What is a sleep study?
A sleep study is an overnight test designed to gather information about your sleep as part of a complete assessment. Sleep studies performed in a hospital laboratory are the gold standard test and the most accurate type of study. Home-based studies may be appropriate in certain circumstances. During a sleep study special monitoring equipment is worn and the following are recorded:
- Breathing
- Oxygen levels
- EEG (brain wave activity) to determine sleep staging
- ECG (heart tracing) to monitor heart rate and detect arrhythmias
- Eye movements
- Chin muscle tone
- Leg movements
- Body position
- Infrared video recording
The vast majority of people get off to sleep with little difficulty during their study. Following the completion of the sleep study the data is analysed in detail by sleep scientists and examined by the sleep physician. The results are used by the sleep physician, together with your symptoms and examination findings, to arrive at a diagnosis and create a treatment plan.
Our practice performs sleep testing at the following private hospital sleep laboratories:
- Epworth Richmond, Camberwell and Geelong
- Western Private Hospital, Footscray
- St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Werribee
- Cabrini Brighton
We offer home-based sleep studies at the following locations:
- Williamstown – 87 Ferguson Street
- Werribee – 233 Heaths Road
- Geelong – 104 Gheringhap Street
- Shepparton – 96 Maude Street
For a home-based sleep study a time is scheduled to attend one of the locations above during which portable equipment is fitted by one of our staff members. Usually this is performed in the late afternoon for convenience. Recording takes place overnight and the testing equipment is returned the following day for analysis.
The home-based sleep study is a Medicare-rebateable item.
An out-of-pocket cost of $161.50 applies.
Lower cost testing (including bulk-billed sleep studies) are offered by certain pharmacies and other companies. Usually these tests are of a lower quality and often they are linked to CPAP machine sales. Care must be taken as such testing may not be in the patient’s best interests and detailed sleep study data cannot be accessed by sleep physicians or other treating doctors.
