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 Laboratory Sleep Study?
Sleep studies can be performed in our laboratory or in your home. They 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.
Laboratory Sleep Studies are carried out in the clinical environment. This allows a Sleep Specialist to monitor your sleep in real-time. However, it’s not the all-white, sterile “clinic” you might imagine. You’ll sleep in a comfortable bed, in a bedroom.
We make it as comfortable as possible. We want you to relax enough for sleep, after all!
Why are Laboratory 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.
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 Laboratory Sleep Study?
In the process of making your appointment, we will explain what is involved in detail.
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.
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.
What Happens After a Laboratory 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!