Sleep Apnea

The Sleep Center, The Job of the Sleep Technician

Posted on 06. Dec, 2009 by admin in The Full-Service Sleep Center

Sleep technicians hook you up to the polysomnography leads, make you comfortable during the night, and monitor both your sleep and the operation of the polysomnograph equipment throughout the night. The accuracy of the results of your sleep test will depend on how carefully the technicians set you up for the test and how carefully they monitor you and the equipment. Consequently, the skill and diligence of the sleep technicians are very important.

Sleep technicians may have a wide range of training and experience, from beginners who are receiving “hands-on” training to well-trained experts who have taken courses in their field and keep up-to-date on the latest information on sleep testing and measurement techniques.

A sign of proficiency in this field is the credential of registered polysomnographic technologist (RPSGT). Sleep technicians can earn this credential by training, studying, and passing a two-day test administered by the Board of  Registered Polysomnographic Technologists.

In most well-staffed sleep centers, at least the supervisor of the sleep technicians will be an RPSGT. It is important that the person in charge of the actual sleep testing have thorough understanding of the standardized procedures for setting up and carrying out a valid sleep test. Supervision by an RPSGT gives some assurance that polysomnograph equipment will be connected to the patient according to the accepted standards and that the sleep recordings will be accurate. Poorly conducted sleep tests can produce recordings that look accurate and impressive but lead to an incorrect diagnosis and may need to be repeated later on. Thus, bad sleep tests not only are a waste of your time and a waste of money for whoever is paying the bill, but also can actually result in bad medical treatment.

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Tags: Sleep Apnea, Sleep Apnea Treatment, Sleep Center, Sleep Technician