On your initial visit to the sleep center you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire indicating your symptoms and your medical and social history. This will be followed by an examination by the physician. Based on the information received the physician will determine if you show symptoms of sleep apnea or other sleep disorders. If a sleep study is indicated you will be scheduled to undergo a Baseline Polysomnogram (PSG) or sleep study. After the decision is made to have a sleep study you will be given a tour of the sleep center. You will also receive information regarding preparation for your overnight sleep study.

• You will be greeted by a friendly sleep technician.
• You will be asked to turn in or fill out any required paperwork
• A short educational video will be shown about sleep apnea.
• A tour of all the patient areas will be given including the restroom.
• You will be escorted to a comfortable, private bedroom.
• The technician will explain the procedure at the beginning of the hook-up process.
• Your skin will be prepared for the hook-up process using alcohol pads, skin prep solution, measuring tape, body pencils (china marker), gauze pads, and hair clips.
• Sensors and electrodes will be applied to your head, face and other areas of your body to monitor brain activity, eye movements, limb and chin muscle movements, heart rhythm, respiration, blood oxygen levels and pulse. Bands will be placed around your chest and abdomen to measure your respiratory (breathing) effort. The process takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.
• Some of recording wires will be temporarily “glued” using adhesive paste, tape and electrode cream.
• After hook-up is complete you will be able to read or watch television, depending on the time. Bedtime may be immediately after hook-up but no later than 11:00 p.m. (Special arrangements may be made for shift workers or others with abnormal bedtimes). We will need approximately 6 hour of recording time.
• Once you are ready for bed you will sleep in one of our 9 private bedrooms.
• You will be monitored via infra-red camera to allow the technician to make notes of your sleep activity.
• You will be able to speak with the technician at anytime throughout the night.
• You are able to go to the restroom as necessary throughout the night.
• In the morning you will be awakened and the leads and electrodes will be removed. This process takes approximately 10 minutes.
• You may be asked to fill out addition paperwork. This may take another 5 minutes or less.
• You will then be able to leave the sleep center. If you are being picked up your driver will be told what time to do so.

In some cases your physician may order a Split-Night Sleep Study. This means that the first half of the night will be the baseline diagnostic study and the second half will be with CPAP or other treatment modes. The hook-up process will be the same as the baseline sleep study with the exception of the CPAP application.

When you leave the lab a sleep specialist will “score” your sleep study. Using the data gathered the interpretation of the study will be done by the sleep physician who will determine whether you have a sleep disorder, and the degree of severity.

Your sleep report will be sent to your primary care physician and/or your referring physician with recommendations for treatment or therapy.

If sleep apnea is indicated, the most common and effective treatment is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).

If CPAP is recommended, the sleep center in conjunction with your referring physician will send a prescription to a Durable Medical Equipment (DME ) company that is contracted with your insurance company to provide you with the CPAP unit and supplies.

You will be contacted by the sleep center as well as the DME company to set up an appointment for your CPAP education and mask and headgear fitting. After using CPAP for awhile at home, you will return to the sleep lab for a follow-up sleep study on CPAP. If you are experiencing adjustment problems with your CPAP at home, those problems will be addressed then in the center and the necessary recommendations will be made to improve your compliance with the unit.

We at the Snore and Sleep Center are committed to seeing you through any initial problems you may have using CPAP. In many cases most problems on CPAP are resolved with changes and refitting of masks. Mask fitting is a key element in improving compliance or tolerance of CPAP. If CPAP non-compliance persists, other treatment options will be recommended by the sleep physician.