Things to do & know before your sleep study

Before your sleep study:

• Confirm the time and location of your appointment. You may face a fee if you cancel without notice.
• Make sure you are medically stable and capable of taking care of your own personal needs during the study.
• Arrange transportation to and from your appointment if you have any difficulty staying alert while driving.
• Fill out any forms or questionnaires you’ve received from us.
• Get a copy of your previous sleep study results if you have had any done elsewhere. For your convenience, you can have the results faxed to us at 888-373-0998 or emailed to AHC-Sleep@advocatehealth.com.
• Verify your insurance coverage with your insurance company.
  • If your insurance requires a referral for testing, it's your responsibility to coordinate the authorization or you could be responsible for payment. HMO patients need authorization for services.
  • Make certain the authorization date has not expired or will not expire prior to the date of your study. Your insurance company may grant an extension of the authorization date prior to testing but not retroactively.
• See our locations page for phone numbers and call the clinic where your sleep study will be conducted for further instructions before your evaluation if you have any of the following and it has not previously been addressed:
  • Hair weaves
  • Cornrows
  • A history of major cranial surgery
  • Caregiver needs
  • Diabetes
  • Incontinence
  • Mobility issues
  • Specific sleep furniture other than a home-style, queen-sized bed

On the day of your test:

• Shampoo your hair, and do not use any hair sprays, oils or gels.
• Remove facial stubble if you are a man.
• Do not apply any face or body lotions.
• Ensure one of your fingernails is free of nail polish or an artificial nail. We will attach a device called an oximeter to that finger to measure your oxygen saturation.
• Refrain from caffeine for six hours prior to your sleep study.
• Consume alcohol if you normally do and would like to. However, if you drink, you should have someone drive you to your appointment.
• Do not take any naps.
• Eat supper before reporting to your appointment. Avoid spicy foods if they tend to bother you. You may bring a snack from home.
• Take all prescription medications as indicated by your physician. Let us know whether you take any sleeping aids. Do not take any sleep aids until arriving at the sleep lab where you're scheduled for your test.
• Arrive no more than 15 minutes prior to your appointment time. You will be asked to review registration papers and provide a copy of your insurance card and a photo ID upon arrival. Later, you may receive two separate bills for your sleep study. One will be a facility bill, and the other will be from an interpreting physician.
• Sleep in any position during your study. If you need a technician during the night, there is a call button you can press.
• Know that the wake-up time is 5 a.m. and the typical departure time is between 5:30 and 6 a.m. Shower rooms are available.
• Understand that our technicians are not allowed to discuss your test results with you following your study. Your results will be sent to your ordering physician within one or two weeks. We will be calling you regarding follow-up instructions.

Bring with you:

• Your physician order for testing if it is not already on file with the sleep clinic where you'll be getting evaluated. We will not be able to conduct your test without it.
• A photo ID and medical insurance card.
• Any forms or questionnaires you’ve received from us, filled out.
• Your usual sleeping attire or loose fitting apparel (shorts are preferred because we will be placing electrodes on your legs). You must wear at least undergarments.
• The dosage of medication you regularly take during the hours you will be at the clinic.
• Snacks if you have diabetes or other reasons.
• Your own pillow or book to read if either helps you sleep.
• Morning toiletries if you plan to get ready for work at the clinic conducting your sleep study. Shower rooms are available. We recommend that you shower and shampoo your hair, either at the clinic or at home, following your evaluation due to the paste that we use when monitoring brain waves with electrodes.
• Dentures, if you wear them.
• A caregiver, if necessary. Overnight arrangements can be made. Friends and family members should not remain at the sleep clinic.
• Sleep aids, if needed and discussed beforehand with the clinic. If you will be bringing some, do not take any until arriving. Our technicians will not be giving you anything to make you sleep.
• CPAP mask, if applicable.

If sleep apnea is detected:

We will attempt CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) if you are found to have significant sleep apnea within the first few hours of your test. This treatment is carried out using a mask that fits over your nose and has a tube attached to a machine on a nightstand. CPAP essentially acts as a "pneumatic splint" for the upper airway, preventing collapse. We follow a strict protocol when determining whether a patient qualifies for CPAP during the first night of testing. This protocol is based on the amount of time into testing that the diagnosis was made, severity and sleep efficiency. In many instances, we only have enough time to make a diagnosis, and, therefore, many patients who would benefit from CPAP therapy need to return for more testing.