Q: Is My Sleep Test Reliable?

March 26, 2009

Q: Dr. Park,

Is my sleep study reliable? I was told to sleep on my back only during the test and then were given two different diagnosis by the clinic and the interpreting doctor. Would a repeat of the original study be advisable?
Danielle

A: Without looking your study results, it’s hard to say if it’s reliable. Most sleep studies are standardized, and there are various ways of determining from the report whether or not there was enough reliable data to analyze. Different doctors may interpret the raw data differently, just as different polysomnographic technologists can interpret tests differently.

Also forcing you to sleep on your back when you normally like to sleep on your side is not natural.

Ultimately, together with your sleep physician, you should re-evaluate your medical condition in light of the sleep study interpretation and decide what to do.

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under QnA
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