Preparing For The Study
- Please do not nap (except if you have narcolepsy), drink alcohol or take recreational drugs for at least one week prior to, and during, your sleep study.
- Do not consume caffeine (coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate) after noon (12 p.m.) on the day of your test.
- If your doctor wishes your study to be completed on your current medications, they will tell you this.
Things to Bring
- Toiletries including shampoo – note onsite shower facilities are limited and there may be a wait
- Sleeping attire (loose fitting only, no tights, no tight clothes)
- Any medications you require to take during your stay (please bring them in their prescription bottles)
- Any diaries or records you have been asked to keep
- Reading material
- Your own pillow, if you like, although the hospital does supply pillows
- CPAP mask (if requested by your doctor)
Things NOT to bring
The hospital will not be responsible for lost, stolen and damaged valuables, and there are no lock-up facilities available in the evening.
- Cash in excess of $20.00
- Credit cards
- Large amount of personal clothing or luggage
- Any item of value (e.g. jewelry)
- Any plug-in electrical appliance
- CPAP machine
- Please remove your nail polish
For obstructive sleep apnea patients
We need to study you during a typical night’s sleep. If you normally have an alcoholic drink in the evening, continue with your usual practice. Please take all your usual medications.
Checking in for an overnight stay
Please report directly to the sleep lab located on the ground floor of the Purdy Pavilion. Once you are checked in, one of our team members will direct you to your room and he/she will explain all the procedures that will be completed for your study. You will be asked some questions about your current health and your sleep.
You are encouraged to ask questions or express any concerns that you may have. The procedure is “non-invasive”, meaning there will be no needles (exception: if your doctor has ordered additional blood tests for you, this may require a separate blood test that requires a needle in the morning). We do require the use of gel to attach the electrodes that can easily be washed out of your hair after the test. It takes approximately one hour to prepare you for the study. The technologist will be available in the next room and you will be supervised at all times. You will have the ability to be disconnected during the study to use the restroom or walk around as needed.
The study will take place overnight and finish between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. You can buy breakfast in the hospital cafeteria. Patients staying for a daytime test will be served breakfast and lunch from the hospital kitchen.
If you require a second night’s evaluation the technologist will inform you of when you should come in.
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)
Your doctor may ask you to stay at the sleep lab after you complete the overnight sleep study. The purpose is to do an additional daytime test called the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). This test consists of four or five scheduled twenty-minute naps and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., depending on the results during the day. The earliest you will be discharged is 4 p.m. while the latest is 5:30 p.m.