We conduct several types of sleep studies, some which take place in our sleep lab in our hospital and some which can be done at home.
Simple sleep study (oximetry)
People whose symptoms suggest they could have Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) undergo a simple oxygen sleep study.
This involves wearing an oxygen monitor on a finger during sleep and can often be done at home.
You will collect an easy-to-use monitor from our sleep centre at the hospital, wear it overnight, then return it the next day. We can then download a recording of your night's sleep.
If the results suggest OSA, you will receive an appointment to come to clinic to be assessed by a sleep specialist and discuss whether treatment is needed.
Respiratory polygraphy (Embletta)
Occasionally a simple sleep study is not sufficient to detect and diagnose different types of breathing difficulties overnight that may cause symptoms. Respiratory polygraphy is a test that can be performed in the comfort of your own home. This test can diagnose difficulties and assess severity, allowing the correct choice of treatment to be made.
A respiratory polygraphy study involves coming to the hospital to pick up the equipment and then wearing it in bed at home overnight before returning it to the hospital the next day. You will receive a telephone call before your appointment to check what time you go to bed, wake up, and your waist size so the equipment can be set up for you before collection.
You will wear a band around your chest and abdomen to measure movement, a small flow sensor in the nostrils and an oxygen monitor on your finger.
The video below has been developed to help you put on your equipment. There will be written instructions included with the equipment to explain things. If you have any questions regarding how to put the equipment on, please ring the sleep lab during office hours on 01223 638168.
Respiratory polygraphy video guide
A tutorial on how to set-up a home sleep study
Inpatient sleep study (polysomnography)
There may be times when a simple home sleep study or home respiratory polygraphy assessment are not enough to diagnose your breathing or sleep difficulties. If so, you will be invited for an overnight stay in our sleep centre at the hospital. This is called a polysomnography.
An inpatient stay will allow us to add video to respiratory polygraphy assessment or to conduct a video-polysomnography assessment to help us diagnose breathing difficulties or sleep problems.
Polysomnography (PSG)
PSG uses sophisticated monitoring equipment to record your brain waves (electroencephalography or EEG) and other vital signs overnight. This helps us to diagnose sleep disorders and tells us how well you slept on the night of your assessment.
It can detect whether your sleep is being disrupted by OSA or limb movements. It could also confirm that you sleep well overnight and there is nothing of concern.
The video below explains what to expect when visiting our sleep centre for an overnight stay. It demonstrates the process of connecting the equipment which will monitor your sleep for your video-polysomnography assessment.
Inpatient sleep study video guides
What to expect during your overnight stay for a complex sleep study.
Patient Joanne underwent a polysomnography (PSG) to investigate her poor sleep and daytime fatigue.
J
Further tests
Daytime tests with further EEG monitoring may be performed the day after your inpatient assessment.
These will be either Multiple Sleep Latency Tests (MSLT) or Maintenance of Wakefulness tests (MWT).
MSLT assess sleepiness and look for easy lapsing into dream sleep which is a feature of narcolepsy.
MWT assess ability to stay awake during the day. They are conducted in a controlled manner to exclude stimulating activities and therefore can be very challenging.
Actigraphy
Actigraphy involves wearing a movement monitor, resembling a wristwatch, on your arm or leg for a few days and nights at home. This is used to assess sleep regularity.
Actigraphy equipment is posted to your home via recorded delivery with straightforward instructions for use and then returned to the sleep centre via a pre-paid envelop supplied in the pack. Once returned the equipment will be downloaded and analysed.
When your tests have been analysed one of our sleep specialists will contact you to discuss the results. This may not be for a few weeks after your test.