A sleep study test is a non-invasive, overnight exam that allows doctors to monitor you while you sleep to see what’s happening in your brain and body. For this test, you will go to a sleep lab that is set up for overnight stays—usually in a hospital or sleep center. Polysomnography also called a sleep study, sleep study test is used to diagnose sleep disorders.
Sleep is an important aspect of day-to-day life. A good quality of sleep for minimum 5-6 hours a day, promotes health, reduces stress, enhances working capacity as well as makes sure that body repairing is on point. Getting lesser sleep than that required due to stress, over working, emotional disturbances affects health and thereafter increases stress levels.
Some people get problems with sleeping patterns which is not helpful. Some of which are:
• Sleep Apnea: Disrupted breathing patterns during sleeping. If untreated and if it gets severe, it may lead to Hypertension, Stroke. People over age 40 & those who are overweight are at a risk to have this problem.
• Periodic Limb Movement Disorder: it is known as the cramping or jerking of the legs which is periodic. The movement is periodic,repetitive & thus disrupts sleep.
• Narcolepsy: it is a neurological disorder which affects your ability to wake and sleep. Patients with narcolepsy have uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. They suddenly fall asleep at any time, during any type of activity.
In a typical sleep cycle, we enter the early stages of sleep, then the deeper stages, and finally (after about 90 minutes) rapid eye movement (REM) sleeps. People with narcolepsy go into REM sleep almost immediately in the sleep cycle and sometimes while they’re awake.
• REM sleep Walking Behavior: Some people have this sleep walking behavior, about which they cannot remember.
So to study these patients and undermine the reasons behind their problems, a special sleeping lab is designed. The study of sleep is also called as Polysomnography. In the sleep labs, you can stay overnight, usually in hospitals/ sleep centers. While a patient is asleep,the phases of his REM & nonREM phases are studied with the help of an EEG. Also with the help of some sensors, eye movements, oxygen level in the patient’s blood is calculated. It is a totally noninvasive technique. A sleeping lab is made comfortable for sleeping so that the patient under study does not feel any tension & pressure. The patient can come up with his own set of beddings and can sleep in pajamas, as much comfortably as he wants. The data of the study is taken by the technician & then evaluated by the doctor.
