Common Questions about Sleep Studies

Visit your primary care doctor to discuss your sleep patterns and daytime alertness. He or she can arrange a referral by calling (615) 936-0060. All adult patients and most child patients are seen in the sleep clinic for a sleep evaluation before having a sleep study. This ensures that the proper testing will be done and all your questions will be answered before the sleep study.

We can’t determine the specific amount your insurance will cover for sleep testing until we contact your insurance company. Once we secure an approval, we’ll contact you to schedule your sleep study.

Children who have not yet reached their 18th birthday must have one parent or legal guardian stay with them during the entire study. An extra bed or cot will be provided. No siblings and no more than one parent are allowed to stay in the room with the patient. If more than one parent or any siblings come with the patient and can't make arrangements to sleep elsewhere, the test will be cancelled and the patient will be sent home.

Most patients are scheduled to arrive between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and leave around 6 a.m. the following day. Please call us if you expect to be late.

Your sleep testing slot has been specifically reserved for you. For the courtesy of all patients, if you must cancel, please call 48 hours before your appointment so we can offer your slot to another patient. Patients who cancel more than once must get a new referral from their doctor.

Yes, unless your doctor tells you differently. Please bring any nighttime medicine you currently take. We can't supply medicine.

Please avoid caffeine after noon on the day of your study. Adults should not nap on the day of the study; children should not take a nap after 2 p.m. Because we will be placing several sensors on your body, please ensure your hair is freshly washed and free of hair care products. If you wear makeup, you will be asked to remove it. If you have acrylic nails, please remove at least one nail before your study. This is so we can attach a soft finger wrap to continually measure your oxygen levels during your testing.

We don't provide dinner, so please arrange to eat dinner before arriving at the sleep lab. You may bring food and nonalcoholic beverages with you to the center.

Please bring something comfortable for sleeping, such as a shirt and shorts, pajamas or a nightgown. Also, please bring a list of medicines you take, as well as anything else you would typically need for an overnight stay, including:

• Toothbrush
• Cell phone
• Medicines
• Change of clothes

For those who need help with walking, bathing, etc., please bring someone with you who can help you. Our techs can't provide one-on-one assistance.

Your room is furnished with premium bedding, a private bath and cable TV. There are no phones in patient rooms; you may bring your cell phone.

The purpose of a sleep study is to gather measurements during sleep (e.g., brain activity, EKG, breathing). To take these measurements, we use:

• Electrodes attached to the scalp (at the forehead, behind the ears, around the eyes and below the chin). The wires are used to record sleep activity in the brain, eye movement and muscle tone. The wires are attached using an adhesive paste and cotton.
• Electrodes attached to the chest and abdomen record heart rate
• Electrodes attached to the legs just below the knees record leg and body movement
• Elastic bands around the chest and belly monitor respiration
• Nasal tubing, similar to oxygen tubing, is used to monitor nasal breathing
• A soft finger wrap is used to continually measure oxygen level.

The lab tech will remain overnight in the lab area outside your bedroom and can help you during the night and the following day. A doctor is also available.

Lights out is normally between 10 and 10:30 p.m., earlier for children. Patients are usually awakened between 5:30 and 6 a.m. If your natural bed and wake times are much earlier or later than this, please let your tech know so we can plan accordingly.

Shortly after you awake, our sleep tech will remove sensors and ask you about your sleep quality. After testing is complete (usually around 6 a.m.), your sleep tech will discuss the next steps in your treatment, including when you'll get your test results. You will then be able to shower and go home.

Because we collect so much information during sleep studies, please allow 10 days for us to contact you about your results. Your doctor will call or write you to talk about the findings from your procedure. If you haven't been contacted within two weeks after your sleep study, please call us.