What is a sleep study?

I'm getting very close to setting a date. I have to schedule a sleep study next. My insurance didn't require it, but Dr. Oliphant does. Can someone tell me what it is? Do you go there and spend the night, or do they somehow track it while your at home? Thanks!

You spend the night,.. they hook you up to a machine that moniters your sleeping... it's not bad.

They are checking to see if you have Sleep Apnea.  Like Kelly said, it's an overnight test. You get into your jammies and they hook you up with electrodes that monitor your breathing as you sleep and see if you stop breathing in your sleep. You can bring your own pillow and if you think you will have trouble sleeping ask your doctor for a sleeping pill - that's what I did. I had to have 2!  They aren't fun, but it's good to know if you have sleep apnea and many obese people do. Good luck.

You girls have me a bit confused. I have an appointment with a pulmonologist but it is in the morning and they didn't mention anything about overnight.. is this different than the sleep study? Would the sleep study be the secondary if my first visit didn't give good results?

You go to the pulmonologist first. He does some testing, and then schudules a sleep study. The quicker you get it done, its over with, and you can go on from there. I really didn't think I would sleep, but I did. I have sleep apena, and use a C pap machine. 

so everyone ends up having the sleep study, or is it possible to see a pulmonologist and not need a sleep study?

I had to see a pulmonologist to get a breathing test done. My surgeon wanted this done to clear me for surgery

Thanks for clarifying..I got really confused. My surgeon told me he was 99.99% sure I don't have sleep apnea but requires all patients to go in anyway.

Refer back to your post from 9/12. 

You stay overnight and I would not recommend going to work the next day because you dont get good sleep because they are constantly waking you up and you end up with a bunch of gunk in your hair from the electrodes!!