Finding the cause of your sleep concerns
There are more than 80 types of sleep disorders that affect adults and children, including sleep apnea, insomnia and restless legs syndrome. Scheduling a sleep study is an important step toward identifying the root cause of repeated restless nights, chronic daytime sleepiness or other troubling symptoms.
A sleep study is a painless procedure that measures a variety of bodily activity, from brain waves to heart rate to eye movements and more. Testing for sleep disorders may be conducted at home or in a medical facility known as a sleep center.
Types of sleep studies
MultiCare’s Sleep Centers provide daytime and overnight sleep studies for adults, with some locations offering sleep studies for children as well. All sleep studies conducted in our centers are administered by professional sleep technologists certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Common studies include the following:
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Nocturnal polysomnogram (NPSG)
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Conducted overnight, these sleep studies monitor brain activity, heart rate, breathing, oxygen levels and body movement. NPSGs are used to diagnose a variety of sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or parasomnias.
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Split-night studies
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This form of testing is an overnight study used to diagnose and treat sleep apnea. During the first part of the night, an NPSG is performed. Patients who meet criteria for sleep apnea are given continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy to improve breathing. CPAP therapy is delivered through a fitted mask worn over the nose. During the second part of the night, sleep is monitored while wearing the mask to calibrate the optimal amount of air pressure. This part of the study is commonly referred to as CPAP titration.
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Sleep apnea treatment studies
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Patients diagnosed with sleep apnea are monitored while receiving therapy through devices that help with breathing. These types of studies include:
- CPAP therapy
- Bi-level positive airway pressure (Bi-PaP) therapy
- Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) therapy
- Oral appliance therapy
- Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (Inspire®)
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Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT)
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This study is performed during the day, often following an NPSG. During this test, we ask patients to take short naps every two hours to determine how fast they fall asleep and what stage of sleep they enter. MSLTs are often used to diagnose narcolepsy.
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Maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT)
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This study is performed during the day, often following an NPSG. Designed to test alertness in a nonstimulating environment, patients are asked to relax in a quiet, dark room for 40-minute intervals. Employees in public transportation — or other occupations where safety is paramount — may be required to take these tests.
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Home testing
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Home testing is a convenient option for diagnosing moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. Rather than spending the night in a sleep center, you can pick up the easy-to-use equipment and administer the study in the comfort of your own bedroom.
Scheduling a sleep consultation
Before scheduling a sleep study or discussing treatment options, you’ll meet with one of our board-certified sleep specialists to discuss your symptoms. These specialists have expertise in areas such as neurology (the brain and nervous system) or pulmonary medicine (the respiratory system). They have also completed additional training in the diagnosis and management of chronic sleep problems.
During this 30- to 60-minute initial consultation, your MultiCare sleep specialist will thoroughly assess your health history and conduct a physical exam.
If possible, we encourage you to bring your bed partner to this consultation, as they may provide valuable insights into behaviors such as loud snoring or gasping, which could be affecting your sleep quality.
Following this consultation, your specialist may recommend a sleep study for a more in-depth evaluation of sleep patterns and bodily activity during rest.
Preparing for your sleep study
Whether you are spending the night in one of our centers, participating in a day study or testing for obstructive sleep apnea at home, your safety and comfort are our priority. Learn more about how to prepare and what you can expect during your sleep study.
Testing at a sleep center
On the day of the study, please avoid eating sugary foods and consuming caffeine after lunch, since they can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. When doing an overnight sleep study, we recommend eating dinner before you arrive.
Overnight sleep studies are scheduled from 7:30pm to 6-7am the following morning. If follow-up testing is necessary, such as a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), you may need to stay until 5pm the following day.
What to bring
For all sleep studies, please bring the following items:
- Prescribed medications
- Pajamas or other comfortable clothing to sleep in
- Toiletries and any other personal items you will need to go about your day after the study
- Favorite pillows or blankets
- Books, laptop, tablet or other items for entertainment until bedtime
What to expect
- Getting started. When you arrive for your sleep study, one of our registered sleep technologists will greet you, take you to your room, discuss your sleep study in detail, review necessary paperwork and answer any questions.
- Hooking up the equipment. Once you are acclimated to your surroundings, the technologist will place several sensors and electrodes on your body. This equipment measures a variety of activities, such as brain waves, muscle movements, breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate and snoring while you sleep. It takes approximately 45 minutes to hook up the equipment.
- Monitoring your sleep. Once the equipment is set up, our sleep technologist will track what’s happening from another room. You will be able to communicate with the technologist through an intercom system. We encourage patients to sleep by maintaining a dark, stimulation-free environment: all electronics, including cellphones, should be turned off.
- After the study. When the study is over, the technologist will wake you and unhook the equipment. You will then have the opportunity to shower and change.
Testing at home for sleep apnea
At-home sleep apnea testing is a convenient option that can help confirm a diagnosis of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. However, this form of testing is not available for all patients. During your initial consultation, your doctor will discuss sleep study options with you and whether an at-home sleep study is a good fit. These types of studies are not recommended for those who:
- Have certain medical conditions, such as cardiorespiratory disease or a history of stroke
- Have or may have additional sleep disorders
- Experience respiratory muscle weakness due to neuromuscular conditions
- Consistently use opioid medications
Most insurance companies cover this form of testing; however, we recommend checking your insurance policy first. Whether you are paying out of pocket or using health insurance, at-home tests are generally less expensive than those performed in the lab.
What to expect
Pick up the diagnostic equipment. At your appointment, your care team will give you a portable device that collects data about your sleep. One of our registered sleep technologists will provide a 30-minute tutorial on how to use it and answer any questions you have about the process.
Test for sleep apnea at home. When you are ready to go to bed, you will hook up the device as instructed. It will monitor your breathing, the level of oxygen in your blood and your heart rate for one to two nights.
Return the equipment. When you wake up in the morning, unhook the device and drop it off at the sleep center.
Sleep study results
After your sleep study — whether self-administered at home or in a sleep center — our team will analyze the information collected. It takes one to three weeks for sleep study results to be available. Your sleep specialist will set up an appointment to go over the findings and discuss treatment options.