The hookup procedure starts shortly after the scheduled appointment time (between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) and will take roughly 30 to 45 minutes. Your study is performed in a private room equipped with a television. The testing procedure typically starts between 9:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and will continue until about 5 a.m. The technologist will be located in the monitoring room in the hallway next to the bedroom throughout the night. Although you are not expected to go to sleep at a specific time, you will be encouraged to fall asleep as soon as possible to maximize the amount of sleep time during which you can be observed. Patients needing to use the bathroom during the study need only to notify the technologist. He or she will unhook one or two central connections, which will enable you to get up and walk to the bathroom.

“There’s no way I can fall asleep with all that stuff on me!” The good news is that almost everyone does, it just may take you a little longer than usual. If this is a concern, please voice this to our physician during your appointment as you may need a sleep aid.

The test is non-invasive and not painful. The sleep lab environment is dark and quiet and conducive to sleeping. However, the presence of the wires and electrodes occasionally affect the sleep of some patients. If you are concerned about your ability to fall asleep during the testing procedure, we suggest that you deprive yourself of some sleep the night before the test by waking up earlier than usual.

Yes, either over the counter or prescription sleep aids are fine to use. Please advise of the need for one at the time of scheduling your sleep study.

Bringing items such as your pillow may make you more comfortable and may facilitate getting more restful sleep. Please do not carry pagers or cell phones, as these things may interfere with lab equipment, disrupt the sleep study and affect your test results. If you must have these devices with you, please make sure they are turned off during testing. A refrigerator is available, and you are welcome to bring a bedtime snack.

If a patient needs 24-hour care, we ask that the caregiver stays with the patient in one of our rooms specially fitted with two beds. If a spouse wishes to accompany the patient so as not to stay home alone, arrangements can be made. If the patient is a child, someone will have to keep up the night with him or her. We have recliners for you to sleep in or in many cases with younger children the parent will sleep in bed with them. The second parent may stay but will have to sleep in the recliner.

Yes, The Sleep Center offers both in-lab and in-home testing; however, home sleep testing isn’t an option for everyone. We start with a consultation with one of our sleep specialists to see if home testing is right for you. Sometimes, more information is needed than an in-home study can provide, so our sleep specialists will work with you to make the right decision for your health.

We’re open around the clock and can conduct your sleep study any night that works best for you. We also perform daytime sleep studies for second and third-shift workers.

We ask that you bring something comfortable to sleep in, such as pajamas or sweatpants (shorts) and a T-shirt. If you need to stay for additional testing the next day, please bring something you can wear in our public lounge. We do not permit sleeping in the nude.

More than 100 million Americans have a hard time sleeping. It’s estimated that 18 million of have sleep apnea, however, only 3 million have been diagnosed. The danger in not seeking diagnosis and treatment can be seen in the number of annual deaths: approximately 38,000 people die annually from complications caused by sleep apnea.

Sleep studies routinely include a digitally recorded video that enables the Sleep Center physician to visually observe sleep position, movements, respiration and other sleep-related information. We are required to have your written consent to perform the sleep study and to record the video. This data is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which established national standards for the security and privacy of health data.

A Sleep Center physician will review the sleep recording in conjunction with your clinical history in order to arrive at a diagnosis. The technologist cannot discuss any results with the patient. Once the Sleep Center physician reviews and interprets the study, a final report will be forwarded to your doctor within a week. Please follow up with your physician after the study.

Yes. Medicare and most private health insurance companies cover office visits, sleep studies and CPAP services. We offer affordable cash prices for those with high deductibles or no insurance.

It’s time to see a doctor specially trained in sleep disorders when you have had trouble sleeping for more than a month or if you are tired during the day for unknown reasons. If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, it is important to have the cause evaluated in a sleep lab. You and your primary care physician should not assume that you have “insomnia”. Recent studies show that a high percentage (30-50%) of people diagnosed with insomnia actually have another sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea. Also, it is very important to have your nocturnal breathing pattern evaluated before starting sleeping agents, because they may depress your respiratory drive.

• Daytime sleepiness and fatigue
• Cognitive impairment and poor job performance
• Anxiety, depression, memory loss and dementia, hypertension, cardiac disease, stroke, and traffic accidents.