Polysomnogram is sleep study that is usually performed at night, during the hours you normally sleep. A number of sensors and wires, electrodes, are taped to your skin by a technologist. This electrophysiologic procedure records a variety of body functions during sleep, including electrical activity of the brain, eye movement, muscle activity, heart rate and rhythm, breathing effort, air flow through the nose and mouth, and blood oxygen levels.
Throughout the night, a technologist monitors you using sophisticated electronic, video and audio recording devices. Changes in your state of sleep, heart and breathing activity, and any unusual sounds or body movements are observed. Technologists may also perform therapy if your breathing is significantly disrupted while you sleep.
The entire test takes a full night about 8 to 10 hours, patients normally finish the study in the early morning. The results of the test are then examined in detail and tabulated by a specially trained technologist. A physician specializing in the analysis and treatment of Sleep Disorders then reviews the study in depth, reporting a diagnostic impression and making recommendations for appropriate treatment. The treatment is usually administered by the patient's personal physician.