen in the blood, air movement through the nose, and chest movements that indicate whether you’re making an effort to breathe.
  • PAP/Bi-level Titration: A test performed after a polysomnogram that utilizes positive airway pressure (PAP) to determine the proper pressure levels needed for the patient’s treatment.
  • Multiple Sleep Latency Test: A daytime test to determine your sleepiness. The test monitors for brain activity to determine where the person falls asleep and, if so, what stages of sleep are reached. You relax in a quiet room for about 30 minutes while a technician checks your brain activity.
  • Maintenance of Wakefulness Test: A daytime test that measures your ability to stay awake and alert.
  • Home Sleep Study: For some patients, a home sleep study may be a more viable option. Your physician or sleep specialist can decide if a home sleep study is more appropriate for you. If so, you will be given a device and instructions for its use so you are able to conduct the test at home. The device collects multiple types of data to assist the physician or sleep specialist in determining the frequency of respiratory and snoring events.

To learn more about Summa Sleep Medicine Center’s sleep study program, view any of the following videos: 
