Sleep Disorder Diagnostic Services

All patients are referred by their physician. The first step is for the patient to complete a comprehensive sleep questionnaire, which a sleep specialist reviews. In a percentage of cases, the patient can be referred to another specialist after completing the questionnaire, without a sleep study being necessary. This is true in the cases of chronic insomnia, depression or underlying medical problems.

If a sleep disorder is suspected, a sleep study can be ordered. This involves an overnight stay in one of our comfortable outpatient rooms. During your stay, your brain waves will be recorded by our state-of-the-art EEG machine. A sleep specialist will study the report, called a polysomnogram, to see if you reached all the stages of sleep or had frequent sleep interruptions. A microphone and closed circuit television provide other clues about heavy snoring (sometimes a sign of sleep apnea) and unusual body movement. Finally, an airflow recording with oximetry monitors your breathing, noting obstructed breathing, number of partial or complete breath holds and oxygen level. An electrocardiogram monitors your heart rate and rhythm.

For More Information
Sleep assessment is provided with physician referral only. To contact the Sleep Disorders Center directly, please call 619-740-4488.

To find a Sharp-affiliated physician, search for San Diego doctors or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. To find general information about sleep disorders, visit Sleep Problems in Adult Health or read the Sleep Disorders News archive.