POLYSOMNOGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGIST

Polysomnographic technologists specialize in caring for patients with sleep-related issues. Their roles and responsibilities can vary between work environments, and they may undergo different training and education, depending on the institutions they attend.

Sleep techs may supervise trainees and technicians who help perform sleep studies. Their job may require a range of duties, including:

• Taking care of the specialized sleep monitoring equipment and keeping it calibrated.
• Explaining procedures to patients before and after the study and answering questions.
• Connecting sensors on patients before the study and removing them afterward.
• Recording and monitoring the information from the machines while the patient is sleeping.
• Taking observation notes about the patient as they sleep.
• Analyzing and scoring the sleep study and sending it to a sleep doctor to interpret data and suggest treatments.
• Helping patients understand how to implement recommended treatment plans.

A polysomnographic technologist may help physicians and other health care professionals conduct more specialized sleep studies, including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration and bi-level PAP (BiPAP) studies. A CPAP study helps determine the optimal airflow rate for treating patients with sleep-related breathing disorders (2). Patients who are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, for instance, may undergo CPAP studies to find the most suitable treatment options.

Providers might also recommend treatment with BiPAP equipment if CPAP treatment isn't optimal. With BiPAP studies, sleep technologists observe and determine if BiPAP machines would be more appropriate for unique patient treatments. Sleep techs may also work in pediatrics and perform sleep studies for children. In pediatric sleep studies, technologists use the same equipment as they do for adult patients but may complete additional training to specialize in this area (3)..