Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)

Performed at Biron, the maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT) lets us evaluate your ability to stay awake during a specified period or gauge the effectiveness of your treatment for hypersomnolence or other sleep disorders.

In order to properly prepare for the examination, we ask that you

• wake up no later than 6:00 am on the day of your examination. Your appointment at the laboratory is usually at 7:30 am
• do not drink coffee or other caffeine-based products
• eat a light breakfast before leaving home. You may also prepare healthy snacks and a light lunch, which may be eaten between test periods
• Bring light, comfortable clothing, slippers, and your medication

At all times, a Biron healthcare professional trained in sleep care will oversee smooth conduct of the test, recording of data, and your comfort.

When you arrive at the laboratory, various sensors will be installed on your scalp, near your eyes and on your chin. This procedure is painless.

During the day, you will have 4 or 5 rest periods to take. These periods will start at specific times depending on when you arrived in the morning. Each will be separated by a period of 2 hours during which it will be important to distract yourself and not sleep. The maximum duration of the rest periods will be 40 minutes.