Polysomnography monitors your sleep stages and cycles to identify if and why your sleep is disrupted. Therefore, it is helpful in the following:
- to assist in diagnosing sleep related breathing disorders (SRBD) and ensuring treatment is sufficient for those patients with SRBD
- to rule out any physiological causes of insomnia
- to investigate for restless legs syndrome and/or periodic limb movements of sleep
- to investigate parasomnias, circadian rhythm disorders and other disorders of sleep which require neurological monitoring
- to assess sleep efficiency in those complaining of poor sleep quality
We ask that you attend your appointment on time to ensure there is minimal disruption to your normal bedtime routine.
Please come with clean hair. Make up, nail polish, and acrylic nails will need to be removed prior to the test as this will affect the signals. Please bring comfortable clothes or pyjamas for sleeping in.
Please refrain from caffeine and alcohol on the afternoon of the test.
We recommend you bring something to help you wind down in the evening, such as a book. There is a television and Wi-Fi in the room, although we ask that you use these within reason as we do not want to compromise the quality of your sleep.
Once completed, the physiologist will analyse the results of the test for any abnormal limb movements and/or breathing changes. They will score sleep stages, sleep efficiency, and arousals, as well as pulse and oxygen levels.
With all this information, a detailed report will be created, which will then be reviewed by our Sleep Consultant.
The results are returned to the referring physician within 10 days of completion. A follow-up consultation is advised with your referring doctor to discuss any findings.
