We are dedicated to helping diagnose your sleep problem, helping you attain the quality of sleep you deserve for your overall health and wellbeing. If you’ve received a referral from your GP, you can undergo a sleep study through Medisleep.
What is a Home Sleep Study?
Sleep studies can be performed in our laboratory or in your home. A home-based sleep study is very similar to a laboratory sleep study, with the key difference being that your sleep in your home. Both involve electrodes and sleep analysis.
Sleep studies are used to measure things like your breathing, heart rate, leg movements, snoring and eye-movements while you sleep. Sleep studies also look at how many times you awaken during sleep.
A home sleep study is essentially the same as a laboratory sleep study, without the presence of a sleep specialist. You still wear electrodes and monitors.
Why are Home Sleep Studies Performed?
Sleep studies can tell us a lot of things about why you might be having trouble sleeping, or getting the best rest you can. We use them to determine whether you might have a sleep disorder, and inform next steps to get you the best possible night’s rest.
Home sleep studies replace laboratory sleep studies usually where a laboratory is not available, if it’s difficult for the patient to get to the laboratory, or if there’s a clear reason why a laboratory study is not desirable.
Depending on your eligibility, you may be able to claim your sleep study through Medicare, and be bulk billed.
How to Prepare for a Sleep Study
We like to analyse your sleep as closely to your normal state as possible, so it’s best not to do anything out of the ordinary the day before (like running a marathon!)
Bring comfortable clothes for sleeping, and reading material, if that helps you get to sleep.
Above all, relax. There’s nothing to worry about with a laboratory sleep study.
What Happens During a Home Sleep Study?
In the process of making your appointment, we will explain what is involved in detail.
For a home sleep study, you will come to our practice to get set up. Once you arrive we will place some electrodes on certain points along your jaw and chest to monitor your breath and heart rate throughout the night. Then you will go home for sleep.
While you sleep, an EEG monitors your sleep stages and your cycles of REM and nonREM or NREM sleep during the night, to identify possible disruptions in the pattern of your sleep.
A sleep study will also oxygen levels in your blood (through a sensor—there are no needles involved), heart and breathing rates, snoring, and body movements.
When you get up in the morning you’ll come back to the practice so we can remove the electrodes and talk about your night.
What Happens After a Home Sleep Study?
After the sleep study, we work with our Sleep Specialists to analyse and compile the results. Once these have been completed we will contact you with the report and recommend your next steps to a better night’s sleep!