sleep study
A sleep study, also called polysomnography (PSG), is a test used to diagnose sleep disorders.
During this test, several devices will be attached to you while you sleep to record information, such as:
- Brain waves
- Eye movements
- Muscle tone in your chin
- The amount of oxygen in your blood
- Heart rate
- Breathing rate
- Airflow (how much air is going in and out of your body)
- Respiratory effort (how easy it is to breathe)
- Sounds you make (such as snoring)
- Movements from your arms and legs
This information allows doctors to determine your sleep stages and other data that can help diagnose sleep disorders.
There are several types of sleep studies, including:
- Overnight PSG (also called nocturnal PSG or nPSG)
- Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) — a daytime study
- Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) — a daytime study
Synonyms:
polysomnography, PSG