Sleep Easy at a Sleep Lab

It is not strange for people to have trouble sleeping these days. Besides the lifestyle most people lead being quite hectic, there are several other issues, physical and psychological, that can lead to trouble sleeping. If your General Practitioner (GP) feels that you need to be monitored to figure out why you have sleep trouble, he will refer you to a sleep lab. These are also known as sleep clinics and are specifically created to better understand the causes of sleep issues.

Sleep labs are generally designed to be very comfortable since they involve sleeping. More often than not, they are associated with a major university, but there are a few that are standalone entities in their own right. In a sleep lab, you will find that the rooms look pretty much like an average bedroom. To ease the patient, all equipment is hidden in plain sight and you will not really feel like you are being observed even though you are.

Your first visit

Doctors at a sleep lab will request that you check into the facility early in the evening. This will allow them time to have you fill up the necessary paperwork. This paperwork often includes giving a detailed history about you and your lifestyle as well as your sleep patterns. It is important in building your case. Once all this is done, you will be prepped for the study. In most cases, you will be asked to bring clothes you are comfortable sleeping in and any other items that help you sleep. You will also be asked to refrain from caffeine, alcohol and the like.

The next step will be to prep you for the actual sleep study. Depending on what is being observed, this prep time can be anywhere from a few minutes to up to two hours. This is when you are being investigated for the likes of seizures, etc. There are a number of machines and monitors that you will need to be hooked up to depending on what needs to be observed.

When monitors have to be attached to your head, your scalp will be cleaned with an abrasive solution to remove all oils and electrodes will be placed on your forehead or scalp. The placements are symmetrically marked with washable ink and the paste used to hold the electrodes in place can be washed off easily.

Some other common investigative tools that will be placed on you are a snore microphone, which is taped on to your neck, there are also pads to check your heart rate, cloth belts around the chest and tummy to measure your breathing and pads on your shins and your forearms to monitor limb movements.

Once you are set up, you are encouraged not to fall asleep immediately, but rather try relaxing a bit, reading a book, listening to music. Some sleep centers allow a bit of activity on a laptop, etc.

The Study

Depending on the sleep disorder that needs to be investigated, you will be observed for one night or a bit more at a Sleep Lab. Sleep Disorders like sleep apnea or narcolepsy are completed in a single night.

Occasionally they require a little of the day as well. In the case of insomnia, it can take several nights of observation. You do not have to worry about all the monitors being strapped to you. It continues to remain unobtrusive simply because they are put on that way.

You should know that a camera, at very low lighting is also placed in the room to observe the way you sleep. Again, depending on the doctor’s instruction, you will be allowed to sleep till you naturally wake up or will be woken up at predetermined timings.

The Findings

Based on the instructions from the sleep doctor, you will be observed for the duration of your study. Should any remedial measures have been included, these will be administered as well. All of the data is then meticulously analyzed by an individual and a report is put together. This takes around a fortnight to complete. Once done, officials from the Sleep Lab will send it to your sleep doctor or GP who will prescribe a course of action to be taken.