A sleep study, or polysomnogram, is a test that records your brain and body functions whilst you are asleep. They are painless tests that just require you to sleep.
As you sleep, your brain waves, eye movement, heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, limb movement, blood oxygen levels and any noises you make such as snoring are monitored. Your sleep specialist will use this data to diagnose and treat your sleep disorder.
At Ramsay people often come to us for sleep studies to try to find out the cause of their ongoing sleep problems, or if they are feeling sleepy during the day or waking up feeling tired instead of refreshed. Also, partners may hear loud snoring, gasping and stopping breathing while sleeping which causes concern.
Sleep studies are painless non-invasive tests that monitor your sleep and how your body responds to sleep problems. They are used to help doctors diagnose and manage many sleep disorders. These tests can be performed at home or in a sleep centre or hospital.
Sensors are placed on your body for the sleep study and are used to record your body functions.
The five main sleep studies are:
A sleep study can help diagnose sleep-related disorders including:
Sleep studies help doctors to diagnose sleep disorders. Often sleep disorders cannot be identified during normal waking hours and sleep specialists need to gather more information while you are asleep.
Sleep studies can take place at home, in hospital or in a sleep centre during your normal sleeping hours.
During a sleep study your brain and body activity during sleep is recorded. The following may be measured:
Sleep studies monitor your sleep stages and cycles and help to identify if or when your sleep patterns are disrupted and why.
If you may have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a hypersomnia such as narcolepsy or a parasomnia such as sleepwalking, then you will be recommended for a sleep study. But you may wonder is it worth doing. The answer is yes for a number of reasons.
Reasons to do a sleep study include:
Signs that you need a sleep study are the symptoms of a sleep disorder, such as:
Most sleep studies take place over the course of one night.
You will be asked to arrive for your sleep study several hours before bedtime to allow you to settle in. You will have a private ensuite room.
A sleep technologist will place sensors on your scalp, face, chest and legs to record brainwave activity, eye movements, muscle activity, heart rhythm, body movements, nasal/oral airflow, respiratory effort, and oxygenation. The sensors are connected by wires to a computer to record. The wires are long enough to let you turn and move around in bed. This hook-up procedure will take about 30 to 45 minutes.
The testing procedure typically starts between 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and will continue until around 5.30 to 6 am the following morning.
The costs of a sleep study will depend on the type and extent of testing being used, where the sleep study will be performed, and your Ramsay hospital of choice.
You will receive a formal quotation price after your consultation with one of our specialists in sleep disorder. This formal quote for your sleep study will be valid for 60 days.
We have a number of finance options if you are paying for your sleep study yourself. These include:
Sleep studies are covered by most medical insurance policies if they are deemed medically necessary. We advise that you obtain written confirmation from your insurance before your sleep study.
There is generally no recovery process needed after a sleep study. This is because the study takes place during your normal sleeping hours. You therefore just go to sleep whilst data is captured using different tools and tests. Multiple wake tests (MWT) that measure whether you can stay awake during specified times may leave you feeling tired.
Ramsay offers a comprehensive range of sleep studies to monitor, investigate and diagnose your sleep problems. Depending on your symptoms and overall health, the most appropriate sleep studies will be advised. You may be asked to do your sleep study at home or overnight in hospital or at the sleep centre.
We use the latest technology and equipment during sleep studies to investigate your sleep problems. Should a sleep disorder be diagnosed, our specialists in sleep disorders are part of a multidisciplinary team who will determine the very best treatment for you. You will have rapid-access to sleep disorder treatment and continuity of care.
Spread the cost of your treatment with fixed, monthly payments over a time period to suit you.
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We offer an alternative range of ways to pay, so you can choose which one best suits you and your finances.
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Use your private medical insurance to fund your treatment through our simple referral process.
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