Sleep Study Technician

Sleep study technicians also known as Polysomnographic technicians, perform sleep studies on patients to help physicians diagnosis and treat various sleeping disorders, such as insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep walking, and sleep apnea to name a few. Sleep technologists are allied health professionals who work as part of a team under the general supervision of a licensed physician to assist in the education, evaluation, treatment and follow-up of sleep disorders patients of all ages. These professionals are specially trained to perform polysomnography and other tests used by a physician to diagnose and treat sleep disorders (AAST, Web). Most patients attend a sleep center for an overnight stay for their sleep study to be performed by a sleep technician. Sleep studies are performed by a sleep technician in a healthcare center, a clinic, a hospital, or a sleep center. When a sleep study is performed, leads are placed on a patients scalp to monitor brain activity, by their eyes and chin to monitor if they grind their teeth, a snoring mic is placed on the patient to monitor snoring, and nasal canals, and thoracic and abdominal belts are placed on a patient to monitor their breathing (Fletcher Allen Health …show more content…
There is a wide range of methods for treating sleep problems. Medications may be prescribed by your physician. Sometimes a sleep psychologist is called upon to recommend non-drug approaches that may include addressing patients’ pessimism about their sleep surroundings, correcting misconceptions about sleep, controlling stimulating factors that hinder sleep and identifying positive behaviors that aid sleep. Improving your diet, your sleep environment and your bedtime rituals, including the timing of physical exercise, alcohol intake, and other factors may all contribute to a better night’s sleep (National Sleep foundation,