A Guide to Your Sleep Study

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR A SLEEP STUDY?

THE DAY BEFORE ARRIVING

Before the night of your study you will need to do ensure you have completed the following:

• To complete your booking we require your referral. You can fax this to us on (07) 3870 0233 or email it toadmin@tsgq.com.au
• Ensure that your private health fund covers the cost of the sleep study (item number 12203). Also be aware you may need to pay an excess for the overnight hospital admission depending on your level of cover.
• You need to preadmit yourself into hospital at least 24 hours before check-in. You can post the preadmission forms to the hospital or you can preadmit yourself online or over the phone.

451 Coronation Drive
Auchenflower, QLD 4066
P: (07) 3232 7777

Go online to admit yourself at the Welsey Hospital

 62 Netherton Street
Nambour, QLD 4560
(07) 5459 7444

 Go online to admit yourself at Nambour Selangor Private Hospital

ON THE DAY OF THE STUDY

Before you come in to have an overnight sleep study you should remember to follow a few instructions that will help us greatly.

• Please shower and wash your hair the day of the study: this will improve the quality of the EEG recordings.
• Avoid using conditioner, styling products or facial moisturisers before the study as the sensors will not adhere well.
• Keep to your normal routine: For instance, if you usually drink tea, coffee or alcohol in the evenings, you should do so on the night of your study.
• Follow your normal sleeping pattern for the weeks leading up to your study
• Continue taking your usual prescribed and non-prescribed medications, unless your referring doctor has advised otherwise. Remember to bring your medications with you on the night.

WHAT TO BRING

You will need to bring with you on the night of your study:

• Pajamas: 2 piece pajamas are preferred over nightgowns. Sleepwear must be worn.
• Toiletries (eg. toothbrush, hairbrush etc)
• Medications including medications you take at night or in the morning
• CPAP machine and mask (if you are currently using a CPAP machine)
• Your questionnaire and consent form (other paperwork should also be brought just in case it is needed)
• You may want to bring your favorite pillow to help you sleep
• A nightcap (drink) is also accepted in the sleep lab
• Hairdryers are available on request
• In applicable, please ensure nail polish is removed on at least one finger for our sensors
• Any medical reports from other doctors that you have in your possession

MEALS
You should make sure you have dinner before you arrive at admissions.

If need be, you can bring a meal with you and we can heat it up when you arrive. If need be you can purchase dinner at one of the restaurants located at or near the Wesley Hospital (see map below), but do this before presenting for admission.

A light breakfast will be served the next morning, however if you have special dietary requirements please bring your own food with you. Note: Caffeine is not permitted daytime sleep studies, non-caffeinated tea and coffee is available.

Smoking is not permitted once you have been admitted for your study. So bring some nicotine patches or gum to get through the night. E-cigarettes are not permitted.

FAQ’s

How will I be able to sleep in a strange environment; and with sensors attached to me?
Most people coming into the sleep centre worry that they won’t be able to sleep. The sensors that are used are non-invasive and after about 20 minutes, most people become accustommed to them.
We understand that your sleep may not be as good as it usually is and so we take this into account. But the vast majority of people visiting the sleep lab do find they get a reasonable amount of sleep, despite their initial reservations.

I go to the bathroom a lot during the night. Will that be a problem?
This is no problem. The overnight staff are awake all night monitoring your study. If you need to go to the bathroom at any time during the night, simply press the call button and the technicians will come to disconnect you from the monitoring device. Disconnecting from the device is simple, taking only a couple of seconds to unplug 2 or 3 cables.

Are there any risks involved?

Sleep investigation studies are one of the safest medical procedures you can have, however in rare cases mild side effects can occur. Patients with high sensitivity to adhesives may get itching, irritation or redness on the skin where the sensors are attached. Any irritation usually lasts only a day or two. Patients with a latex allergy should inform the Night Scientist so that low allergenic nitrile or vinyl gloves can be used. Patients undergoing CPAP titration studies may get a dry mouth and nose overnight or in the morning. In rare circumstances, patients undergoing CPAP titration studies may experience some bloating or ‘gassiness’ in the morning. This is due to air being swallowed overnight (aerophagia). Symptoms generally subside within a couple of hours.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING MY SLEEP STUDY?

After arriving at the hospital’s main admissions desk, you’ll be checked in by hospital staff and shortly after, accompanied to the sleep study rooms by our friendly overnight sleep technicians and nurses.

YOUR ROOM

You will be staying in a private, airconditioned room with an ensuite, television and reading material. After you have been shown around your room, the technician will ask you to change into your nightwear.

BEING SET-UP FOR THE STUDY

The overnight technicians and sleep nurses will set you up with small sensors. The sensors attach to your skin. None of the sensors are painful and simply stick to your skin like a bandaid. The set-up takes 30-40 minutes per patient. Because the sleep technician is looking after up to 3 patients a night, your set-up may not start straight away, however we always try to have everyone in bed before their usual bed-time. During a CPAP study, the set-up remains the same and you will be fitted with a CPAP mask.

DURING THE NIGHT

Overnight, the technicians will monitor several physiological traces from a separate monitoring room. They stay awake all night and so if you require anything, all you need to do is press the call button located near your bed. If any sensors fall off during the night, the technicians are there to stick them back on. You don’t need to worry about the sensors. Simply try and sleep as you normally do.

If you do need to go to the bathroom during the night simply press the call button for the overnight technicians to disconnect you from the machine. Even with all the sensors on you it is easy to move around.

IN THE MORNING

You will be woken up by the same technicians the following morning and be discharged between 6.30am – 7.00am or after you have consulted with your sleep physician. If you need to leave earlier than this time please inform the sleep lab technicians upon arrival. You’ll be served breakfast and offered a shower before leaving the sleep centre, however, once you have been woken up and the technician has confirmed they have everything they need from you, you can leave the sleep centre at any time before 7am unless you have a consultation scheduled with your sleep physician.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MY SLEEP STUDY?

If your referring doctor has requested that you have a follow-up consult with a Sleep Physician, you will be contacted by one of the Physician’s practice staff shortly after the study to book a consult (if not already). If your referring doctor did not request a follow-up consult, the sleep study results will be sent back to your doctor within 7 days of the study. It is then up to your referring doctor and yourself to arrange an appointment. If a second sleep study is recommended, your referring doctor will need to provide you with a new referral to one of our Sleep Physicians for a consultation.

WHY SHOULD I HAVE A SLEEP STUDY?

In Australia, it’s estimated 10-20% of the adult population have a sleep disorder that requires treatment. Having a sleep study is quick and effective in determining if this could be a significant health issue for you. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is by far the most common sleep disorder seen in the sleep centre, however there are still an estimated 85-90% of sufferers not being treated. Some reasons why treating OSA is so important are:

• 80% of drug resistant hypertensive patients have OSA
• 70% of stroke patients have OSA
• 60% of poorly controlled diabetics have OSA

• 50% of clinically depressed patients have OSA
• OSA sufferers are 10 times more likely to have motor vehicle accidents

A sleep study can screen for other sleep disorders as well and can help diagnose

• Obstructive Sleep Apnoiea
• Central Sleep Apnoea
• Mixed Sleep Apnoea
• Periodic Limb Movement Disorder
• Parasomnias (like night terrors or sleep walking)
• Nocturnal Epilepsy
• Narcolepsy and Hypersomnolence

CAR PARKING INFORMATION

 Ticketless Parking System at The Wesley Hospital – For parking during your Sleep Study at The Wesley Hospital Sleep Disorders Centre:

The main entrance of the hospital is located on Chasely Street, Auchenflower. There is a two minute drop off and pick  up zone at this entrance.

You can enter the multi-storey car park from the corner of Lang Parade and Chasely Street. The car park is connected to the hospital at Level 7 (of the car park) and there is a walk of approximately 350 metres to the admissions area.

Our parking system uses licence plate recognition (no paper tickets) and you must enter your licence plate number when paying at a pay station – located on Level 7 of the car park – before exiting.

Alternatively there is metred on-street parking available on the streets surrounding the Hospital. Please be aware of parking restrictions in the streets around the hospital. Disabled parking is available at the main entrance of the hospital and in the multi-story hospital car park.

Patients staying overnight for a Sleep Study at The Wesley Hospital Sleep Disorders Centre can have their overnight parking capped at $13.50 – please advise our booking team of your car registration number prior to your admission if you wish to take advantage of this.

Visitor Parking Rates

Maximum car park height is two meters. If your vehicle is larger then alternative parking can be arranged. Discuss this with one of the admin team prior to your arrival day

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Train: Auchenflower Railway Station is on the Richlands, Rosewood and Ipswich lines coming from the city. There are elevators on each platform and ramps to the street.
Bus: (approximately a 10 minute walk) Brisbane City Council buses leave from outside the hospital on Coronation Drive. Buses to the City and Toowong stop every 10 minutes.
City Cat: (approximately a 20 minute walk) A City Cat Terminal is located opposite the Regatta Hotel on CoronationDrive. From there you will need to walk towards the City along Coronation Drive and turn left into Chasely Street.

Please check with TransLink (www.translink.com.au) for timetables.

Please note there is a steep climb from Coronation Drive to the front of the hospital on Chasely Street.

FOOD OUTLETS (see numbers on map above)

Cafés and coffee shops are available where family and friends can enjoy a meal or drink while waiting.

There are also vending machines containing drinks and snacks located adjacent to the Wesley Emergency Centre and opposite the main lifts on Level 1 and Level 3.

1.  Gown and Glove Restaurant

Located on Level 1 of the East Wing Building

Open: 7 days a week from 7.15am-7.15pm

2.  espresso@thewesley

Located adjacent to Reception and Admissions

Open: Monday-Friday from 6am-8pm

Saturday-Sunday 8am-3pm

3.  SJ’s Café

Located on the Ground Floor, Sandford Jackson Building

Open Monday-Friday from 6.30am-4pm

4.  Rose Café

Located on the Ground Floor of the Wesley Medical Centre.

Open: Monday-Friday from 6.30am-4.30pm

5. Regatta Hotel

543 Coronation Dr, Toowong

Distance 750m, walk in 9 min, see map .

6. Steamtrain Cafe

Auchenflower Train Station

6.30am to 4pm Mon – Thurs

6.30am to 9pm Friday