Sleep Studies Testing
Sleep Studies & Tests
Sleep pattern studies help diagnose and treat sleep disorders
Sleep Disorders Services
You may need to complete a sleep study to get the right diagnosis for your sleep disorder.
At the Lahey Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center, your care team will fully monitor how you sleep. Your sleep study results help you and your doctor find the right treatment for you.
What Is a Sleep Study?
A sleep study evaluates the quality of your sleep. You spend time at a sleep lab where you sleep in a comfortable room.
Specialized technicians use advanced equipment to monitor multiple body functions when you are sleeping. You may be asked to sleep at the sleep lab overnight or during the day for a sleep latency test.
If you think you need a sleep study, talk to you doctor. A referral from your primary care doctor or another specialist is required to make an appointment.
Lahey’s Sleep Laboratories
To understand your sleep disorder, your doctor needs to observe how you sleep. You can complete a sleep study at a Lahey Sleep Laboratory in Burlington or Peabody.
The sleep labs are equipped with CPAP/BiPAP units. This lets the technician evaluate the appropriate positive-pressure levels you may need if you have sleep apnea.
The sleep lab at Lahey Clinic in Burlington has six beds. The sleep lab at Lahey Clinic, Peabody has four beds.
What To Expect During Sleep Studies
Learn more about what to expect from our various testing services.
A home sleep study is a convenient, comfortable way to evaluate for sleep apnea in your own bed. You’ll take home a small, easy-to-use device that tracks your breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate and sleep patterns overnight. Most patients find the setup simple, and our team will show you exactly how to use it.
After you return the device, a sleep specialist reviews your results and the ordering clinician will discuss next steps with you. This test is a great option for many patients and helps us get answers while you sleep in your normal environment.
What Can I Expect?
When you arrive at the Sleep Center at 8:30 pm, the technician will greet you and show you to your bedroom. You will be shown the equipment that will be used and given a chance to ask questions. You should inform the technician of any changes in your sleep or specific difficulties you have not already discussed with your health care provider. Your wake-up time will also be confirmed. Before the study begins, the technician will place small sensors on your scalp, face, chest and legs using a gentle adhesive. These sensors are designed to monitor brain activity, breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate and muscle movements while you sleep. The process is painless, though it may feel slightly unusual at first.
You will have time to relax and follow your usual bedtime routine as much as possible. You can bring personal items such as pajamas, a pillow or a book to help you feel more comfortable. Although sleeping in a new environment can feel different, most people can sleep enough for the study to collect useful information.
While you are sleeping, various important body functions and measurements are recorded. The technician will monitor your sleep throughout the night from a nearby room and is available if you need assistance. Electrode wires will be gathered together behind your head so you can roll over and change positions.
If you need to get up during the night, the technician can easily disconnect and reconnect the head box to ensure the wires stay secure.
In the morning, the sensors will be removed, and you will be able to leave shortly after waking. The study results are reviewed and interpreted by a sleep specialist, and your provider will discuss the findings and next steps with you at a follow-up visit. Overall, the goal of the study is to gather detailed information about your sleep in a safe, comfortable and supportive environment.
During a CPAP titration study, you will spend the night in the sleep lab while your sleep is carefully monitored by a trained sleep technologist. After you are settled, you will be fitted with a CPAP mask that gently delivers air through your nose, or nose and mouth, to help keep your airway open while you sleep. The technologist will adjust the air pressure throughout the night to find the level that best supports your breathing in all stages of sleep, including during REM sleep and when you are lying on your back.
Although it may take some time to get used to the mask, most patients can fall asleep and rest well enough for the study to provide important information. Throughout the night, you will be monitored from a nearby room, and the technologist can assist you if the mask needs adjustment or if you need a break. In the morning, the equipment is removed, and you can return home. The results help your sleep specialist determine the most effective CPAP settings for treatment moving forward.
A multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) is a daytime study used to understand excessive daytime sleepiness better and to help diagnose conditions such as narcolepsy. It measures how quickly you fall asleep during the day and what kind of sleep you enter. The test is usually done the day after an overnight sleep study. You will stay at the Sleep Center overnight and into the following day.
What Can I Expect?
A qualified sleep technologist will guide you through the entire process. In the morning, sensors (similar to those used during your overnight study) will remain in place or be reapplied to monitor your brain waves, eye movements, and muscle activity.
Throughout the day, you will be given four to five opportunities to take short naps. These nap periods are scheduled about two hours apart. During each session, you will be asked to lie down in a quiet, dark room and try to fall asleep. Each nap opportunity lasts about 20 minutes.
Between naps, you must stay awake. You can relax in your room, read, watch TV or engage in quiet activities to pass the time. The technologist will check in regularly and help ensure the study stays on schedule.
You may be asked to avoid caffeine and limit certain activities during the day, as these can affect the results. Meals and light snacks are typically provided. At the end of the final nap session, the sensors will be removed, and you will be able to go home.
Your results will be carefully reviewed by a sleep specialist, who will look at how quickly you fell asleep and whether you entered dream (REM) sleep during the naps. A report is usually available within two to three weeks, and you or your referring provider will be contacted to discuss the results and any recommended next steps. Some patients may be asked to return for a follow-up visit.
How to Prepare
To help ensure accurate results, you may be asked to follow a few simple guidelines before your study. Certain medications that affect sleep (such as stimulants, sedatives or REM-suppressing medications) may need to be adjusted or temporarily stopped — your sleep provider will give you specific instructions ahead of time. Please do not make any medication changes unless directed by your clinician.
Caffeine should generally be avoided on the day of the test, as it can interfere with your ability to fall asleep during naps. This includes coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks and some medications that contain caffeine.
It is also helpful to maintain your usual sleep schedule in the days leading up to the study and avoid staying up significantly later or sleeping in longer than normal, unless instructed otherwise.
If you have any preparation questions, the sleep center team is happy to review instructions with you before your appointment.
