What is a sleep study?

A sleep study is used to investigate and diagnose sleep related problems. Also known as polysomnography, a sleep study will involve an overnight stay at a sleep clinic or a test at home to monitor your sleep.

A sleep study is not an invasive test; there are no needles. It involves placing sticky sensors on your head and chest to measure your brain activity, your breathing and your movement during sleep.

Who should have a sleep study?

A sleep study is often recommended if you experience symptoms suggesting a potential sleep problem. Undiagnosed sleep conditions are very common. Too often, we simply put up with feeling exhausted when there may be an underlying issue that can be treated.

Symptoms that would suggest you need a sleep study include:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness/fatigue: Feeling tired throughout the day, falling asleep unintentionally while reading, watching TV, or even driving.
• Snoring: Regular snoring that is disruptive to a bed partner or any snoring where someone has observed you gasping or making choking sounds.
• Breathing pauses during sleep: A bed partner or family member has observed episodes where you stop breathing during sleep.
• Waking up unrefreshed: Consistently feeling groggy, tired or unrefreshed in the morning.
• Morning headaches or dry mouth/sore throat: Waking with a headache can be a sign of reduced oxygen levels overnight, while a dry or sore throat may indicate mouth breathing.
• Difficult concentrating and memory problems: Poor quality sleep can impair cognitive function, leading to difficulty focusing and forgetfulness, and trouble concentrating at work.