An all-night non-invasive recording of patients that monitors their sleep, breathing, and movement. The test is completely painless and pleasant for the patient. It serves to provide the doctor with a detailed insight into the sleep disorder.

Before you go to sleep, the health professional will explain the complete procedure to you, and then attach the sensors, using a special cream, to the parts of the body according to what will be measured. Brain activity, eye movements, muscle tone, breathing, heart rate, and oxygen saturation are most often measured by polysomnography.

During the night, a healthcare worker monitors sleep via a camera in another room and is available for any questions you may have during the night.

After receiving detailed instructions on how to prepare, you will spend one night in the clinic. Your hair must be completely clean, without the use of gels and other hair products. The consumption of drinks containing caffeine, alcohol, or sleeping pills is not recommended, and afternoon naps should also be avoided. If you are taking any other medications, you should consult your doctor before starting polysomnography.

Make sure to bring comfortable sleeping clothes and personal hygiene items with you. You can also bring a book or a magazine, considering that the use of mobile phones, TVs, and other electronic devices is not allowed before the polysomnography procedure because they can disturb sleep.

During the day, you should consume as little liquid as possible, since visits to the toilet during the time the device is connected to your body should be kept to a minimum. It is also advisable to avoid greasy face creams, as they can prevent the electrodes from adhering during polysomnography.

You will receive the results of your PSG in two to three working days at the latest. The healthcare professional will collect data from the night you slept to model your sleep cycle. After that, the obtained data, your medical history, and sleep history will be reviewed to make a diagnosis.

Polysomnography is usually done at night to study your normal sleep patterns.

Your sleep doctor will place electrodes on your chin, scalp, and the outer edge of your eyelids. You will have electrodes and monitors placed on your chest to record your heart rate and breathing as well as electrodes on your shins to record leg movements and an oxygen saturation monitor on your finger. They will stay in place while you sleep.

Electrodes record signals while you are awake (with your eyes closed) and during sleep. The test measures how long it takes you to fall asleep and how long it takes you to enter REM sleep.

A specially trained sleep technician or nurse will watch you while you sleep and note any changes in your breathing or heart rate.

Polysomnography will also record how many times you stopped breathing or almost stopped breathing.

There are also monitors to record your movements during sleep. Sometimes a video camera records your movements while you sleep.