El Paso, TX.

We perform overnight sleep studies most night of the week, and the night of your sleep study is arranged at your convenience. Please have a light dinner before reporting for your study, if you wish to bring a snack with you fell free to do so. Do not consume caffeinated beverages after 12 noon since this can affect your sleep quality. It will greatly help you bedtime preparations if you arrive at your scheduled appointment time so that our technicians can devote their full attention to preparing you for bed. If you arrive early, you may wait since our patients are staggered at specific times during the evening. 

In the Morning: 

You will be finished in the morning by about 6 AM. If you require an earlier wake up time, this can be arranged with the technician in advance. However, in order for us to provide you with the most information possible, it is important that you spend a minimum of six hours in bed at night. Also, if you are being picked up by someone else in the morning, this transportation should be arranged to arrive no later than 7 AM. 

ACCOMODATIONS: 

All of our bedrooms are private rooms which are decorated to create a home like atmosphere.  In some cases, a caregiver may be required to stay during the course of the study.  This is arranged in advance of the patient’s study, and we have special accommodations to allow care givers to remain in the room with the patient.

WHAT TO BRING: 

Prior to your study we will discuss with you whether there are any medications you should not take on the day or evening of your study. If you have any questions about which medications to take, do not hesitate to contact us. Please bring your medications with you to the Center on the night of your study. Also, if you require over-the-counter medications such as pain relievers or antacids, please bring these with you as well. If you use oxygen during the night, please discuss this with our physicians prior to the night of your study.

On the night of your study, please bring your usual sleepwear, but most patients are most comfortable in two piece pajamas due to the attachment of the sensors. A bathrobe is also recommended since you may see other patients present in the halls. Please also bring personal hygiene items such as:

• Shaving items
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Brushes, combs and hair care items
• Hand towels

We do not have showers in the Center.

Other items which you may wish to bring on the night of your study include
• Your own pillow
• Reading materials or DVD players for use just prior to going to bed.
• Reading glasses for completing forms
• Alcohol free and caffeine free snacks and drinks. We have a refrigerator and microwave available for your use. 

WHAT WE DO: 

When you arrive at the Center on the night of your study, you will be shown to your private bedroom and you will change into your pajamas. So that we can properly attach the sensors for recording, we ask that you be aware of the following:

• Braids, weaves, and hairpieces should be removed.
• Hair gels, hairsprays, or other hair products should be removed by washing your hair prior to reporting for your appointment.
• Lotions or gels applied to the face and body will interfere with the attachment of the electrodes.
• For men, the electrodes can typically be applied if you have a full beard. However, you may wish to shave any stubble prior to your visit.

None of the sensors which we use are invasive or puncture the skin. On the night of your study, small gold sensors will be glued and taped to your scalp, chin, and near your for monitoring brain, chin muscle activity and eye movements. Breathing effort is monitored by two bands placed around the chest and abdomen, and movement of air through your nose is evaluated by a small probe placed near the nose. Oxygen levels are monitored by a small probe worn on the index finger of your nondominant hand, and heart rate is recorded from an electrode placed on the chest. Leg movements are recorded from sensors taped near the front of the leg.

Many people wonder how they will be able to sleep with all of these sensors in place. For most people, the sensors are not uncomfortable, and if you should experience some discomfort, the technician can typically make an adjustment to change the positioning of the sensor. You can still move around with the sensors in place, and most patients are surprised at the ease of falling asleep with them in place.

Just prior to the start of the study, please turn off your cell phones and do not use your cell phones for texting once the study has started. We want to provide you with the most accurate study possible, and cell phone use can interfere with the study.

After the application of the sensors, you are free to relax prior to your scheduled bedtime. After the technician puts you to bed, you will be asked to perform a series of maneuvers at the direction of the technician as you are lying in bed. This is to assure that all of the sensors are recording correctly. You will be audio and digitally recorded the entire night. The technician will remain in the monitoring room observing you throughout the night, and the technician can hear you at all times. If you need to get up to go to the restroom or need anything else, you can speak and the technician will be in to get you up. You should not hesitate to call if you need to get up since the procedure for getting out of bed is quick and easy.

All of our technicians are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and in fire emergencies.

Study Completion

Upon arising in the morning, your sensors will be removed, and you are free to leave the Center after completing morning questionnaires administered by the technician. Your study will be scored and evaluated, and the results will be discussed with you at the time of your scheduled follow-up visit.