How to Interpret the Results of A Clinical Polysomnogram

Heightened public awareness of sleep disorders has significantly increased the demand for sleep studies. There is ever increasing number of sleep studies being done and report of the results are shared by the sleep specialists and the primary care physicians. Understanding the information discussed in the overnight sleep study report is crucial as it provides significant insight into the sleep pathophysiology in relation to patient symptoms. The purpose of this article is to provide a simple and easy method to interpret the reported results of polysomnography for the physicians and other health care providers. This will facilitate better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of the sleep disorder and appropriate management of patients.