Snoring may be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder. A full overnight sleep study tells you what happens during sleep, so your treatment is aimed at the real cause.
Many sleep problems look alike from the outside. Loud snoring, restless nights, waking up feeling unrefreshed and dragging through the day can come from very different causes. Some are related to breathing problems, while others involve brain activity, abnormal movements or disturbances in normal sleep patterns. Getting the diagnosis right is what makes treatment work.
At BIMC Hospital Nusa Dua, we offer the Full Overnight Sleep Study, also known as Polysomnography (PSG). It is a comprehensive overnight examination that monitors brain activity, breathing, heart function and body movements to provide a detailed understanding of your sleep.
What Makes a Full Overnight Sleep Study Different
Simpler screening tests mostly track breathing and oxygen levels. A Full Overnight Sleep Study provides a more comprehensive assessment by recording several body functions simultaneously throughout the night. What is recorded, and why it matters:
- Brain activity — shows when you are truly asleep and which sleep stage you are in, so the doctor can measure your real sleep quality.
- Eye movements — identify dream (REM) sleep, the stage where many breathing and behaviour problems appear.
- Muscle and body movements — pick up repeated leg or body jerks and unusual behaviour such as acting out dreams.
- Breathing — detects pauses and shallow breathing, and helps separate obstructive from central sleep apnea.
- Oxygen level — shows how much your body is affected each time breathing falters.
- Heart rate and rhythm — reveal how sleep problems put strain on your heart.
Four Ways a Full Overnight Sleep Study Can Reveal More
- It separates conditions that look the same. Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the airway closes. Central sleep apnea happens when the brain does not send the signal to breathe. They can feel identical to the patient, but they are treated differently. Because PSG records brain activity alongside breathing, it helps the neurologist tell them apart.
- It investigates problems beyond breathing. Repeated leg movements, sleepwalking, acting out dreams and other complex sleep disorders do not show up on a breathing-only test. PSG captures them on the same night.
- It measures how you actually sleep. Brain and eye recordings show your sleep stages and sleep quality, not just how long you were in bed. This explains why some people sleep “all night” but still wake exhausted.
- It provides more information when simpler tests are inconclusive. If a home sleep apnea test (HSAT) is normal, unclear or did not record well, but symptoms still point to a problem, a PSG study can settle the question and avoid more guesswork.
Read by a neurologist
Sleep is controlled by the brain. At BIMC Hospital Nusa Dua your Full Overnight Sleep Study is part of a package that starts with a neurologist consultation and assessment, and your results are analysed by the doctor. With your brain activity, sleep stages and breathing in one recording, the neurologist can give an accurate diagnosis and recommend the right treatment.
What to expect on the night
- Evening: you check in to our hospital sleep room. A trained sleep technician places small, painless sensors on your head, face, chest and legs.
- Overnight: you sleep as normally as you can while the sensors record your brain, eyes, muscles, breathing, oxygen and heart.
- Morning: the sensors are removed and breakfast is served. You can go about your day.
- Results: the doctor analyses the data and you receive a full sleep study report with medical recommendations.
What the package includes
- Neurologist consultation and assessment
- One-night hospital stay for the sleep study, including breakfast
- Full sleep study (Polysomnography)
- Analysis of the sleep study data by the doctor
- Full sleep study report with medical recommendations
Is it right for you?
A Full Overnight Sleep Study may be recommended if you experience loud and habitual snoring, witnessed breathing pauses or choking during sleep, persistent daytime fatigue or excessive sleepiness, frequent nighttime awakenings or unexplained sleep disturbances, or unusual movements or behaviours during sleep. Not everyone requires a full overnight examination. Our doctor will first assess your symptoms and medical history to decide which sleep study is most appropriate.
Ready to find out what is disturbing your sleep?
Email our Concierge team at concierge@bimcbali.com to book a consultation with our neurologist or to ask which sleep study suits you. We will help you arrange everything, from your first assessment to your results.
This article is general information and does not replace a medical consultation.