Split Night Sleep Study

A Split night study is a combination of a Diagnostic study and a Titration study. It is performed when a patient shows signs of severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Who gets it?

A split night sleep study is often prescribed in the following cases:

●To look for sleep-related breathing disorders, such as sleep apnea that might be severe (over 20 times per hour)

●To set the correct levels of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with sleep related breathing disorders

What happens in a split night sleep study?

You will be asked to come to the RCH Sleep Center in the evening. Some time will be given for you to make yourself at home in the bedroom. No other patients will be in the room with you.

You will not feel any pain during the diagnostic testing. The sensors are gently placed on your skin and connected to a computer. The wires are long enough to let you move around and turn over in bed. You will be asked to move your eyes, clench your teeth, and move your legs. This will make sure that the sensors are working.

You are free to read or watch TV until your normal bedtime. Then the lights are turned out and it is time for you to try to fall asleep. A low-light video camera allows a technologist to see you from a nearby room. The technician will need to enter your room if a sensor comes loose and will also have to detach the wires if you need to go to the bathroom during the night.

No need to worry about "failing" this test. Nearly everyone falls asleep during the study. Most people do not sleep as well as they do at home. This will not affect the results. In most cases, you do not need to sleep for a full eight hours to find the source of your problem.

In the morning you will test the sensors again, and then they will be removed. This will complete the study, and you will be free to go. You can return to normal activities on the day after a sleep study.

Who reads it?

A technologist is the first one to look over the data from a sleep study. The results will be given to your doctor. The doctor will review the study to find out what kind of sleep problem you may have and what treatment level will be beneficial.