You may have many questions as you prepare for your upcoming in-lab sleep study. You may even feel a lot of pressure and anxiety over making sure you get the right results so you can get back to restful sleep.

Sleep studies are the diagnostic tool used to identify sleep disorders.  These are performed under the care of sleep professionals in one of two settings: in-lab or a home sleep test.  There are pros and cons to each environment, but make no mistake.  Completing an in-lab study is proven to be much more effective and controlled than a home sleep test.

Active duty military personnel lead stressful lives.  Whether deployed abroad or serving stateside, demands on their time, bodies, and families can prove difficult to manage.  Studies have shown that this stress can negatively affect the sleeping habits of active duty military personnel.  According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a recent study revealed that over 85% of active duty military suffer from some type of sleep disorder. 

Here’s the scenario: You live with and sleep next to a chronic snorer. They are a loud “bed partner“who unbeknownst to them are causing you sleepless nights too!  

If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, and are looking to get it treated, chances are you'll have to have a polysomnogram (PSG) test performed to properly diagnose your disorder.

But what exactly is a polysomnogram test? How is it conducted? And what can it tell you about your sleep troubles?

If you are suffering from sleep troubles at night or experiencing troubles staying awake during the day, there is a good chance that you could have a sleep disorder.

Sleep disorders are medical conditions that can affect people's sleep patterns and habits. Many sleep disorders can also cause complications to your health and general well being if left untreated. The best way to get to the bottom of your sleep troubles is to have a sleep study performed, which can help diagnose your disorder and lead to proper treatment options.

But what exactly is a sleep study? How are they performed? What can they tell you about your sleep? And how do you go about getting one?

Here we walk you through all of the important steps from when you should get a sleep study to complying with your recommended treatment.

It may sound a little strange to hear, but not all sleep tests conducted at sleep clinics monitor you as you sleep. One of the tests you may be asked to take is called an MWT, or Maintenance of Wakefulness Test.

While most tests are designed to diagnose sleep disorders during sleep (polysomnogram), monitor how quickly patients fall asleep (MSLT), or to calibrate CPAP machines (CPAP titration) after breathing disorders are diagnosed, the maintenance of wakefulness test is intended to challenge patients to attempt to stay awake during periodic trials. 

For those of you that have had your CPAP prescriptions for a long time, you may be wondering "when should I have a second sleep study performed?" And this is a great question that often goes unanswered by medical professionals.

Currently, there is not set time frame in which your current CPAP prescription expires. Unlike other prescriptions in which annual clinic visits are required to assess any prescription changes, CPAP users are not required to have regular sleep studies to verify any pressure change needs.

Coming to terms with realizing you have a sleep disorder can be a trying time. The countless nights of lost sleep have finally taken it's toll, and you've decided to get to the root of what's causing you to lose quality sleep on a frequent basis.

Maybe by this point you've already gone ahead and spoken with your primary care physician, or a sleep specialist, about your symptoms and you have scheduled to have a sleep study performed at a sleep clinic. You may be nervous about what to expect during your overnight stay at a clinic, where you will be observed by a sleep technologist while you sleep. So how do you prepare for a sleep study to ensure that it goes smoothly for both you and your sleep tech?