sleep lab

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Definition - What does sleep lab mean?

A sleep lab is a specialized center where sleep studies are administered to diagnose common sleep disorders. The sleep lab is usually located within a larger medical facility such as a hospital and equipped with a sleeping area, monitoring equipment, and a separate observation area for the medical professionals monitoring the patient during sleep.

In the context of workplace health and safety, studies done at an accredited sleep lab can help identify problems which may be affecting an employee's health, alertness, performance and safety at the work site.

A sleep lab is also known as a sleep center.

SureHire explains sleep lab

Many hospitals and clinics run their own sleep labs where they conduct different types of sleep studies. These observations are for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes to determine the cause of an individual's disturbed sleep patterns.

Sleep labs log sleep activity with the help of audio and visuals recordings. Most observations use a polysomnography test to diagnose sleep disorders. The test works by documenting brain waves, blood oxygen levels, breathing, and heart rate while an individual is asleep. Common disorders that are dealt with during these observations can include insomnia, sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorders and narcolepsy.

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