Evaluation and Sleep Study

Most patients will have an initial consultation which will include a medical and surgical history. If you can, keep a Sleep Log for two weeks and bring it to your initial consultation. Some patients will also have pulmonary function tests and blood work.

After consultation with a sleep specialist, each patient is diagnosed. In some cases one visit is sufficient for a diagnosis to be made and a treatment plan formulated. In many cases the evaluation will require a sleep study. A sleep study or polysomnography (PSG) may be performed during a period of one or two nights. Rarely daytime studies will be required and may be suggested by your physician. Hospitalization is not required although the study is done in the hospital; overnight tests are completed by 8 A.M. It is usually not necessary to miss a day of work.

During a sleep study, the patient is monitored by painless, noninvasive technology. PSG records breathing, heart rate, brain waves, oxygen levels and eye and leg movement. After evaluation the appropriate therapy is determined. Treatment for a sleep disorder may include a prescription for a device to aid the patient's breathing while sleeping (called CPAP or BiPAP), medication, or light therapy as well as neuropsychiatric interventions, including biofeedback. If indicated, referral to or consultations with other specialists might be recommended to aid in diagnosis and therapy.