Initial Office Visit

Office visits are always during the daytime only, and usually take about one hour if you complete all of the information we send out before you come in. You can also bring in any recent medical exam results, blood work, or office notes from your referring doctor to help us gain a better understanding of the sleep disorder you may have, and what type of sleep testing you need.

After your office visit, we will schedule you for the sleep study (ies) you need. See our insurance information in the Appointments section if you have insurance questions, or call your customer service # on your insurance card.

Overnight Sleep Studies

ARRIVAL and DEPARTURE:
The Sonno Sleep Center performs overnight sleep studies every night. Since we are not located within a hospital setting, there are several special considerations when making an appointment for a sleep study.

The night technicians are on duty from 8:00 PM to 7:00 AM, so before 8:00 PM you will not be able to get into the building. There are a few places within a few miles of the Sonno Sleep Center to eat dinner, and since we have no vending machines you should eat dinner prior to coming in for your study. We usually ask that you arrive between 8:00 and 8:30 PM to be checked in and assigned a bedroom.
As we often have patients on a waiting list for sleep studies, we ask that you notify us ahead of time at (915) 544-3172 if you will be here later than 8:30 so your room does not go to someone on the waiting list. We also ask that anyone relying on someone else for transportation arrange for their ride to be here by 7:00 AM to pick them up after the study.

ACCOMODATIONS:
Each bedroom is private in a home type environment. If someone needs special care, we also ask that a caregiver remain for the duration of the sleep study since there are no nurses or doctors at the center at night.

WHAT TO BRING:
Please bring any medications you are on with you, and take them on your regular schedule unless you were told previously that you should discontinue any of them. As always, if in doubt please call our office to discuss your medications.

You need to bring pajamas (preferably two-piece) since we do not allow sleeping in the nude. You should bring any personal hygiene items you will need such as:

- shaving items,
- shampoo,
- toothbrush and toothpaste,
- combs, etc.

• We also only carry small "hotel size" towels so you may want to bring your own.
• Many of our patients find it enhances their sleep to bring their own pillow to use along with ours.
• You can bring snacks and drinks with you if they are caffeine and alcohol free, and bring a book or something else to occupy you since you will not be going to bed immediately.
• We ask that you not drink any caffeine after 4 P.M. on the day of the study as this can affect your sleep architecture.

WHAT WE DO:
After you arrive at the center on the night of your sleep study, you will be checked into a bedroom and asked to change into your pajamas. Make sure you do not have any braids, weaves, hairpieces, oil, or hairspray on or the sensors will not adhere to your scalp properly.

We generally advise patients to shampoo and dry their hair before coming in. For men, if you don’t mind shaving, it will keep the technicians from having to use glue in your beard or stubble.

The technicians will be placing small dime-sized sensors on you to record your sleep, heart rate, and muscle tension. You also will have two elastic bands placed on your abdomen and chest to monitor respiratory movement, a sensor on your finger to monitor oxygen saturation, and a small sensor placed under your nose to monitor airflow. Even with the sensors on, most patients find that they have no problem getting to sleep. You can still walk around with the sensors on, and once your "hookup" is complete, you can go back to your room to relax for awhile before bed.

Bedtime is generally around 10PM as this allows you to get used to the surroundings before trying to sleep. Once the study starts, you are monitored from the computer control room by the technicians. They are there all night so if you need to get up to go to the restroom or if you need anything you can just call out and they can hear you over the intercom in your room. If you have to get up in the morning at a specific time, please let the technicians know when you arrive at the Center.
Daytime Sleep Studies

DAYTIME SLEEP STUDIES (MSLT or Multiple Sleep Latency Test)

MULTIPLE SLEEP LATENCY TEST (MSLT):
A Multiple Sleep Latency Test is required to diagnose certain sleep disorders. Most patients do not need an MSLT. These tests are done during the daytime, and are only done after you have had an all-night study. The MSLT consists of four or five short naps throughout the day at two-hour intervals. The naps are usually anywhere from 20 minutes to half an hour long, and then you must stay awake until the next nap.

Certain medications that might not disturb a nighttime study can interfere with an MSLT’s results. Please be sure that you discuss all of your medications and any other supplements you may be taking when you come in for your office visit. Please call us at (915) 533-8499 if you are unsure about instructions you were given for the MSLT or for discontinuing medications.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A MSLT:
An MSLT requires a full day to complete. Make sure you bring food with you for breakfast and lunch since we have no vending machines. Please do not bring any drinks with caffeine in them. Make sure you bring projects with you to keep you occupied during the time you are awake. You can bring in short videos to watch, or books you wish to read.

Make sure you come in with comfortable daytime clothing to wear for the MSLT, as we would like you to remain active between naps. You can ask a friend or family member to visit you throughout the day also. The test is usually done by 5- 5:30 PM, but some patients are through by 3:30 PM. We can let you know by 3:30 PM if you need to stay any longer, once we have reviewed the first four naps.
Follow Up Information

Your follow-up visit is scheduled for you after all of the appropriate testing that was ordered have been done. In some cases, this may mean you would have two separate sleep studies before you actually came in for follow-up. If you would prefer to come in right after your diagnostic study before going on with a treatment study, we will certainly schedule that for you. Simply call our office at (915) 533-8499 after your study to speak to the front desk staff and they will let you know if you need additional referrals and give you a date for the appointment.

Follow-up visits are usually one to two weeks after completion of all testing. If you have not heard from our office within a few days after our studies, please feel free to call and set up the appointment yourself. A follow-up visit is usually only about 15-30 minutes, and at that time you can discuss treatment options with Dr. Sergio Alvarez, and get a copy of your results for your own records.