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How to Prepare for a Sleep Study
- Preparing for a sleep study involves following instructions from your provider, including avoiding caffeine or alcohol, not applying creams or other skin/hair products, and skipping naps.
- You’ll want to pack comfortable sleep clothes, clothing for the morning, and anything else you need for your usual bedtime routine like a toothbrush, retainer, or CPAP machine and mask.
- Patients are encouraged to follow normal sleeping routines to get the most accurate test results.
If you snore or have concerns about your sleep quality, or if your doctor wants to rule out or confirm a sleep disorder like sleep apnea, you may be asked to go for a sleep study. It’s only natural to wonder what to expect from the process and what you need to do to get ready.
Sleeping as comfortably and as naturally as possible during a sleep study is important for getting the most accurate and meaningful results . Below, we’ll provide tips to help you prepare for a sleep study and get the most out of testing.
What Is a Sleep Study?
A sleep study , also known as a polysomnography, measures and records various body functions and behaviors related to sleep. Sleep studies are most often used to diagnose and manage the treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A sleep study may also be conducted if a person has signs of other sleep disorders like REM behavior disorder, narcolepsy, or periodic limb movements disorder.
Sleep studies usually take place in a healthcare setting like a sleep clinic or sleep lab, though in some cases they can be performed at home. During a sleep study, electrodes are attached with a paste or gel to the head, chest, and legs in order to monitor brain activity, eye movements to measure REM sleep, breathing, heart rate, and other physical processes. A camera may be used to record sleeping positions and movements throughout the night.
What to Do Before a Sleep Study
Getting ready for a sleep study is simple, but it does require that you follow some basic instructions to ensure optimal testing conditions.
Follow Your Provider’s Instructions
Your sleep study coordinator or physician should provide you with a clear list of dos and don’ts prior to your sleep study appointment. Some of the things you’ll discuss in advance include if you take any medications. The doctor can advise which prescriptions should be continued as usual as well as how other medications could affect test results. Do not make any changes to your medication use prior to speaking with a doctor.
In some cases, a new medication may be prescribed prior to a sleep study. People with a history of insomnia or people who are nervous about sleeping in an unfamiliar environment may be given medication to help them sleep more comfortably, for example.
Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine, which is present in coffee, tea, chocolate, and some soft drinks, can contribute to insomnia and disrupted sleep. Avoid consuming caffeine in the afternoon and evening on the day of the sleep study.
Most people are also instructed to avoid alcoholic drinks , such as beer, wine, or liquor during the afternoon and evening of the test. Alcohol can alter normal sleep patterns, which could interfere with an accurate assessment of the nature or severity of a sleep disorder.
In certain cases, when alcohol is a prominent part of a person’s normal routine, it should not be stopped abruptly. People who habitually drink alcohol should talk to their doctor about how to prepare for a sleep study.
Skip Naps
It’s best not to take a nap on the day of a nighttime sleep study. Taking a daytime nap may make it harder to sleep the night of the sleep study.
Some sleep studies take measurements during the day and may involve napping. If you’re scheduled for a daytime multiple sleep latency test or maintenance of wakefulness test, pre-test instructions may differ, so follow any instructions provided by your doctor or sleep lab.
Shower But Don’t Apply Products
It’s best not to use hairspray, hair gel, lotions, or makeup the day of the study. That’s because most sleep studies involve the use of small metal discs called electrodes, which are attached to your scalp, eyelids, and other parts of your body. Using products that could create a barrier or make it harder for the electrodes to stick could potentially interfere with the measurements recorded.
What to Pack for a Sleep Study
If your sleep study is taking place at a sleep lab, pack a bag that contains the things that are part of your usual bedtime routine, like a toothbrush and pajamas. Also remember to pack clothing and other essentials that you will need in the morning. The American Association of Sleep Medicine recommends that people should pack the following items for an overnight sleep study:
- Comfortable sleep clothes
- A book or other reading material
- A change of clothing for the morning
- Oral care items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss
- Makeup remover, if applicable
- Medications that your doctor has instructed you to continue taking during the sleep study.
Your doctor may also recommend that you bring other items. For instance, people who use a CPAP device may be instructed to bring their mask and machine.
Prepare to Be Comfortable
It can be helpful to follow your regular bedtime routine as closely as possible, so you should bring along your usual bedclothes or other items you use to help you sleep.
Some people find it helpful to bring their own pillows to the sleep lab. If the study subject is a child , they may take comfort objects like stuffed animals, blankets, or special toys into the lab as well.
What Happens During a Sleep Study
When you arrive at the sleep study location, you’ll be asked to change into your regular, comfortable sleeping clothes.
A technologist will connect electrodes to various places on your body, which measure things like brain activity, eye movement, heartbeat, breathing, and blood oxygen levels. These sensors may be placed on your scalp, chest, near your eyelids, and clipped to your finger. If you already use CPAP therapy, you’ll also put your mask on as usual and set your machine to its regular settings. The rest of the process will be as non-invasive as possible so that it mimics a “regular” night’s sleep.
You should feel free to sleep normally in your preferred sleeping position or change positions. Throughout the night, a technologist will monitor the data being collected. They typically only enter the room if you call for assistance with disconnecting to use the restroom, or if they detect any severe apneas. In that case, they may fit you with a CPAP mask (if you don’t already use one) to see how you respond to the treatment.
If you’re doing a CPAP titration study, in which the goal is to find your ideal CPAP settings, then the technologist might make adjustments throughout the night as needed.
The next morning when you wake, the technologist will come and remove all the sensors and you can get dressed and leave.
How to Prepare for a Home Sleep Study
Some sleep studies can be done in your own home, though they may not be as comprehensive as the testing done in a sleep center. If you have the option for an at-home sleep study, you’ll have a list of simple instructions to follow.
You’ll have to set yourself up, which may involve some or all of the following: a nasal tube breathing sensor, an effort belt that goes around your chest to measure breathing movement; a pulse oximeter to go on your fingertip to measure blood oxygen level; a microphone to record snoring; a data collection device. Follow the directions carefully to make sure everything is placed correctly.
Then, try to sleep normally. The next morning, you can remove the equipment. You’ll usually have to return it to your provider so they can access the data collected.
What Happens After a Sleep Study
Once your sleep study is completed, sleep specialists will analyze the data. That process may take several days to a couple of weeks. Different aspects of your sleep session may be “scored,” and that score can be used to determine if you meet the criteria of having a specific sleep disorder, as well as how severe your case is.
You’ll then have a follow-up appointment with your doctor to discuss the results and your diagnosis and go over any potential treatment options. Depending on the condition and the severity, the doctor might recommend anything from simple lifestyle changes to CPAP therapy or other interventions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take melatonin before a sleep study?
All medications and supplements, including melatonin, should be discussed beforehand with the doctor who ordered the sleep study. Do not take melatonin or any other sleep aid unless instructed to do so by your healthcare provider.
What happens when I arrive at the sleep center?
People are usually asked to report to the sleep center in the evening, around two hours before bedtime. After arriving at the sleep center, a sleep technologist may ask about your sleep habits and request that you fill out a questionnaire. Then you’ll be given some time to get comfortable. You’ll have a private room with your own bathroom.
After you have had some time to settle in, a technician will attach sensors to your scalp, chest, legs, eyelids, and chin. You’ll also have a pulse oximeter attached to a finger. Additionally, you may be asked to wear a tube beneath your nose and a belt around your chest. These monitoring devices are designed to record body functions while still allowing you to move freely and naturally while you sleep.
What happens if I can’t fall asleep?
It’s normal to have some trouble sleeping in an unfamiliar environment
, whether it’s a hotel or a sleep lab. You may feel uncomfortable because of the sensors and other measuring devices attached to your body.
However, nearly everyone eventually falls asleep during a sleep study. Even if you get less sleep than you normally do at home, a sleep study only requires two hours of sleep in order to be considered a valid test.
In some cases, people who are nervous about a sleep study or who have severe insomnia may be prescribed sleep medications to help them fall asleep.
What if I need to use the bathroom?
There will be a microphone near you during the sleep study so you can communicate with the technician monitoring your sleep. If you need to use the bathroom, you’re able to say that you need to get up, and a staff member can disconnect the wires from the monitoring equipment so that you can take a bathroom break.
It’s very common for people to use the bathroom
during the night, especially people with obstructive sleep apnea, so the sleep lab is likely familiar with accommodating requests for bathroom breaks.
Why do I have to go to a sleep lab for my sleep study?
At-home sleep studies may be used under the guidance of a healthcare provider to assess people with sleep-related breathing issues, like obstructive sleep apnea. However, at-home sleep studies have some limitations and aren’t appropriate for everyone. The portable equipment used for home studies cannot measure as many body functions during sleep as the equipment used in a sleep laboratory.
Measurements of brain activity that can help diagnose other sleep disorders like seizures, periodic limb movements, or narcolepsy can only be taken in a lab.
If you’re interested in an at-home sleep study, ask your doctor or sleep specialist if this type of sleep study might be appropriate. A doctor is in the best position to determine if the information provided by a home study can adequately evaluate your sleep issues, or if the wider range of measurements from an in-lab sleep study would be more helpful.
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Eric Suni has over a decade of experience as a science writer and was previously an information specialist for the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Abhinav Singh, board certified in Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine, is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center, which is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at Marian University College of Medicine in Indianapolis, where he developed and teaches a Sleep Medicine rotation. Dr. Singh’s research and clinical practice focuses on sleep disorders, including excessive daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, chronic snoring, insomnia, and sleep education.
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