What is a Multiple Sleep Latency Test?

Your physician may request that you have a daytime multiple sleep latency test, which is often done following an overnight sleep study. The test is painless and takes about seven hours to complete. It is not a treatment but a single test that contributes to your total medical evaluation. After the request is received from your physician, you will be scheduled to come to the sleep disorders laboratory. The multiple sleep latency test will record your brain waves or EEG, heart rate or EKG, muscle activity and eye movements. These signals are recorded on a graph which is then reviewed by our Medical Director.

How do I prepare for the test?

On the day of your test, you should not drink coffee, tea, or any cola or other beverage that contains caffeine. You may eat breakfast. It will be necessary to shampoo your hair before the test, because your hair and scalp should be clean and free of oil and hair spray.

What can I expect during the test?

When you go for your test, the technologist may give you a questionnaire to be completed and then will begin applying the electrodes. These are small metal discs that are applied with tape or a liquid, dried with a stream of air to the scalp, around the eyes, under the chin, and on the shoulders. After the test, these discs will be removed with another liquid. After the electrodes are applied, the technologist will ask you to lie down in a bed that is in a private room. Before the recording begins, the technologist will make several requests. You may be asked to look only with your eyes to the left, or look to the right, or swallow. When these are completed, the technologist will turn out the light and go into another room.