A sleep study—also called polysomnography—is the primary diagnostic tool used to detect sleep disorders. How long does a sleep study take, and why would it take that long?
Overnight sleep studies are the typical sleep study you think of. Most of these studies are 8 to 10 hours long and record a full sleep cycle. In some cases, daytime studies such as the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) may be done following an overnight study. This can add significantly to the total time of the testing.
The process consists of placing sensors on the body, tracking sleep patterns, and documenting findings. This is because the majority of sleep studies are intended to be done in one night or one 24-hour period.
This patient-centered approach prevents disruption of your sleep study results, yet lets you continue with your everyday life.
Key Takeaways
- Both types of sleep studies are diagnostic tests that monitor your sleep patterns. They are helpful in diagnosing various sleep disorders, and can be performed in a sleep lab or your home.
- The majority of sleep studies are overnight. Participants typically report in between 8 and 10 p.m. and check out between 6 and 8 a.m., but the preparation and wrap-up can add significantly to the time involved.
- Home sleep studies can present a more convenient option for patients. At-home studies tend to mirror the same overnight schedule and need less technical setup than lab-based studies.
- Ambient noise, light, and an unusual sleep schedule can all affect sleep study results. In short, that’s why it’s so important to do your best to adhere to the pre-study instructions.
- Finally, getting 7-8 hours of sleep before studying is important for success. Keeping a regular sleep schedule every night will further help improve the accuracy of your results.
- Sleep studies provide a wealth of data for making a diagnosis. Participants aren’t expected to get a complete night’s sleep during the examination, and that’s OK too.
What Is a Sleep Study
A sleep study, or polysomnography, can help determine your sleep patterns effectively. It’s an important tool for discovering any sleep disorder you might have. During a home sleep apnea test or an overnight test, you will be monitored with a variety of physiological tests, which include recording parameters such as your brain waves, breathing, heart rate, and muscle movement during sleep.
This process is typically conducted in a sleep lab, where you arrive in the evening. The testing usually begins between 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., continuing until around 6 a.m.
The overall goal of the sleep study is to collect accurate details about your body’s functions during sleep. This information allows sleep experts to analyze your sleep history more thoroughly, detecting issues like stops in breathing and abnormal brain waves.
It detects any abnormal heart rhythms, all of which can affect your sleep quality. More than 50 million adults in the U.S. Suffer from sleep disorders. That’s why sleep studies are so critical for understanding and addressing these problems.
In addition to supporting accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions, sleep studies help healthcare providers better understand their patients’ conditions. This understanding allows for the creation of individualized treatment plans.
Once the study is finished, a sleep medicine specialist interprets the overnight recordings in concert with your clinical history. We process and analyze results, providing you with a report within three weeks. This information is crucial for understanding your sleep health and identifying the most effective treatment options.
How Long a Sleep Study Takes
Sleep studies, often conducted in a sleep lab, are usually done overnight, allowing sleep experts to track sleep patterns, breathing patterns, and other functions during a natural sleep cycle. While most participants are only in the facility for one night, some may require a split night study to obtain complete polysomnography results, although this is the exception rather than the rule.
Duration of an Overnight Sleep Study
For regular overnight sleep studies, patients typically check in to the sleep lab around 8-10 p.m. The installation process lasts 45 to 60 minutes and involves attaching sensors that will monitor your heart, breathing, and other body functions.
Set a goal of sleeping at least seven hours each night for good restorative sleep. Even if the sleep is partial, it can still provide valuable diagnostic insight. Since many participants need to leave the lab between 6 and 8 a.m., that’s when the study ends.
Duration of a Home Sleep Study
Home sleep studies are much the same overnight schedule, with the benefit of sleeping at home in your own bed. The setup is less complicated and requires less time, making it a more convenient option.
Even with that convenience, home studies continue to be immensely helpful to identify both sleep quality and sleep disorders.
Time for Preparation and Wrap-Up
Then, the actual preparation, which includes attaching all the sensors and going over instructions, takes about an hour. Specialized studies, such as those for seizures, can further stretch this time.
It is important to follow pre-study instructions, like refraining from caffeine, to ensure the most accurate results.
Recommended Sleep Before a Sleep Study
1. Why Sleep Matters Before Testing
Having the right amount of sleep leading up to your sleep study will help ensure accurate results. Sleep is tremendously important to performance in every aspect, certainly in cognitive performance but in physical performance. This, in turn, directly impacts how your body responds during testing.
If you are fatigued, your body will act differently causing results that can misrepresent how you truly would operate on your typical sleep. When you are so tired that it’s difficult to sleep because of fatigue or anxiety, it becomes impossible to monitor natural sleep patterns. This interference can dramatically skew the study’s findings.
Getting good quality sleep helps your body react as it would normally to the more invasive monitoring equipment. This encompasses sensors that measure your breathing, heart rate, and motion throughout the study. A well-rested body will naturally fall back into their usual sleep patterns, resulting in more accurate data collected.
Having the proper prep is key. It provides the study the best opportunity to most accurately reflect your normal sleep habits.
2. Ideal Hours of Sleep to Aim For
We recommend that you try to get 7-8 hours of sleep the night before your sleep study. If you’re getting a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), aim for a minimum of six hours during the study. Consider adjusting your sleep schedule a few days in advance, if necessary.
Creating a regular schedule gives your body the chance to get into a rhythm. This, in turn, helps improve the accuracy of your test results. If you have irregular weekday bedtimes, try it with your mark — aim to have a consistent bedtime and wake time.
Repeat this for the few days before the sleep study. This consistency allows your body clock to stabilize, so the data collected is indicative of your average sleep quality. While you don’t need to get a full night’s sleep to receive valid results, it’s never a bad idea to be well-rested.
3. How to Prepare for Better Rest
Here are some practical tips to improve sleep quality before your test:
- Stop using caffeine after lunch or in the afternoon to reduce the chance of sleep interference.
- Avoid alcohol prior to bedtime, since it can disrupt stages of deep sleep.
- Create a relaxing pre-sleep ritual, such as reading or tuning into soft music.
- Try not to nap during the day, so you are tired at your bedtime. To ensure you get the best quality sleep during the study, keep your bedroom as cool, dark, and quiet as possible.
Adhere to your healthcare provider’s instructions regarding medication use and any dietary restriction prior to the test. Never discontinue any medications without contacting them first.
These few steps will go a long way in setting you up for a good night’s rest. They’ll establish an environment where the monitoring equipment can best capture your natural sleep.
Factors Affecting Sleep Study Results
Environmental Factors That Disrupt Sleep
The environment is a major factor that influences sleep quality during a study. Barking dogs, blaring TVs, and clattering medical equipment all take their toll on sleep cycles. This interference complicates the effort to collect clear and actionable data.
Room temperature is important, too — a room that’s too hot or too cold can make you get in and out of sleep cycles in a disruptive way. Exposure to bright lights, or even the blue glow from screens, can disrupt your body’s natural sleep rhythm. All of these factors can have a major impact on sleep quality.
That’s why the majority of centers do everything they can to make the experience a quiet, dark, cozy space.
Personal Habits That Impact Results
Daily routines play a bigger role in sleep quality than you may realize. Irregular sleep schedules, such as going to bed late or sleeping in, disrupt your body’s natural circadian rhythm. Pre-study patterns matter, too.
Napping all day will interfere with your nighttime sleep. On top of that, excessive phone use at night negatively impacts how quickly you fall asleep. Adhering to guidelines—as simple as avoiding caffeine, filling out a two-week sleep diary, or having a regular sleep routine—will ensure the most accurate results from the study.
If you tend to drink alcohol regularly, continue drinking alcohol as you normally do unless instructed to do otherwise.
Medical Conditions That Influence Outcomes
Veterans with chronic health issues may further skew results. Underlying conditions such as anxiety, chronic pain, or taking other medications can impact sleep. Patients will have to discontinue use of specific medications, especially those used to treat narcolepsy.
In the meantime, everyone else can go on taking the same old prescriptions, unless their physician tells them to stop. A comprehensive medical history enables specialists to accurately interpret results.
They can quickly hallmark disturbances such as apnea, often recognizable within only a few hours of sleep.
Misconceptions About Failing a Sleep Study
Can You Fail a Sleep Study
The concept of “failing” a sleep study is less true than you might think. Contrary to fear, sleep studies are not designed to fail. Instead, they’re working to diagnose your situation and actively collecting data on your sleep patterns to find any potential issues.
Just because you don’t sleep as long as you typically do doesn’t mean that the study failed. Healthcare providers are able to process various forms of data. They are able, however, to piece together vague or scattered data to reveal important findings regarding your sleep health.
It’s not about being perfect but about getting the information needed to best guide the diagnosis and treatment.
Understanding Inconclusive Results
Occasionally, interpretation of a sleep study can result in the study being deemed inconclusive. You may experience conditions that make it difficult to fall asleep. Furthermore, factors beyond the research team’s control may influence the overall quality of data collected.
If your results are inconclusive, additional testing may be suggested to cover any deficiencies with your initial test results. Ultimately, it’s key to have open and honest conversations with your healthcare team about what your results mean.
They help put a human face on the data to put it all into context. Additionally, they’ll help you understand the next steps to take to resolve your concerns.
Tips to Ensure Accurate Data
- Follow all pre-study instructions, such as no caffeine, to the letter.
- Inform the technologist of any special medical conditions or sleep issues.
- Come in well-rested and prepared to help ensure their process goes as smoothly as possible.
Additional Tips for a Successful Sleep Study
How to Prepare Mentally and Physically
A little preparation can go a long way toward ensuring a smooth sleep study. Mentally, basic relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or mindfulness will put you in a relaxed frame of mind. Many people find it useful to practice these a few days prior to the study.
Practically, maintaining a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy, regular meals and staying active with regular, low-impact exercise can help improve sleep habits. As they can affect your results, do not take any naps, caffeine, or alcohol on the day of your study.
Trying to follow your typical bedtime routine can make your body feel more at ease in a new setting. Being prepared physically and mentally will ensure that the experience is more comfortable and leads to more precise findings.
Items to Bring for Comfort
Packing a few personal items can make your sleep study feel less clinical. Consider bringing soft sleepwear or comfortable pajamas. Your favorite pillow or blanket for familiarity can also help.
Additionally, pack any evening meds you regularly take or relaxation aids, such as lavender oil. These little touches will go a long way to making the environment feel much more homelike, which will lead to improved sleep quality.
What to Expect During the Process
During your sleep study process, from the moment you check in, sleep technologists will make sure you’re comfortable and will walk you through the setup. You will be hooked up to monitoring equipment that will monitor your brain activity, breathing, and movement, but it’s all non-invasive.
The staff will be there during the entire night in case you have any questions or require assistance. Results typically take two weeks to be processed, as the data requires an in-depth analysis.
Conclusion
A sleep study does require some preparation, but it’s an essential step toward gaining better health. By understanding how long it takes and what to expect, you can make the entire sleep study process a lot easier. You are not being judged during the study, so there’s no reason to worry. Concentrate on making yourself at home and adhering to the tips we’ve provided thus far. Little comforts, such as bringing favorite objects from home, can help you feel more comfortable and more at home.
If you’re struggling with sleep problems, a sleep study can provide the solutions you need. It’s just a process of figuring out what your body needs, so you can wake up feeling refreshed and recharged. Don’t let these myths discourage you—this is all about getting back to enjoying life. Have the conversation with your doctor, book that study, and get started on your path to healthier sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sleep study?
A sleep study, or polysomnography, is a diagnostic test that observes and documents your body’s functions during sleep, helping sleep experts diagnose disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia.
Can I move during a sleep study?
Yes, but excessive movement may affect the quality of the data collected. The sensors are designed to stay in place, and minor movements won’t interfere with results.
What if I can’t fall asleep during the study?
It’s normal to have trouble sleeping in a new environment. Even if you don’t sleep much, the recorded data is still valuable for diagnosis.
Can I take my regular medications before a sleep study?
It depends on the medication. You should consult your doctor beforehand to see if any adjustments are necessary.
Will I need multiple sleep studies?
In most cases, one study is sufficient. However, if results are inconclusive or additional data is needed, your doctor may recommend a follow-up study.
How soon will I get my sleep study results?
It typically takes about 2-3 weeks for a specialist to analyze and report the results. Your doctor will then discuss the findings with you.
