The multiple sleep latency test helps diagnose sleep disorders. The patient takes four or five naps while being monitored for brain and eye activity. Results are analyzed to determine if a disorder exists.
The multiple sleep latency test is a study used to help doctors accurately diagnose several sleep disorders, including narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness. The one-day test takes place in an accredited sleep study center and is supervised by certified technicians, nurses and doctors. The patient is given a comfortable and quiet private room and is allowed to take four or five naps during the day with about two hours apart. Monitoring equipment is used to detect changes in brain and eye activity and determine if a disorder exists.
Different sleep centers and laboratories may have their own versions of the multiple sleep latency test, but most tests are administered in very similar ways. Before multiple sleep latency testing can take place, the patient usually needs to stay overnight in the sleep center so doctors can monitor night-time patterns in a procedure called polysomnography. Nightly test results are used as a reference for day tests to track changes.
During both the multiple sleep latency test and the polysomnography study, electrodes are applied to the chest, forehead, chin, and under the eyes. Data on brain wave activity, heart rate, eye movement, and facial muscle contractions is collected by an electronic monitoring machine. The testing procedure is completely painless, and sleep technicians try to make the sensors and wires as comfortable to wear as possible.
After the night of the polysomnographic test, a patient is encouraged to stay awake for approximately two hours in the morning. He is then asked to try to fall asleep again. The sleep technician records the time it takes for the patient to actually enter sleep, then tracks brain and eye activity to determine when deep sleep or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is achieved. The patient is awakened about 15 to 20 minutes after the nap begins and is instructed to remain awake for another two hours. Most sleep centers take four or five naps per patient, so a person can expect to stay at the center for at least seven hours.
Once the test has been completed, a patient can go home and technicians, psychologists and doctors can begin analyzing the results. Information about how long it takes a patient to fall asleep during each nap can help doctors evaluate the possibility of narcolepsy or another chronic sleepiness problem. In general, a multiple sleep latency test that shows a person falling asleep within five minutes and rapidly entering REM sleep is indicative of an underlying disorder. Once the results have been reviewed carefully, a doctor can explain the results to the patient and discuss treatment options.
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