Concerned about your quality of sleep or lack thereof? You may be suffering from a sleep disorder. But how will you know if you have a sleep disorder and what exact disorder you have? Here at Bogan Sleep Consultants in Columbia, SC, Dr. Richard Bogan can conduct different tests to ensure that you get the right diagnosis. One of these tests is the multiple sleep latency test or MSLT.
What to Expect During a Multiple Sleep Latency Test
The MSLT, also called nap study, is specifically designed for testing excessive sleepiness during the day and is typically conducted directly after a PSG or polysomnography. This is an overnight sleep test used for monitoring sleep stages and cycles. Specifically, an MSLT is used for measuring how long it will take a person to fall asleep during the daytime.
This sleep test lasts the whole day and involves five naps that are scheduled every two hours. If you manage to fall asleep, you will be awakened after 15 minutes of sleep. Otherwise, if you fail to fall asleep, the nap will end in 20 minutes. To determine if you’ve fallen asleep, are in rapid eye movement or REM sleep, or are awake, sensors will be attached to your face and head. Usually, audio and video of all naps are recorded. The following will also be closely monitored:
- breathing and oxygen levels
- the brain’s electrical activity through EEG or electroencephalogram
- Your eye movements
- The heart’s electrical activity through EKG or electrocardiogram
- Extremity movements
Ideal Candidates for the Multiple Sleep Latency Test
If you constantly feel sleepy during the daytime when you know you shouldn’t be or often find yourself sleepy when others are not, like while driving or at work, you might be an ideal candidate for the MSLT. The best way to determine your eligibility, however, is to come in for a consultation here at our Columbia, SC, clinic, so that Dr. Richard Bogan can figure out if an MSLT or other sleep test is best for your circumstances.
Likewise, doctors also usually recommend the MSLT for people who they suspect have narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness while idiopathic insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes excessive sleepiness without a known cause.
Worried that you’re not getting enough sleep?
Falling asleep when you’re supposed to be awake comes with negative consequences. Specifically, when you’re driving your vehicle or when you’re at work. Call (803) 251-3093 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Richard Bogan here at Bogan Sleep Consultants in Columbia, SC.
