Your Night at SLEEPWELL Diagnostic and Treatment Center

What to bring:

We want you to be as comfortable as possible during your sleep test. Pack a small bag with your pajamas, toothbrush and any other items you will need the next morning. Many patients like to bring their own pillow for better sleep. Let's go to the sleep center, our warm, friendly staff are waiting for you!

When you arrive, you will be escorted to your private bedroom. Along the way, you are likely to see the central monitoring area, where the technicians monitor as many as four sleeping patients. We do this by means of video, computers, and printouts of your recorded activity. The technicians will be able to react quickly if you need help or have a question while in your room.

Throughout the entire process, your technician is paying close attention to the activity of his or her sleeping patient.

What happens next?

Now, you have arrived at your private bedroom. It may look like a hospital room, a hotel room, or your bedroom at home. Your technician will ask you to slip into your pajamas before the process of hooking up the surface electrodes (leads) begins. The hook-up process may take place in your bedroom or an outer work area.

The Hook-up

Setup can take 30-45 minutes or more in order to get everything connected properly. There are a large number of supplies that are used in the process. The two belts are placed around your chest and abdomen to measure your respiratory efforts, and the band-aid like oximeter probe on your finger measures the amount of oxygen in your blood. The electrodes are temporarily "glued" to your skin and scalp. Don't worry; the glue comes off very easily the next morning! Tell your doctor if you have asthma or an allergy to tape, so that SLEEPWELL'S technicians can use hypoallergenic materials for the hook-up. You will also have some belts to hold sensors to your chest.

Although being hooked up may look uncomfortable and sleeping through the night seems impossible, most patients fall asleep with little difficulty.

Now, its time to relax.

Once you are hooked up and the preparation is over, you may have some time to relax before dropping off to sleep. Usually, you may choose your own bedtime, within reason. You may watch television, or you may want to bring a book or magazine. Also, the technician can adjust your bedroom's temperature to suit your personal preference.

So, what exactly is going on while I sleep?

A key part of a sleep study is understanding what is happening while you sleep. By attaching the electrodes to your body, the recorded electrical signals generated by your brain and muscle activity are sent back through the wires. Gold plated surface electrodes will be glued to the skin and scalp during the polysomnograph (PSG), and will record the extremely low levels of electrical energy present during any muscle or brain activity.

This information is recorded digitally. Our sleep specialist then "reads" or interprets the study, and can recognize the pattern of this activity. These valuable clues reveal whether or not you have a sleep disorder, and if you do, how severe it is.

Seems simple, but really very complex:

Sleeping is a complex activity that must occur for a successful polysomnographic study. During sleep, our brain and body cycle between NREM (nonrapid eye movement) and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep approximately every 90 minutes.

During these transitions, major changes occur in our EEG, EOG, EMG, heart rate and respiration that are necessary for healthy sleep. If abnormal changes are observed during a particular sleep stage, then we are able to define this problem as it occurs during the night.

Some sleep disorders are generally worse in a particular sleep stage, such as sleep apnea during REM sleep and PLMD in NREM sleep. Your PSG technician and sleep specialist are well aware of these facts and want you to get as good a night's sleep as possible in order to make your test experience as pleasant as possible.

Elastic belts are placed around the chest and abdomen to record breathing rate and effort from the diaphragm, as well as apnea and hypopnea events.

After your sleep study:

Following your sleep study, our technicians will promptly send your results to your referring physician. Your physician will discuss your results with you and tell you what specific treatment he or she recommends.

In general, review and analysis of your study sleep recording will take from five to seven working days. SLEEPWELL Diagnostic and Treatment Center will telephone you to inform you of further recommendations in your evaluation (e.g., another overnight recording: follow- up visits; etc).

Treatment options will be appropriate to which sleep disorder is diagnosed. Some treatments are pharmaceutical (involve medications prescribed by your physician). Other treatments are behavioral, involving a change of routine, such as diet and exercise or restriction of caffeine. Some treatments may involve mechanical devices, such as the CPAP sleep mask to maintain adequate airflow during sleep. Your health care provider may recommend a surgical procedure if he or she determines that there is a need to remove an obstruction or correct a deviated septum, for example.

Some things to remember:

The quality and validity of your study will be enhanced by your cooperation in the following:

• In the several days prior to your sleep study maintain your usual sleep-wake schedule, daily activities, and medications (including over the counter medications).Do not ingest any caffeine after noon on the day of the study.If you anticipate or experience any significant change in any of theses areas in the several days prior to your sleep study, please inform us immediately as we may have to modify plans for your sleep study.
• Should you become ill in the several days prior to your sleep study, please call our office about your illness.
• On the day of your sleep study, shower, shampoo and dry your hair.Women should remove fingernail polish from the left index finger before arriving at the center.
• Please report to the center at the appointed time.There will be ample parking close to the front door.
• Upon arrival at the center, press the doorbell located to the right of the front door.The technologist will greet you and show you to your room.
• Bring your daily medications (including medications taken in the evening and early morning) with you to the center: let the technologist know which medications you need to take during your stay at the center, and what times.
• Bring preferred pajamas, pillow (optional), etc.You may bring a bedtime snack.A refrigerator and microwave are available for your use.
• The center has a bathroom equipped with toilet and lavatory. You may want to bring an overnight toilet kit.
• You will be awakened between 5:30-6:00 am the following morning.

Special needs:

Please tell us if you have any special needs or concerns. Tell us if you need a specific wake up time in order to allow our technician to plan a schedule for your hook-up.

Once you are hooked up for your study, the sleep technician will test the equipment to assure that it is working properly. You may be asked to move your toes, blink your eyes or do other tasks that will allow the sensors to register the activity on the monitor for testing the equipment. This procedure is completely pain free. Once the hook-up and equipment check are complete, it is time to relax and prepare to sleep. You may watch television or read until you are ready to try fall asleep. The technicians will wake you up around 5:30 -6:00 in the morning. You will be ready to leave the sleep lab around 6:30-7:00 am. If you have any questions about your upcoming sleep study, please call us.

Can I be reached in case of an emergency at home or work?

For urgent/emergency matters during your sleep study, others can reach you at the center by telephoning 704-541-4240.