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Sleep Clinic

Multiple Sleep Latency Test
The Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) is a nap study. It is used to see how quickly you fall asleep in quiet situations during the day. The MSLT is the standard way to measure your level of daytime sleepiness.

How to get ready for the MSLT:
For the MSLT to be accurate, you should wake 2 hours before your scheduled appointment. Your hair must be clean and free from gels, mousse or hair spray. Do not drink any caffeinated beverages. Smoking should be stopped at least 30 minutes before each nap trial. Wear comfortable clothes. Bring your lunch. There is a fridge and a micro wave in the sleep lab. Bring reading material, puzzles, sewing, etc. to keep yourself occupied for the time when you are not napping.

What happens when I come to the lab?
The MSLT consists of four nap opportunities with breaks lasting for two hours in between them. Electrodes are placed on your head to record brain waves, on your face to record eye movement and on the chin to record muscle activity. The first nap session starts 2.0 - 2.5 hours after you wake up. For each nap trial, you are asked to lie quietly in bed eyes closed and try to go to sleep. Then the lights are turned off. Once the lights are out, the test will measure how long it takes you to fall asleep. Between nap trials, you will have to stay out of bed and occupy yourself so that you remain awake.
You will not feel any pain during the MSLT. Prior to the each nap session you will be asked to blink your eyes, swallow. This will make sure that the sensors are working. A low-light video camera allows a technologist to see you from a nearby room.

After the MSLT:
A technologist is the first one to look over the data from a nap study. First, he or she will chart your wake-sleep times and sleep stages. The results will be given to a doctor. The MSLT is not a test that you can fail.It usually takes a few weeks to get the results of a nap study. At times the doctor who takes a look at the study needs to get more information from the overnight study or from the technologist.

Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)
The maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT) allows doctors to see how well a patient is able to stay awake during quiet, still activities that might typically induce daytime sleepiness. Brain waves, heart rate and other signs are monitored to determine the patient’s ability to remain alert.

How to get ready for the MWT:
For the MWT to be accurate, you should wake  2hours before your scheduled appointment. Do not drink any caffeinated beverages. Smoking should be stopped at least 30 minutes before each trial. Wear comfortable clothes. Bring your lunch. There is a fridge and a micro wave in the sleep lab. Bring reading material, puzzles, sewing, etc. to keep yourself occupied for the time when you are not napping.

What happens when I come to the lab?
The MWT consists of four sessions with breaks lasting for two hours in between them. Electrodes are placed on your head to record brain waves, face to record eye movement and chin to record muscle activity. The first session starts 1.5 and 2.5 hours after you wake up. During this testing you will be sitting in a recliner rather than lying in bed and told to stay awake. The lights are turned off.

Between sessions, you will have to stay out of bed and occupy yourself so that you remain awake.

You will not feel any pain during the MWT. Prior to the each session you will be asked to blink your eyes, and swallow. This will make sure that the sensors are working. A low-light video camera allows a technologist to see you from a nearby room.

After the MWT
A technologist is the first one to look over the data from the study. First, he or she will chart your wake-sleep time. The results will be given to a doctor. It usually takes a few weeks to get the results of the study. At times the doctor who takes a look at the study needs to get more information from the overnight study or from the technologist.
Sleep Clinic






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