If you've ever had to go for a polysomnography, they have probably hooked your head up to a bunch of wires. These wires are there to measure brain activity while you are sleeping. The official term for what this test is is an EEG, or an electroencephalogram. The EEG will provide a recording of electrical activity in your brain while you are awake and sleeping. It involves having small electrodes placed around your head which are attached to your scalp using a paste. You may also be asked to breathe deeply or look into a flashlight at some point during the recording. This, also known as activation technique. The test can normally take up to two hours if that's the only thing that you're doing.

People normally get EEG that they struggle with electrical activity, like seizures. EEG's are also useful for determining what stage of sleep people are in. As part of the test, you may also be video recorded to help diagnose your condition. You will be asked to sign the consent form at the beginning of the test to allow for recording of your brain activity and interpretation of the results. Continue reading to learn more about a sleep EEG, who should get one, and what it is like.

Different types of sleep EEG recordings

There are different types of sleep EEG recordings. The first one is the sleep deprivation EEG. For this test, you will need to avoid sleeping or have less sleep on the night before the test period the amount of sleep you have will be detailed in your appointment letter. It may sound crazy that you are being asked to deprive yourself of sleep in a study that is determining why you have trouble sleeping. However, the goal may be to figure out an issue that you may be experiencing while sleep deprived. For example, seizure activity can be worse when one sleep deprived. Therefore they may ask you to be sleep deprived, seeing if that triggers your brain to go into seizure like activity.

The other one is natural sleep EEG. This is where you are allowed to fall asleep naturally as you normally would, and you do not need to deprive yourself of sleep prior to the test. This can be used to determine why you are experiencing certain sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, periodically movement disorder, sleepwalking, sleep talking, etc. Many sleep disorders cannot be diagnosed unless one undergoes the polysomnogram, which includes an EEG component.

Benefits and risks of a sleep EEG

The main benefit of a sleep EEG is that it can help your doctor determine exactly why you are having trouble sleeping. It will help your doctor diagnose any problems that he or she may find on the EEG, and advise appropriate treatments based on the findings.

The most common risk of a sleep EEG is mild skin irritation at the location of the electrodes. There may be some reddening of the skin or soreness where the pace is applied. There is also a small risk that some of the activation techniques or sleep deprivation can provokes some symptoms. So for example, when we talked about seizures earlier, sleep deprivation may trigger a seizure. There is a risk that you will go into a seizure, but there will be medical staff on site to be able to stop seizure activity before it becomes problematic. Also, sleep deprivation can make these symptoms more common, so for a short time after the study you may experience increased frequency of these symptoms.

Alternatives to not having the test

Unfortunately, there is no alternative to this test that will give your doctor the information that they are seeking. Therefore, if you are experiencing an electrical-related issue, you will only be able to get diagnosed using an EKG.

Preparing for a sleep EEG

You will receive an appointment letter for the amount of sleep that you can have before the test. This letter will also have all the information that you need, including exactly what you need to bring, any medication, any identification etcetera. If you were there for an overnight sleep study, you will want to bring items that you used to go to sleep at night, including your sleep medication. Outside of that, you will be able to bring your pajamas, blankets, anything that you need to help go to sleep.

Prior to a sleep EEG, you are going to want to avoid drinking caffeine or coffee. You'll want to have something to eat within 1 1/2 hours before your appointment so that your blood sugar doesn't drop. You are also more likely to fall asleep if you feel full, so it's OK to stuff your face before a sleep study.

Arrive with clean, dry hair that is free from grease, hairspray, and liqueurs. The electrodes are hard to place on the scalp, but nobody wants to shave anyone's head in order to carry out this test. Now, if you're already bald, that provides you with an advantage. However if you do have hair don't worry, researchers will be able to work around that. It's just easier if your hair is clean and free from any chemicals or greases.

During the test

Once you arrive to the facility, you will be hooked up to the machine. The person who is doing the test will begin by measuring your head. Then they will rub your scalp with the cream that is the paste for the electrodes. The small disc will be stuck to your head, and then connected to the EEG machine by wires. The recording will be taken anywhere from one to two hours while you are lying down relaxing and trying to go to sleep. If you do happen to fall asleep, you will be awoken within 30 minutes. You will also be asked to perform commands, such as open your eyes, close your eyes. You may also be asked to perform some of the activation techniques that were discussed earlier, which will induce changes in your brain activity. These activation techniques include:

• Deep breathing - you may be asked to breathe deeply for about 3 minutes. Lightheadedness or even tingling of the lips and fingers may occur, but this is normal and will pass afterwards.
• Photic stimulation - you might be asked to look into a bright flashing light with your eyes open and closed for a few seconds out of the time. This light might be uncomfortable, but it is an important part of the test for people who may have seizures or blackouts caused by flashing lights. Those who have epilepsy often are affected by bright flashing lights, so this stimulation or activation technique is a way to potentially induce one of those activities. Brain activity will be measured prior during and after an episode if a seizure is induced. There will also be medical professionals on site to help end the seizure.

During the test you may feel cold rubbing sensation on the scalp when the discard being applied. However, during the recording you will not feel anything in there are no needles involved.

After the test, the discs will be removed with warm water. Your hair may be a little stickier damp and some of the paste may be left in your hair afterwards. It will wash out easily and you will probably need to wash your hair after the test anyways. If you have been sleep deprived before the test, you may feel sleepy after the test and can go home and go to sleep. It's advised, that you don't drive yourself home if you were asked to come to the test sleep deprived.

You will get the results after about two to three weeks when all of the tests have been analyzed. There will be a full report that is sent to the doctor who referred you to the sleep study. They will discuss the results with you at your next outpatient appointments.

Have you have any questions concerning a sleep EEG, or think that you may need one for a sleep related electrical disorder, then please click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk to one of our sleep health professionals.

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