In a sleep lab

In a sleep lab or hospital, a sleep technician will place sensors on your patient's body to monitor their sleep.

Sensors are placed:

on the chest to monitor heart activity
close to the eyelids to measure eye movements that help indicate if the patient is in REM or non-REM sleep
on the head to measure electrical signals from the brain
on the legs to assess muscle activity

Patients will also be fitted with:

a nasal cannula to monitor breathing
an oximeter on their finger to record oxygen levels
bands around their chest and stomach to measure breathing effort

With your patient's permission, staff may also request to film the sleep study to gain more insights into the patient's sleeping behaviour.

During this type of study, your patient will be required to stay overnight at the facility, so they should take everything needed for their usual sleeping routine, including pyjamas and toiletries.

At home

A home setup is similar to that in a hospital or sleep lab – with the added comfort and convenience of being in your own home. Prior to the sleep study night, a sleep technician will have shown your patient how to apply the sensors and monitors, and how to use the recording device during the night.

A home sleep test (HST) is similar to a sleep lab or hospital setup, with the added comfort and convenience of being in your own home. Before a home sleep study night, a sleep clinician will show you how to apply the sensors and monitors, and how to use the recording device during the night.

On the night you’ve scheduled your home sleep test, you’ll follow your normal evening routine, prepare for sleep, attach everything as you’ve been shown and start the recording. In the morning, you’ll remove everything as previously demonstrated and return the recording device to the sleep lab or hospital.

The night of the sleep test, the patient simply follows a normal evening routine and gets ready for sleep, sets up the equipment, and starts the recording. In the morning, the patient returns the recording device to the hospital or sleep lab.

What do sleep studies measure?

Among other things, the sleep study will indicate the severity of your patient's condition, which is classified according to an apnoea hypopnea index (AHI).

Measured during the sleep study, AHI refers to the number of apneas and hypopneas your patient has per hour.

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In addition to the patient's AHI, the diagnosis will take into account the patient's oxygen desaturation. Once you receive your patient's sleep study results, you can then talk to him or her about the condition (if it's present), its severity, its possible health effects and treatment options.

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