Sleep Study Specialist

What is a sleep study?

A sleep study, clinically referred to as polysomnography, is a noninvasive test that measures your brain activity, respiration, heart rate, and eye and body movements while you sleep. Sleep studies take place overnight, during your regular sleeping hours, and record your sleep patterns.

In most cases, Dr. Chu offers sleep studies at Houston Neurology & Sleep Diagnostic Center, although he may provide equipment for an at-home sleep study. He uses the data collected during your sleep study to diagnose sleep disorders and monitor and adjust the effectiveness of sleep disorder treatments.

Why would I need a sleep study?

If you’re concerned about your sleep, contact Dr. Chu to schedule a consultation and see if a sleep study is necessary. Some of the conditions that Dr. Chu can diagnose with a sleep study include:

• Sleep apnea
• Periodic limb movement of sleep (PLMS) disorder
• Restless leg syndrome
• Narcolepsy
• REM sleep behavior disorder
• Unusual sleep behaviors
• Unexplained chronic insomnia

If you’re always tired during the day and suffer from other symptoms such as slow cognitive function, indecisiveness, and mood swings, you may have a sleep disorder. It’s possible that aside from your daytime symptoms, or perhaps your partner or spouse’s complaints about your snoring, that you don’t know that you have disrupted sleep patterns.

What happens during a sleep study?

Your sleep study takes place in a comfortable room that may feel like you’re staying in a hotel. You can bring personal belongings so that you can mimic your regular bedtime routine. Dr. Chu gives you specific instructions on how to prepare, but in general, you should avoid caffeine, alcohol, and napping on the day of your sleep study.

When you arrive at Houston Neurology & Sleep Diagnostic Center, one of the friendly and professional technicians applies sensors on your head and body, which will record information while you sleep. The sensors allow for plenty of movement and shouldn’t interfere with your comfort while you sleep.

As you rest, the technicians monitor your sleep and are available to help you if you need anything throughout the night. Don’t worry if you struggle to fall asleep or don’t get as much sleep as you usually do during your study — these factors don’t affect the data.

Sleep studies are useful tools for identifying sleep disorders. Call Houston Neurology & Sleep Diagnostic Center or schedule a consultation online today to get to the root cause of your sleep problems.