The BSL Sleep Labs consist of bedrooms that are digitally connected to a larger room where the monitoring equipment is kept. Warmly decorated, the bedrooms are designed to seem more like a home, and less like a clinic. In addition, the rooms are sound-dampened, temperature-controlled, and comfortably dark when the lights are turned out.

When you arrive at the BSL Sleep Lab you'll have a short form to fill out that asks about your previous night's sleep, the day's activities, medications, as well as your current mood and feelings of fatigue or sleepiness. Our technicians also perform a pre-sleep assessment which includes noting your blood pressure, and, if this is your first visit to our lab, one of our medical providers will do a brief physical.

In order to identify and classify sleep, it is necessary to record the electrical activity of three systems: the brain, the eyes, and the muscles. In diagnosing sleep disorders we must also monitor the activity of the cardiopulmonary systems, the heart and lungs, and record the occurrence of any irregularities. These systems are monitored simultaneously by a digital polygraph, which allows continuous monitoring throughout the night without disturbing the sleeping subject.

For PSG studies, small metal disks called electrodes will be attached at various points to the head and body. These electrodes are small and cupped to hold a minimum amount of conductive paste. They are held in place by small pieces of tape or gauze, and the process is entirely without pain or discomfort.

The electrodes will record your brain activity, eye movements, heart rhythm and rate, leg movements, blood oxygen levels, and snoring. Elastic belts will be placed around your chest and abdomen to measure your breathing.

We know it sounds like an overwhelming amount of equipment, but they are designed to be as comfortable as possible and, truly, shouldn�t interfere with your ability to sleep. Should you need to get up during the night, the equipment is readily unhooked from the digital polygraph to make pausing the test a simple matter.

One of our knowledgeable sleep technicians will be in a separate room monitoring the data being recorded and will be able to answer most any question you might have during the process.

For most studies, you will be required to spend at least 6 hours overnight in our sleep lab. You should be ready to leave the labs by 6:30 am the following morning.