What Is a PSG Sleep Study? 

What is a PSG sleep study?

Polysomnography, sometimes known as PSG, is a method of researching sleep. Polysomnography is a multi-parametric diagnostic test that is utilized for the purpose of researching sleep in the field of sleep medicine.

Who is the PSG sleep study suitable for?

If you feel as though you are not getting enough rest, talk to your doctor about getting a polysomnogram (PSG), which is a diagnostic tool that can be used to identify sleep disorders. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, periodic limb movement disorder, narcolepsy, and REM sleep behavior disorder can be diagnosed with the help of a polysomnogram (PSG) sleep study.

Patients are normally required to undergo the PSG test in a clinical sleep center or hospital setting; however, the test can also be administered in the comfort of the patient’s own home. The vast majority of sleep studies are carried out over the course of a single night, during which time a snapshot of your sleep at a certain point in time is taken.

What Happens During an Overnight Polysomnogram Sleep Study?

Polysomnography is a non-painful, non-invasive examination. Complications occur infrequently. The adhesive used to attach the testing sensors to your skin may cause you to experience minor skin irritation. It is discouraged to take an afternoon snooze prior to a sleep study.

The sleep technologist will evaluate the collected data and use it to create a sleep cycle and stage chart. At a sleep center, a doctor then reviews the information.
It may take a few weeks before you receive your polysomnography results. You will need a follow-up appointment so that your doctor can discuss the results with you. Depending on the collected data, they will then discuss your treatment plan or conduct additional evaluations.

The sleep industry will undoubtedly evolve as new technologies develop. Improved methods for measuring and quantifying sleep can aid in a more accurate assessment of sleep disturbances, resulting in a greater ability to identify new types of disorders and more accurate prognoses of their outcomes.

What Do PSG Sleep Study Results Mean?

Your sleep data is analyzed by a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist or RPSGT, the following morning, following the conclusion of the sleep study.

The RPSGT will evaluate a number of facets of your slumber, including:

• Sleep onset latency refers to how long it takes to fall unconscious.
• The efficiency of sleep: the ratio of time spent unconscious to time in bed
• Duration of each of the five slumber stages (N1, N2, N3, REM) plus awake time
• Severity of apnea
• REM sleep heart rate

The technician will divide your PSG data into 30-second increments, known as epochs, in order to ascertain your sleep stages throughout the night. Then, they will evaluate each epoch based on the clearly defined guidelines outlined in the standard scoring manual to determine which stage of sleep each epoch belongs to.

During profound sleep (or N3 sleep), for instance, the EEG reveals extremely large-amplitude slow waves (approximately one per second). During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the electrical activity of the brain is nearly indistinguishable from wakefulness, but the body is completely paralyzed and the eyes move rapidly, hence the name REM.

After the data has been categorized, a sleep specialist will review the results and determine potential ways to improve your sleep, such as by focusing on sleep health, reducing stress, and making other lifestyle adjustments. If a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea has been identified, your doctor may suggest an intervention.

What are the disadvantages of a PSG sleep study?

Sleep quality: A PSG study’s night of sleep may differ from a more natural night at home due to the intense PSG setup and the fact that patients must sleep in a clinical setting.

Data analysis limits: Sleep staging is complicated and takes up to two hours for a professional technician. Raters disagree during transitional phases (the period between sleep stages) since the stages are subjectively determined. The same technician scoring the same night on several occasions may only agree with themselves 90% of the time.

What is a good alternative to PSG sleep study?

A sleep study carried out in a laboratory is not something that is necessary for or desired by everyone. Because of this, a lot of individuals choose to track their sleep with a wearable device like the Nexring sleep ring, which offers a more comfortable way to monitor their sleep data while still being quite precise. The following are some of the many advantages that Nexring offers:

• The product offers exceptional comfort. Nexring provides a solution for monitoring your sleep without requiring you to wear multiple wires or headphones to bed. Simply put the ring on your finger and let it do the work.
• The price is lower. Nexring provides its consumers with a complimentary subscription.
• You can monitor your sleep patterns over an extended period of time with NexRing. NexRing is appropriate for daily use. Users can obtain valuable insights into their sleep patterns and identify potential correlations and trends by using the ring. This information can be used to enhance sleep quality by optimizing sleep habits and behaviors.
• There is no need for a referral from a physician or an overnight stay in a clinic or hospital.
• The degree of precision is quite high. When using a Nexring, it is essential to remember that, unlike a PSG, it does not record electrical brain activity or eye movements.
• This product offers a vast array of features in addition to sleep monitoring. Nexring is able to measure a variety of parameters that undergo substantial changes during the various stages of sleep. These parameters include pulse rate, heart rate variability, temperature trends, and motion.