Due to hectic schedules and the fast pace of the modern world, people are severely sleep deprived. Not just insomnia but sleep conditions like sleep apnea, narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome are on the rise. To identify, diagnose and treat these sleep conditions, physicians rely on a detailed sleep study known as polysomnography (PSG) test.
What is polysomnography test?
Polysomnography is a sleep study performed in a sleep lab or at a diagnostic center. It is a test that records various physiological parameters during sleep.
“It is a non-invasive procedure that monitors brain activity, eye movements, muscle tone, heart rate, breathing patterns, snoring, body position, apnea (irregular breathing or pauses in breathing while sleeping), oxygen levels and other essential body functions,” says Dr Pavan Yadav, lead consultant- interventional pulmonology and lung transplantation, Aster Hospitals, Bengaluru.
Sleep consists of four stages. We spend different amounts of time in different stages through the night. The PSG test gives a detailed assessment of your sleep, time spent in different stages of sleep and various sleep disorders.
Who needs polysomnography?
In many cases, sleep disorders go unnoticed by the individual themselves. It is often their partners who notice the symptoms.
“This test is recommended for individuals who experience symptoms such as loud snoring, pauses in breathing during sleep (apnea), periodic leg movement in sleep etc.,” says Dr Sheetal Chaurasia, consultant – pulmonary medicine, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru.
In some cases, individuals are recommended to take PSG, when they have uncontrolled blood pressure, heightened diabetes symptoms or low oxygen levels in the blood. This can be due to undiagnosed sleep apnea, says Dr Chaurasia.
How is polysomnography performed?
Sleep tests are usually performed in a sleep lab or diagnostic setup but can also be done at home with a portable device under the supervision of trained technicians.
Dr Yadav explains different steps taken for polysomnography–
- Preparing for the test – Individuals undergoing the test are advised not to consume caffeine or alcohol as it can affect their sleep pattern. They should follow their regular sleep routine.
- Measurements – Electrodes and sensors are attached to specific areas of the body to measure various parameters like brain waves, eye movement, muscle activity, heart rate, breathing patterns, oxygen levels in the blood, etc.
- Monitoring – Once the individual is comfortably settled in bed,the lights are turned off The monitoring equipment starts recording data as they sleep. This continues throughout the night and data is collected.
- Evaluation– After the required duration of sleep monitoring, the electrodes and sensors are carefully removed. The recorded data is then collected and sent for evaluation.
What happens after the PSG test?
Data collected from the monitoring machines is interpreted by sleep specialists and healthcare professionals with expertise in sleep medicine. They review how long the person is spending time in different stages of sleep, breathing rates, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, etc.
“Through the data obtained, we can diagnose different sleep disorders like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy etc. and treat them accordingly. In case of sleep apnea, we can also identify different types and severity,” says Dr Chaurasia.
She says for individuals having trouble sleeping or not having enough deep sleep but no sleep disorders, they are counselled about sleep hygiene, advised to make lifestyle changes for better sleep.
Takeaways
Polysomnography is a complete sleep study which measures different parameters like brain waves, eye movement, blood pressure etc., when sleeping to diagnose sleep disorders.
