Sleep disorders can take a toll on your health. It weakens the immune system and puts you at increased risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes etc. If you have difficulty sleeping, your doctor may conduct a sleep test to determine how much and how well you sleep. These tests will help your doctor identify your sleep problems and their severity.

Sleep tests are used to determine problems like narcolepsy, insomnia, sleep terrors, sleepwalking, restless legs syndrome, shift work sleep disorders and so on. Common sleep tests are- polysomnogram, Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), Multiple wake test (MWT).

A polysomnogram measures bodily functions like brain activity, heart rate, breathing rate, breathing rhythm, muscle movements, chest and belly movements and also the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood while sleeping. MSLT uses a video camera to determine the time it takes for you to sleep and record your sleep movements. MWT is a test to determine if you can stay awake at times when you are normally awake.

Sometimes, a doctor may prescribe a test called actigraphy where you have a wear a watch like device on your wrist. It will measure sleep durations and sleep movements. These tests are usually conducted in sleep labs in hospitals.