At-home polysomnography

Polysomnography is the preferred test for sleep disorders. Biron offers you the possibility of conducting it in the comfort of your own home. During an appointment at one of our service centres, a healthcare professional trained in sleep care will install the equipment. They will advise you on how to do the test successfully when you are at home.

What does equipment installation involve? Sensors, applied to various parts of your body, will study the physical manifestations of sleep. They will record the numerous electrical activity signals in your brain, heart, movements and respiratory efforts, as well as oxygen saturation in your blood. We can also identify the different stages of your sleep. An audio recording will help us assess any snoring and other ambient noises that may disturb your sleep. Finally, this test allows us to detect, quantify and qualify the presence of abnormalities such as:

• Sleep apnea (breathing problems)
• Periodic leg movements
• Bruxism (grinding and clenching of the teeth)
• Narcolepsy (sleepiness and sleep attacks during the day)

The data recorded during your polysomnography will be interpreted by a healthcare professional trained in sleep care and shared with your attending physician.

Here are the steps to prepare you for the day of the test:

• You must bring your prescription with you to the appointment.
• If you have severe nasal congestion or an unusual medical condition, it is best to postpone your appointment.
• Avoid wearing nail polish or false nails on the index finger of your non-dominant hand, as a sensor will be placed there.
• If you do not have a beard , please make sure you are freshly shaved.
• Wear comfortable clothing to the appointment, as you will keep it on overnight. A crew-neck shirt is strongly recommended, to make sure the equipment remains stable on your chest.
• You can eat a normal meal before 7 p.m., with no specific restrictions. However, we ask that you refrain from consuming alcohol or caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate) six hours before the test.
• It is also important not to use any facial cream or body lotion.
• It is important to have dry hair for the appointment. Also, if you wear a hairpiece, you need to remove it to allow the sensors to be placed.
• If you are currently using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, you need to stop using it five days before the test.
• When you return home, you should know that the sensors do not block your field of view or restrict your movements. So you can drive your vehicle in total safety. However, if you feel that wearing the device may cause discomfort, we recommend that you come to your appointment accompanied by someone who can drive you back home.

Polysomnography is risk-free and painless. The only side effect is a rare temporary skin irritation where the sensors are placed.

Results from the sleep test will be interpreted by one of our trained sleep specialists and made available on MyBiron.