You were having such a great dream about getting straight As, but then the voice of the professor congratulating you starts to become more and more clear as she repeats your name. You realize that it is your professor’s voice in real life, and you have fallen asleep in class—again. How embarrassing! Your professor voices her concern for you:
“This is the third time in the past two weeks you have either looked like you have fallen asleep or actually dozed off in my class. Are you feeling ok? I’m getting concerned. You should figure out what’s going on so that it doesn’t negatively affect your grade in my class.”
Your professor is probably right. You decide to see your doctor while you are home on break. Your doctor asks you questions about your sleeping habits, and you tell her that you have been having a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. Your doctor decides to refer you for a sleep study. See your referral below.
You have never heard of a sleep study, so you are a little nervous. You decide to do some research online. While performing a search, you find the website for the center where you will do your sleep study:
Here at The Sandman Sleep Center, we conduct sleep studies to help us diagnose a variety of possible sleep disorders. Select each of the six sleep disorders listed here to learn their definitions.
A neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, which includes lapses into sleep and napping. |
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A sleep disturbance in which the mechanism responsible for paralysis during REM sleep is not functioning, resulting in the acting out of dreams. |
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A serious disturbance of non-REM sleep characterized by complete absence of air flow (apnea) or reduced air flow (hypopnea). |
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A sleep disorder characterized by an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, impacting both the quality and the quantity of sleep. |
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Disturbance of non-REM sleep characterized by complex motor behavior during sleep. |
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A disturbance of non-REM sleep, generally occurring in children; characterized by screaming, staring fearfully, and usually no memory of the episode the following morning. |
Now that you have reviewed the sleep disorders that The Sandman Sleep Center will check for when you undergo your sleep study, match the diagnosis with its defining characteristics below. Create matches by selecting the circle next to an option in the left column. Then click on the circle next to the option in the right column where you want to make the match.
What can you expect during your sleep study at The Sandman Sleep Center?
The studies are not painful, although you might feel slightly awkward or uncomfortable. You will come to a lab room, which will look like a hotel room or even like your bedroom at home. Once there, you will have devices placed on or around you.
Watch the video below to see what you will experience during the study:
Sleep Studies - Your Night in the Sleep Laboratory.
A sleep study, also called a "polysomnogram", is an overnight study of your sleep, which takes place in a specialized laboratory. It is conducted by a trained technologist, and is designed to detect problems with your sleep. The goal of the study is to have a natural night of sleep that is as uncomplicated and comfortable as possible.
When you come to the laboratory, a technologist will greet you and show you the location of the bedroom, bathroom, and control room. The technologist will stay through the night to ensure safety and proper procedures. High quality tracings will be obtained. There is a TV camera in the room to monitor your sleep, as well as an intercom to communicate with the technologist. It is standard practice to videotape sleep studies, in case any unusual activity occurs during testing.
When it is time, you will change into your nightclothes, and the sleep study technologist will hook up many electrodes. This does not cause pain. The electrodes are metal and shaped like a tiny cup about a quarter inch in diameter. They attach to wires, which go to amplifiers, so that electrical signals can be recorded.
Because the position of the electrodes is quite important, the technologist will measure your head and mark it for placement. The scalp will be cleaned thoroughly, in order to get a good signal. The electrodes will then be attached with either glue or paste. The technologist may scratch the scalp gently to improve the electrical connection.
Altogether, about seven electrodes will be applied to the scalp. Electrodes will also be applied around the eyes, to detect eye movement. Recording eye movements helps the technologist determine which stage of sleep you are in. Electrodes are also placed on the chin, in order to monitor muscle tone.
Next, a snoring sensor, which is a tiny microphone, will be placed on the neck. Sensors will be taped near the nose and mouth to detect airflow when you are breathing. Belts will be placed around your chest and abdomen to detect the movement associated with breathing. A sensor that shines a bright red light will be placed on your finger. This sensor monitors the amount of oxygen in your blood. EKG sensors will be placed on your chest to monitor your heart rate.
Finally, some electrodes will be attached to the muscles on your legs and sometimes your arms to monitor muscle tone. You may wonder if you will be able to sleep with all these wires attached. Most people sleep quite well. You can be easily unhooked whenever you want to move around and go to the bathroom. You should be able to sleep in any position that is comfortable for you.
Please prepare for your sleep study by filling out the questionnaire below.
Your results will be shared with our sleep technicians. Rate each item on this sleepiness scale from 0–3, with “0” being no chance of dozing, “1” being a slight chance of dozing or sleeping, “2” being a moderate chance of dozing or sleeping, and “3” being a high chance of sleeping.
Situation | Chance of Dozing of Sleeping |
---|---|
Sitting and reading | szi7EL34q5cws7qECxGbMyMeCzM7R2c1kav1liXT3fjsL+nKpRJg82E5CM6GQDAhcwijRiKLZwycF41s9oKgf/CDFwe/MXBxapktYzJ6rJBc4l/JBpk+TgZyPO8iWZNzCzUhC0bUJ+XtDYgf+i4duQ== |
Watching TV | djaQHuazIXXfneRRo1+zZ286xYFjJ56QwE8mHf4B2ZvrghSTvOzWnATuyxOniyCNE2L3VB8XYWvhLe+bvxASP7otfkeR61t9swG7mVnAdZ4qAEYJQ3c8DurQvlA0hOteywkmBLKhbdA= |
Sitting inactive in a public place | SCoWVzZKa1IlzSf8bimH+ZNJ2UDjV98Z6FUd2vZs7kQsBXigxGNeD/OOC+9vWsx+0LrnJ3BsuLLG07cnQdMHAq+L9GUJnBuWqClUblQNpA9BcC5J+g9SzoJch1LOmcdyQpTiqDAuW9OXbMTiY+THilpBwJ5KbTWvVffuw52SOhA= |
As a passenger in a motor vehicle for an hour or more | JbnFie00YcOodCHqkwb6QgaK2EGxxd84jUpZXnRzScRZ5i8Czw5GJZfgzLFpCTzKOePvLxzTJD7QUy+R4NGgrh2XFRV0G1+zak51gAHp/ot67iiJGD2x7wFglp9+h5Vmq4QI1iCv052geiMuEL6gYSuYfiYdgyiaMpAcTpvMyOwFDK0j2Ozgx63HWvO9GE6e |
Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit | QSEqNRrOxZ/24qIkAmuUvhYImITlMAedW0Ew0GMYM2DsVMivDA07RGU+idmPKjcSejeBY/WVtUi1yRkXaOqKgQaEVyKT3ENlBC646iYWu06bOlcoKutqv1J5pWjfzrxgjDOCigrqk4r+LNYW7yifblDpvbD8qrQ3ua0Oh4I/Ym1RoqpazeDMM6r70jsMzXE7b3xpytiMlqo= |
Sitting and talking to someone | yxi4oOx1isp8B9qcscJkpx28ZPxwQVH0FlmeqfIIUHJ/0c6SxRPEfeg77ETLqFU8XoDexDDKhiS05GKUI5K/CbXdNpF5YP8I9vRZWQJzJmYXFsRflBcX6oJyjcz0yW59tGAypzUA8iqv49caOutBWbDxcpNLb8KIJvtMPA== |
Sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol | czD3bl016tmGyCiRVwVbAOKR1RNLVgcsTPC7GBpklCc9QylASTBd04NJ0Ii5CQ2fJpGyxN9+8wJVultpjJ1XrzcPRip0nfWXnUmvn4h/fQN8NrJOgeOJPwQR14bCU0vvUvZMZ4kKwT0Boh/bu1kMPotO7FN81zNFE097Cy30iYDpw7LoQ0Zc2Q== |
In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic | /ywV3W2I/qSrxXj71fRBho+KNJAbgWV2i3Ab3FoO+0PJmAvVKbXzzjUV+xo7bXcnCUWVFUxXIvPbD0g2XbjC2OaZ1AuOlOfLC6QC6Hpqn2xVRywI7/NK6Tbd6BuD/GUArrNgzKK662PkyCCsvklPx1rVbGo0jxP2btTt7u6fuNIkcVzDYkulYcwNH218Qs4s1DM+spIAK+k= |
The day of your sleep study is here! After you sign some forms, the receptionist hands you some paperwork to review.
The Sandman Sleep Center: Stages of Sleep
As part of your sleep study, we will assess how you progress through the stages of sleep. At each stage of sleep, your brain will exhibit different types of waves. The electroencephalogram (EEG) you will be wearing will measure your brain waves while you sleep. The stages of sleep usually follow the natural progression below:
In Stage N1 sleep, referred to as “light sleep,” your brain will exhibit theta waves. The N stands for non-rapid eye movement (non-REM or NREM) sleep.
Stage N2 sleep is slightly deeper, and your brain will exhibit sleep spindles (little bursts of electrical activity that may be associated with memory consolidation and intelligence) and K-complexes (large waves seen during stage 2 of sleep).
Stage N3 is the deeper stage of sleep in which your brain will exhibit delta waves. It can be most difficult to wake someone up from this stage.
In Stage R sleep, your brain will exhibit patterns similar to the alpha waves and beta waves exhibited when you are awake, which is also known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and is when most dreams occur.
This sleep study participant wears electrodes that will measure her brain waves and body movements during sleep.
Using what you have just learned from your handout on sleep stages, label the diagram of sleep stages below, by dragging and dropping each sleep stage name into the correct spot. The figure on the left illustrates how deep the stages are and the figure on the right shows the brain waves associated with each stage. Move items by dragging them to the correct location or by selecting an item and then selecting the location where it should move.
A few days after your sleep study, you return to your primary care doctor’s office to discuss your results. She tells you that your results indicate a diagnosis of insomnia, meaning that you are having difficulty both falling and staying asleep, which leads to the sleepiness and inability to stay awake you experience during the day. Your doctor presents you with a handout listing tips for what she calls sleep hygiene, which she says means engaging in behaviors that will help you improve your sleep by making it both longer and better. View her handout with tips below.
Your doctor further explains that are to make sure that you get on a regular schedule, avoid any substances that can alter your sleep/wake cycle, and not force yourself to sleep when your body is not ready to do so.
Your doctor also recommends biofeedback as a possible treatment for your insomnia. She shows you the following video in her office to educate you about this possibility:
REPORTER: If you're among millions of Americans who can't get enough sleep, you should know that it could be the root of other health issues, such as obesity. Relief can come in the form of unconventional and non-invasive therapy.
RAE TATTENBAUM: We're going to do a little baseline.
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): Insomnia lead Myron Congdon to seek another alternative to taking sleep medication.
MYRON CONGDON: Sometimes I would get out for a couple of hours, and sometimes I would just simply stay awake and toss around in bed.
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): That would lead to three to four hours of sleep a night.
RAE TATTENBAUM: The software is giving his central nervous system feedback.
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): Now Myron is undergoing a mix of neuro and biofeedback
RAE TATTENBAUM: Let the background noise just be background.
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): training perfected by psychotherapist Rae Tattenbaum in West Hartford. Relaxation techniques, she says, can only go so far.
RAE TATTENBAUM: Relaxation is good. However, what we really need is balance. And most people are too tense to practice the relaxation exercises.
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): This technology
RAE TATTENBAUM: He's creating a complete state of balance.
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): monitors the turbulence causing the imbalance in his central nervous system.
RAE TATTENBAUM: What causes turbulence? Worry, aggravation, habits.
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): That turbulence triggers an interruption.
RAE TATTENBAUM: He's hearing an interruption, and what he's feeling is a sense of well-being and relaxation
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): a feeling Myron was deprived of, due to the lack of sleep.
MYRON CONGDON: Fuzzy during the day time, at times. Yawning at times when you don't want to be yawning, when you're supposed to be paying attention to someone else.
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): Weekly sessions have lead to sleeping better.
MYRON CONGDON: What I'm getting is going back to sleep much more often than I was able to before.
RAE TATTENBAUM: With this technology, you sleep an hour longer, and you return to sleep faster.
REPORTER (VOICEOVER): Also part of the process-- getting ready to go to sleep.
RAE TATTENBAUM: Breathing patterns, what you watch, what you read before you go to sleep.
REPORTER: The success rate for this training is about 75%.
You return to campus after the break and are back in the class where you fell asleep. You have been implementing the techniques suggested by your doctor, and you find that you can stay awake in class without difficulty now. Your professor has even commented on how much more alert you seem to be.