In plain words
Polysomnography is an overnight sleep study. Sensors on your head, chest, legs, and finger record your brain waves, breathing, oxygen, heart rate, and movement while you sleep. It shows how you move through sleep stages and whether your breathing stops or slows. It is used when a provider suspects a sleep disorder, such as . In pregnancy, sleep often changes, and the test can help separate normal changes from a problem that needs treatment. Many people find it strange, but it is painless. Ask your provider if a sleep study makes sense for you, and what they would look for.
The deeper version
Polysomnography records electroencephalography, electrooculography, submental and limb electromyography, airflow, respiratory effort, oxygen saturation, and electrocardiography, scored by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine criteria (Berry et al., 2020). In pregnancy, studies describe reduced slow-wave and and increased wake after sleep onset by the third trimester (Lee et al., 2000). Pregnancy increases the risk of , which is associated with gestational hypertension and , and polysomnography is the reference standard for diagnosing it. Home sleep apnea testing is used in some settings, but in pregnancy it is less well validated.
Where it comes up
- Can't sleep: pregnancy insomniaPregnancy: Your Body
- Breastfeeding and sleep: feeding to sleep, night feeds, and sharing the loadFeeding Your Baby
- Sleep deprivation: what it does and how to survive itPostpartum: Your Body
- Night sweats, chills, and the hormone dropPostpartum: Your Body
- Headaches and migrainesPregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say about polysomnography
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Sources
- Berry RB et al. — The AASM Manual for the Scoring of Sleep and Associated Events, version 2.6 (2020)
- Lee KA, Zaffke ME, McEnany G — Parity and sleep patterns during and after pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2000