A few months ago, I started waking up tired, even after what felt like a full night’s sleep. I had no idea what was going on—was it insomnia? Sleep apnea? Restless legs? That’s when my doctor recommended something I had never heard of before: polysomnography.
At first, the name sounded intimidating. But going through the process taught me so much about how sleep works—and what can go wrong with it.
🧪 What Is Polysomnography?
Polysomnography is a sleep study that tracks what your body does while you’re asleep. It helps doctors figure out if you have any sleep disorders like:
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Narcolepsy
- Restless legs syndrome
- Chronic insomnia
- Frequent snoring or interrupted breathing
The test is usually done overnight at a hospital or a Sleep Unit, where you sleep in a quiet, comfortable room while being monitored.
🧠 How the Test Works
Before I went to bed, a technician placed small sensors (called electrodes) on my scalp, chest, chin, and around my eyes. It didn’t hurt at all—just felt a little strange.
Here’s what they measured during the night:
- Brain waves using an EEG (electroencephalogram)
- Heart rate
- Breathing patterns
- Airflow in and out of my nose and mouth
- Blood oxygen levels
- Eye movements (especially during dreaming)
- Muscle activity
- Body position
- How often breathing stopped or slowed down (apneas and hypopneas)
They also recorded my body movements with a video camera, which helped the doctors check for things like sleepwalking or tossing and turning.
🌙 Understanding the Sleep Cycle
I didn’t realize before how sleep isn’t just one long stretch. It actually goes through different stages every night:
✅ Non-REM Sleep
This is the deep, quiet part of sleep. It has four stages, and during this time, your body really rests and recovers. There are no eye movements, and your brain activity slows down.
✅ REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement)
This is when dreaming happens. Your brain becomes more active, your eyes move quickly under your eyelids, but your body stays still. REM is essential for memory and emotional balance.
Every 90 minutes, we go through one full cycle of these two phases—up to 4 or 5 times a night.
📋 What the Results Showed
My results showed that I had mild sleep apnea—a condition where my breathing paused multiple times each night without me even knowing. The polysomnography helped my doctor:
- See how long it took me to fall asleep
- Measure how quickly I entered REM sleep
- Count how often my breathing stopped or slowed down
- Monitor oxygen levels in my blood
- Track how often I changed position
- Spot any irregular heartbeats or brain wave activity
Without this test, I might never have known what was happening to me at night.
📌 When Should You Get a Polysomnography?
If you’re experiencing any of the following, this test might be worth discussing with your doctor:
- Loud, frequent snoring
- Pauses in breathing while sleeping (often noticed by a partner)
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Unusual leg movements or restlessness at night
- Frequent waking up without explanation
🔍 Why This Test Matters
Getting a proper diagnosis through polysomnography can help prevent more serious problems down the line—like heart disease, diabetes, depression, or accidents caused by drowsiness. Sleep is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Once my doctor reviewed the results, we created a simple treatment plan. Since then, my sleep—and my daily energy—has completely changed for the better.
📚 Trusted Sources
Here are some of the resources I found helpful during my journey:
