Our sleep center at the Pulmonary Institute is a state-of-the-art facility in central Florida that is conducive to complete relaxation. Your sleep study will be performed in a private room with a comfortable bed.
The mattress and bedding were carefully selected to provide you with the utmost in comfort. There are televisions and wireless internet access in each room. Our goal is to provide our patients a memorable experience.
Following your sleep study, our sleep specialist, Dr. Medina, will review and evaluate your results. You will then come into the office so she can discuss the results with you, educate you on what you need to know about your particular sleep disorder, and recommend treatment options.
If you have a sleep disorder and you’re ready to get a good night’s sleep, visit the Pulmonary Institute in Orlando, Florida. Call us today at (407) 219-5936 to schedule an appointment or use our convenient request an appointment form.
Read below to learn more about the types of sleep studies we perform and what to expect.
Type of Sleep Studies:
- Polysomnography
- CPAP Titration Study
- Multiple Sleep Latency Tests (MSLT)
- Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)
What to Expect
Polysomnography
One of the best tests for detecting a sleep disorder is the overnight sleep study, or polysomnography. A sleep study measures your sleep cycles and stages by recording data from your body as your sleep. Polysomnography is done in a controlled sleep lab and monitored by certified sleep technicians. Polysomnography helps diagnose sleep disorders by identifying disruptions in your sleep patterns. It may also be used to help adjust a sleep disorder treatment plan that isn’t working well.
During the sleep study, sensors that have been attached to your body record data such as brain waves, heart rate, breathing rate, the oxygen level in your blood, eye movements, and leg movements during sleep. This data is gathered throughout the night during each cycle of sleep.
There are two basic stages of sleep: non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). There are three stages of NREM sleep beginning from the time you first close your eyes to the time you enter REM sleep. During NREM, your brain waves slow down considerably, your heart rate decreases, your body temperature drops, and your muscles relax.
During REM sleep, your brain waves, heart rate and breathing rate may increase, and you experience vivid dreaming. The REM periods become longer with each repetition of the full sleep cycle. REM sleep alternates with NREM sleep approximately every 90 minutes for approximately four to six sleep cycles per night.
CPAP Titration Study
If you have sleep apnea and Dr. Medina has recommended CPAP therapy, a titration study is performed to evaluate and set the optimal level of continuous positive airway pressure for your condition. This evaluation is conducted exactly like a routine polysomnography, using the same electrodes and equipment, except that you will also use a CPAP machine.
During the CPAP study you will be fitted with a nasal mask connected by a tube to a small electric unit. If you have not already tried different types of masks, we encourage you to do so at our facility, where our experienced technologists can assist you. The electric unit has a fan that pushes air through the tube. The mask allows the air to gently blow into the back of your throat.
Our technicians will start the pressure at a very low level and gradually increase it throughout the night. The objective of CPAP titration is to find the ideal level of air pressure that will prevent the collapse of your upper airway and eliminate pauses in your breathing as you sleep.
Multiple Sleep Latency Tests (MSLT)
The multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), or nap study, is most commonly used to diagnose disorders of excessive sleepiness, such as narcolepsy. The day after an overnight sleep study, you will be asked to take a series of five naps throughout the day in a quiet, dark room.
The MSLT records your brain waves, heart rate, eye movements, and muscle contractions. This data measures how quickly you fall asleep in quiet situations during the day and how often you enter REM sleep. You will sleep for 15 minutes, then be awakened and stay awake for 2 hours. After the tests, the information gathered will be charted and analyzed by Dr. Mariselly Medina.
Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)
The maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT) is a study that measures your alertness and evaluates your ability to stay awake during the day. It is usually performed after you have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder to determine the effectiveness of your treatment. The day after an overnight sleep study, you will be tested four times, with two hours between each sleep trial. The first trial will typically begin 1.5 to 3 hours after you wake up, usually somewhere between 8 and 10 am. A light breakfast is recommended at least 1 hour before the first trial, and a light lunch is recommended after the end of the second trial, or around noon. For each trial, you will sit upright in bed or a comfortable recliner, remain quiet and try to stay awake for as long as possible. The maintenance of wakefulness test records your brain waves, heart rate, eye movements, and muscle contractions to accurately determine if you fall asleep or remain awake. If you fall asleep, you will be awakened after sleeping for only about 90 seconds. If you do not fall asleep within 40 minutes, the trial will end. After the tests, the information gathered will be charted and analyzed by Dr. Mariselly Medina.
What to Expect Before Your Sleep Study
Depending on your insurance coverage, you may need a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) for your sleep study consultation and evaluation. Please be sure to download, print, and complete the forms and questionnaires below and bring them with you to your office visit. Your consultation with Dr. Medina will take about 45 to 60 minutes. After you meet with the doctor, we will schedule you for any further testing if needed, such as a baseline sleep study (polysomnography), CPAP titration, MSLT, or MWT.
- Sleepiness Scale
You will be given a detailed list of instructions when you schedule your sleep study. Be sure not to drink any alcohol or caffeine the day of the test, but eat a normal dinner before you come in. Do not take a nap during the day. You may shower and wash your hair before arriving at the sleep lab, but do not use any body oils or lotions or any hair products such as gels or sprays.
What to Expect the Day of Your Sleep Study
You will arrive at the sleep lab in the evening and stay overnight. You should arrive at 8:30 pm and expect to leave the next morning, around 5:30 to 6 am. Bring your pajamas to sleep in, a change of clothes for the next day, and any medications you need to take before bedtime. You can also bring your own pillow and blanket, if you’d like.
Bedtime is generally around 10 pm. You will sleep in a private room similar to a hotel, so it’s dark and quiet during the test. Our sleep study technicians will monitor you from an area outside the room. In the room, there is an infrared camera so the technologists can see you when the lights are out. The room is also equipped with an audio system so they can hear you and talk to you.
Once you are ready for bed, the technicians will place electrodes on your head, chest, and legs using a mild adhesive that washes off easily. The electrodes are connected by wires to a computer that will record your brain activity, eye movements, heart rate, breathing rate, the flow of air through your mouth and nose, snoring, and body muscle movements. Also, a small clip will be placed on your finger to monitor your blood oxygen level. The wires are long and will be pulled back behind your head so that you can move and sleep as normally as possible.
You will be monitored throughout the night, for at least 6 hours. If you need to get up during the night, one of the technicians can come in to assist you.
You may also need to stay the next day to complete sleep studies performed during the day, such as the MSLT and the MWT. Dr. Medina will advise you prior to your arrival.
What to Expect After Your Sleep Study
If you are not scheduled for any additional tests after the polysomnography, you are free to leave. Following your sleep study, it typically takes a few days for the study to be scored and interpreted. The sleep technicians will use the recorded data to chart your sleep stages and cycles, and Dr. Medina will review and evaluate the results. We will schedule a follow-up visit for you 1 to 2 weeks later to review the results of your sleep study and discuss treatment options.
If you went through a CPAP titration study, we will schedule a follow-up office visit to evaluate your compliance and response to the treatment.
