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Sleep studies are usually conducted by trained sleep lab technicians during late evening and early morning hours. Patients are typically instructed to  arrive a few hours early to prepare for the study. Patients may be asked to fill out a questionnaire about their sleep patterns, including the amount and quality of sleep experienced during the previous night.

After changing into night clothes, patients settle into bed in a private room similar to a hotel room. Electrodes are usually placed on the scalp, sides of the head and under the chin, chest and legs. A sensor is typically placed under the nose and mouth and belts are placed around the chest and abdomen. A clip is placed on the finger. These devices record physiological activity. Most people have no problem falling asleep or staying asleep with the monitoring sensors in place. Technicians located in another room collect data and observe sleep with a television monitor.

Patients may be asked to perform certain tasks after the sensors have been placed on the body to determine whether they are working properly. The lights will be turned off and the patient falls asleep.

With some patients, a split-night test is conducted. Half of the night is used to diagnose the sleep disorder and the other half is used to treat it. This occurs most commonly in cases of sleep apnea.

The following morning, patients may be asked to fill out a questionnaire describing the sleep experience the previous night.

After the results of the sleep study are collected, they are sent to the physician or other health professional who referred the patient to the sleep center. Physicians may diagnose a sleep disorder based on the results of the study.

Sleep disorders are often diagnosed after a single visit to a sleep center. However, some patients may have to return to the sleep center for additional testing. For instance, recent research shows that a negative test for sleep disordered breathing in children may have to be repeated in order to rule out a problem definitively. Additionally, many patients become more comfortable with the testing equipment and procedures employed during subsequent visits to the sleep center. This results in more natural sleep and more accurate study results.