Sleep Study Lab

Unveiling the Secrets of Sleep Study Labs: Your Complete Guide to Expectations, Types of Studies, Results, and Patient Paperwork

Ready for a sleep study? Or want to know more before you schedule one? Here is everything you need to know.

1. Sleep Study

a. Schedule A Consultation

When you begin your study with Sleep Apnea Arlington, you will first have a Consultation with one of our Physicians Board Certified in Sleep.

At your Consultation, our physician will talk with you about your sleep issues. At the end of the Consultation our physician will discuss the best Plan of Care for you and answer any questions you may have. Depending on your symptoms and the Plan of Care our physician discusses with you, you may need to schedule a follow up appointment or a sleep study.

b. Scheduling A Study

As a result of your consultation, our physician may order an overnight sleep study. We will schedule the study for a time that is convenient for you. If you have not already done so, complete the New Patient Paperwork and review What to Expect which will tell you how to prepare for your study.

c. Study Is Complete

Once the study is complete and the doctor has had a chance to look over it, the physician or our Clinical Care Coordinator will be calling you to go over the results and discuss the next steps in your plan of care.

Your results will then be hand-delivered to your referring physician the next day. Depending on the results of your study, your plan of care may include a prescription for therapy, which we will help coordinate or arrange for you.

d. Ongoing Care

We will be there to support you in your journey toward achieving restorative sleep. Follow-up visits will be scheduled with our physician as needed but at least once annually to evaluate and adjust your plan of care if necessary. Contact us anytime you have questions or concerns. We are here to support you every step of the way.

2. What to Expect

a. What happens at the time of your study?

When you arrive at Sleep Apnea Boston for your scheduled sleep study you will be greeted by a professional and friendly technician who will escort you to your room. The technician will explain the procedure and what to expect during the night.

The technician will prepare you for the study by placing leads on your lower legs, chest and head. Electrode gel will be used to adhere the leads to your skin. The gel is similar to the stickiness of a adhesive bandage. If applicable, the technician will also fit you with a mask. None of this equipment causes any pain or discomfort.

The preparation and mask fitting take between 30 and 45 minutes with lights out around 10 pm. Wake up time is between 5 and 6 am.

Your accommodations at any of our facilities are designed to look and feel very much like home. We provide you with:

1. a private bedroom with a private or shared bathroom with fresh clean linens, towels and washcloths
2. a night stand with lighting to read by
3. a TV with cable or satellite service
4. a snack and a drink upon arrival
5. when you depart in the morning, Grab and Go Morning Snacks.

b. How to pack and dress for your study?

1. Your hair should be clean and “undone”.
2. Pack as if you are spending the night in a hotel- soap and shampoo are provided
3. Pack toiletries such as deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste
4. Eat supper before you come – we do have snacks and caffeine-free drinks
5. No caffeine after 9 am the day of the test
6. Bring any medications you regularly take at night or in the morning
7. Bring comfortable clothing (P.J.s, sweats, NO SILK OR SATIN, etc.)
8. We do have cable or satellite TV, but you may bring reading material, books, magazines, music with headphones, handiwork, etc.
9. Although we provide pillows and blankets, you are welcome to bring your favorite from home.
10. Shower facilities are available and towels are provided
11. Please leave all valuables such as jewelry at home.
12. Please, no pets, no firearms, no alcoholic beverages, no illegal drugs or inappropriate items

c. What paperwork do I need?

1. Bring your insurance card and photo ID
2. Bring your completed Patient Paperwork

d. When should I arrive and when do I leave?

1. Arrive at 7:30 pm unless other arrangements are made with American Sleep Medicine Center.
2. Departure time is around 6 am; please, tell the technicians if you need to leave earlier
3. Remember to check your room upon departure for all your belongings.

The above list is available in a checklist form so you can print it out for reference.

Please note: Per Academy of Sleep Medicine and insurance (including Medicare) guidelines Obstructive Sleep Apnea testing is normally a two night procedure.

One night to diagnose this condition, a second night to determine the appropriate pressure to correct your apnea and keep your oxygen level normal. Following guidelines, occasionally these two studies may be combined and completed in one night. This is known as a Split Study.

3. Types of Sleep Studies

The following are the various types of sleep studies. Your doctor may prescribe one or more of these to determine how best to treat your sleep disorder.

1. Nocturnal Polysomnogram, NPSG – The standard overnight diagnostic sleep study used to assess sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorders, insomnia, 24 hour sleep-wake cycle disruptions etc. The study includes various physiological measurements such as respiratory effort and airflow, EEG (brain waves), EKG (Heart), EMG (muscle movement), oxygen saturations, and snoring. These parameters are standard on every overnight sleep study both diagnostic and therapeutic.
2. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, CPAP Titration – A therapeutic study used to treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The purpose of this study is to explore a variety of CPAP pressures to determine which is the most effective in eliminating apneic events and snoring.
3. Split Study – A sleep study which combines a 2 – 4 hour diagnostic test and a therapeutic test in the same night. This study is possible for every adult so that patients with severe OSAS may be treated immediately. If a patient is not “split” to CPAP then the study is run as a NPSG. The patient may return for a full night of CPAP if the diagnostic test finds evidence of sleep apnea and treatment is advised.
4. Bi-Level Titration – An alternate therapeutic study used to treat patients that have very high severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome or those that are intolerant of CPAP. Pressures are explored on the inhalation and an alternate pressure on exhalation. This pressure spread is used to ease the work of breathing.
5. REM Behavior Disorder, RBD – a modified NPSG with electrodes added to the arms (in addition to the legs) to determine the presence of movement during REM, a stage of sleep during which the muscles are immobile. This study is performed if a patient is suspected of acting out his/her dreams at night.
6. NPSG with End Tidal CO2 – a modified NPSG with the use of end tidal CO2 monitoring. This is a useful adjunct to the airway recording to assist in the detection of obesity hypoventilation and Hypercapnia, or CO2 retention. ETCO2 recording is considered the gold standard for pediatric polysomnography.
7. Expanded EEG Sleep Recording – An NPSG performed with a full EEG montage during recording. This study is used to detect the presence of nocturnal seizures in addition to other sleep disorders.
8. Multiple Sleep Latency Test, MSLT – A study performed during the day after a full diagnostic NPSG, this study is used to objectively determine a patient’s level of sleepiness after a night’s sleep. The MSLT is a series of five timed test, two hours apart, during which we look to see whether a patient falls asleep, how quickly, and to what stage of sleep the patient reaches. The MSLT is most commonly used to diagnose narcolepsy or some degree of excessive daytime sleepiness.
9. Maintenance of Wakefulness Test, MWT – A study performed to determine whether a patient is able to remain awake in a sleep induced environment. The MWT is used to assess the efficacy of the treatment of a sleep disorder.

4. Sleep Study Results

a. What happens after your sleep study is completed?

After you complete your study at Sleep Apnea Boston, your study will then be evaluated by a sleep technician. In addition to what they observed during your study, they will also look at what information the machines captured. They will look for things like Apneas, Hypopneas, or Respiratory Event Related Arousals (RERA). The information is then reviewed by our sleep physician, who will determine if you have a sleep disorder and prescribe a plan of care.

b. Results are communicated to you

Our physician or Clinical Coordinator will call you to either schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss the results, or to communicate the results to you over the phone. We will also hand deliver the study results to your referring physician or Primary Care Physician.

c. Your treatment or plan of care is prescribed

The results of your study may indicate that you have a sleep disorder which means you may need something beyond improving your Sleep Environment or Sleep Routine. This could be a prescription for medications, surgery, or therapy such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). We will coordinate your therapy with a provider of your choice to ensure you begin to get a restful night sleep as soon as possible.

d. We monitor your progress and support you

We want to make sure that you are comfortable with and benefiting from your therapy. We will be in contact with you frequently as you adjust to the therapy and begin to experience improved quality of sleep.

But, don’t wait for us to call you if you are having trouble with your therapy or if you have concerns. Call us immediately so we can adjust your therapy if necessary.

5. Patient Paperwork

a. Forms Required to Begin Care

Thank you for choosing Sleep Apnea Boston for sleep related disorders. We appreciate your business and know you have many choices. You will find that our Physicians, Board Certified in Sleep, Office Staff, and Technologists are here to help you with a diagnosis and treatment options that best serve you. Although it may seem like a lot, each and every thing we ask is of the utmost importance and helps us determine what is best for you.

Included in this packet:

1. Patient Information – This provides us with your general information including insurance coverage.
2. Admissions Questionnaire – This provides us with your health history and is an important tool in identifying how we can help you sleep better.
3. Patient Consent for Use and Disclosure of Protected Health Information – This form gives you the option to list individuals we can communicate with regarding details about your care or financial obligations.
4. Patient Disclosures and Authorizations – This is where you authorize us to treat you and file claims with your insurance. You also acknowledge our privacy policy, collection policy and your financial responsibility for all fees for the services we provide to you.
5. Release of Medical Records – This is an optional form. Complete this form if you wish to have us provide your medical records to someone other than your referring physician (we provide your test results to your referring physician automatically). We may ask you to complete this form if we need to obtain more information about your medical history from another provider.
6. Minor Patient Authorization – This form is only required if we are treating a patient under the age of 18.
7. Notice of Privacy Practices – This is our notice to you of the uses and disclosures of your protected health information and your rights and our duties regarding that information.
   Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility Performance Standards​