General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.
If you feel sleepy while driving or operating a tool, stop the activity to protect yourself and others. A planned test does not replace this immediate precaution.
The maintenance of wakefulness test measures the ability to stay awake in conditions that favour sleep. It may help assess treatment effects in a person followed for a sleep disorder with excessive sleepiness.
This differs from multiple sleep latency tests: those measure the tendency to fall asleep during naps and look for certain signs of REM sleep. Ask the team which study has been prescribed for you.
At the HCL sleep centre, the test is generally preceded by a night of polysomnography. Sensors help detect any sleep during several test periods spread throughout the day.
Before the appointment, clarify instructions about sleep, medicines and any sleep apnoea treatment. The team may use a sleep diary or actigraphy to check sleep patterns; do not change your treatment yourself.
The sleep doctor should explain the result in context. If it is relevant to driving or a safety-sensitive job, ask which authorised professional will receive it and how the decision will be made.
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