What Is the Multiple Sleep Latency Test All About?

Due
to the innumerable stress and tension of contemporary life as well as the
distraction offered by gadgets like television and mobile phones, getting
adequate and good quality sleep has become a big concern all over the world. Of
course, certain ailments can also lead to a lack of adequate sleep or even
excessive daytime sleep. To deal with these problems, doctors and sleep
scientists have designed several tests to help them to diagnose properly the
reasons for sleep disorders so that they can suggest the most effective
therapy. One popular test is the MSLT for excessive sleepiness during the
daytime.

Typical
Patient Profile for MSLT

People,
who generally tend to feel sleepy during the daytime without any particular
reason or find them sleepy in surroundings where the rest of the people are
awake and alert, are good candidates for undergoing an MSLT. The test becomes
especially important for those who feel sleepy while engaged in critical work
that requires them to stay alert and in full control of their senses like
operating heavy machinery or driving vehicles. Suspicion of certain conditions
like idiopathic hypersomnia, which is extreme sleepiness without cause and
narcolepsy, which is excessive daytime sleepiness due to a neurologic disease
can also prompt doctors to recommend an MSLT. According to https://edition.cnn.com, daytime sleepiness in the elderly
could be an indication of Alzheimer’s. The details of the research are
available on the Multiple Sleep Latency Test | TuckSleep website.

How
Is the MSLT Conducted?

Normally
patients experiencing sleepiness during the day undergo a polysomnography
(PSG), which is an overnight test for monitoring sleep cycles and sleep stages
before undertaking the Multiple Sleep Latency Test. Typically, the
testing lasts the entire duration of the day, which includes five naps with the
gap between each being two hours. Patients falling asleep are woken up if they
have slept for 15 minutes; however, if the patient has remained awake for 20
minutes, the scheduled nap is canceled. Sensors are placed on the head and face
of the patient undergoing the test to monitor when he is awake or sleeping, as
well as his REM (rapid eye movement). It is common for audio and video recordings
to be taken of the test together with the monitoring of the patient with an
electrocardiogram (EKG), electroencephalogram (EEG), rate of breathing, level
of oxygen, and movement of the extremities.

Measuring
the Results of MSLT

Two
measurements are of critical importance in MSLT. In each of the five napping
sessions, both the time taken for the patient to fall asleep or latency and the
time taken to reach REM sleep is measured. If the mean latency recorded is
below eight minutes and the patient can achieve REM sleep in only one session,
it can indicate the probability of idiopathic hypersomnia while sub-eight
minute latency with two REM sleep naps can indicate narcolepsy.

Conclusion 

Unlike
the problems that insomniacs have, the potential hazard faced by those who feel
inordinately sleepy during the daytime when they have responsibilities that
necessitate them to stay alert is much more. The repercussions of falling
asleep on the job that requires mental alertness can be extremely dangerous. If
you are constantly feeling sleepy during the daytime, you should consult your the doctor who may recommend a PSG followed by an MSLT to find out the cause.