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Results
By Mayo Clinic staffThe measurements recorded during polysomnography provide a great deal of information about your sleep patterns. For example:
- Brain waves and eye movements during sleep can help your health care team assess your sleep stages and identify disruptions in the stages that may occur due to sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and REM sleep behavior disorder.
- Heart and breathing rate changes and changes in blood oxygen that are abnormal during sleep may suggest sleep apnea.
- Frequent leg movements that disrupt your sleep may indicate periodic limb movement disorder.
- Unusual movements or behaviors during sleep may be signs of REM sleep behavior disorder or another sleep disorder.
The information gathered during polysomnography is evaluated first by a polysomnography technologist, who uses the data to chart your sleep stages and cycles. Then, that information is reviewed by your sleep center doctor.
It may take up to two weeks to receive the results of polysomnography. At a follow-up appointment, your doctor reviews the results with you and, based on the data gathered, discusses any treatment or further evaluation that you may need.
References
- Behrouz J, et al. Polysomnography. Clinics in Chest Medicine. 2010;31:287.
- Overnight sleep study. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. http://yoursleep.aasmnet.org/ArticlePrinterFriendly.aspx?id=12&DType=4. Accessed Sept. 2, 2011.
- Sleep cycles. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. http://www.sleepeducation.com/sleepcycles.aspx. Accessed Sept. 3, 2011.
- Your guide to healthy sleep. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.htm. Accessed Sept. 3, 2011.
- What are sleep studies? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/slpst/. Accessed Sept. 1, 2011.
- Sleep studies. American Thoracic Society. http://patients.thoracic.org/information-series/en/resources/sleep-studies.pdf. Accessed Sept. 1, 2011.
- St. Louis EK, et al. The nervous system. In: Bope ET, et al. Conn's Current Therapy. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0986-5..00008-9--sc9000&isbn=978-1-4377-0986-5&sid=1201926766&uniqId=279535098-3#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0986-5..00008-9--s9180. Accessed Sept. 2, 2011.
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