If the sleep technician confirms that you have sleep apnea in the early part of the night you may have what is called a ‘split-night study' (half diagnosis, half titration). After about 4 hours of observing how you sleep, the technician will wake you up to initiate CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). While on CPAP, the technician will continue to monitor you and measure the effectiveness of this treatment. This process can be done over two full nights in some cases.

"Sleep Technicians” are the people who work at the sleep lab and conduct the sleep study. Their job is to attach the monitoring equipment to your body and then observe the recordings on a computer through the night. They are also there to ensure your safety during your stay and to answer any questions you might have about the procedure.

After your night in the sleep lab, a qualified sleep specialist will analyze your sleep study. This involves isolating any irregularities in your sleep patterns or your breathing. Often they will be trying to determine if you stopped breathing while you were sleeping and if you did they will count how many times this occurred. If you had a split night study, they will compare your diagnostic portion to the treatment portion to determine how effective the CPAP was for you. A summary report will be prepared outlining these things and this will determine the severity of your condition.

Your sleep specialist will then contact you to outline their findings and discuss with you how you felt about the CPAP and what the most suitable treatment options for you.