54 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Spring 2006

Polysomnographic 

technologist

You’re a what?

by Kathleen Green

Kathleen Green is the editor of the OOQ, (202) 691-5717.

I

f you’re sleepless in Savannah, Debbie Barreto can 

help figure out why. 

“We make our living by watching people sleep,” 

says Debbie, a polysomnographic technologist in Savannah, Georgia. Polysomnographic technologists monitor 

the activity of adults and children in sleep laboratories. 

They observe patients, collect data, and take notes during 

a sleep study. Then, they summarize the information for 

a sleep physician, who makes a diagnosis and recommends treatment.

The results of a polysomnographic technologist’s effort are likely to be welcome news. Usually, people seek 

evaluation in a sleep lab because they have trouble going 

to sleep, staying asleep after they go to bed, or staying 

alert when they are awake. 

Sleep studies identify which, if any, of about 100 

sleep disorders a person has. “It’s one thing to know 

you have sleep apnea,” says Debbie, referring to a common disorder. “It’s another thing to see hard numbers 

that reveal an overworked heart, stressed repeatedly by 

low oxygen levels caused by repetitive collapse of your 

airway during sleep.” Those details can lead to the right 

treatment and, ultimately, to better sleep.

Before patients make an appointment for a sleep 

study, they complete a questionnaire about their sleep 

habits. This information helps the polysomnographic 

technologist and sleep physician determine what kind of 

study to conduct. 

When a patient arrives at the sleep lab, a technologist such as Debbie gathers routine medical information 

and explains the testing process. The patient is then taken 

to the room designated for his or her sleep study. At a 

minimum, this room contains a bed; video surveillance 

equipment, which allows the technologist to observe the 

sleeping patient; and electronic monitoring equipment, 

which collects data on the patient’s brain waves, heart 

rate, muscle activity, and other body functions during 

sleep. 

The patient prepares for bed while Debbie calibrates 

the equipment. Then, using a special adhesive, Debbie 

applies sensors to the patient’s scalp, face, chest, abdomen, and legs. These sensors, which connect to the 

monitoring equipment in the room, have ample wiring to 

permit normal movement during sleep.

Debbie’s monitoring tasks begin as soon as the 

patient gets into bed. Throughout the study, she tracks as 

many as 24 channels of electronic data from a separate 

observation room; at the same time, she observes the 

patient for movements, such as changing positions, and 

other sleep occurrences. 

Debbie also takes meticulous notes to document 

corresponding routine occurrences, such as stages of 

sleep. “The primary goal in a sleep study is to collect 

accurate data,” says Debbie. “But the technologist’s input 

of what happens during sleep is very important.” 

Polysomnographic technologists are a patient’s 

primary contact throughout a study. Except on rare occasions when a patient may need emergency intervention, 

however, the technologist remains in the observation 

room. Ideally, a patient’s sleep during the study should 

mimic his or her typical slumber as closely as possible. 

When a patient awakens at the end of the study, Debbie removes the patient’s sensors. She answers any questions that the patient may have—apart from conclusions 

of the study, which have not yet been determined. 

After the patient leaves, the analysis begins. The 

analysis involves reviewing all records from the study and 

scoring the results. Scoring is a method of tallying points 
Spring 2006 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 55

that are assigned to different sleep occurrences, such as 

snoring, to look for patterns, similarities, or anomalies. 

It’s no small undertaking: A single study of one patient 

can yield more than 1,000 pages of records, with each 

page representing 30 seconds of sleep. 

After a study is scored, the technologist sends the 

report to a sleep physician for interpretation, diagnosis, 

and suggested treatment. Technologists often assist 

patients in understanding and adjusting to the recommended treatment.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not collect 

employment or earnings data on polysomnographic technologists. However, the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) estimates that there are 

more than 7,000 registered technologists internationally. 

And the Association of Polysomnographic Technologists 

(APT), in a 2003 survey, found that polysomnographic 

technologists had biweekly earnings averaging $1,719, 

with registered technologists earning slightly more than 

their noncredentialed counterparts.

BRPT registration, which requires technologists to 

pass an exam and meet other conditions, is often preferred by sleep-lab employers. But applicants for this 

credential must first become polysomnographic technologists. They do this by completing an associate-degree 

program with an emphasis in polysomnography, completing a polysomnography program accredited by the APT, 

or gaining equivalent proficiency in another healthcarerelated occupation and then cross-training in polysomnography.

Polysomnographic technologist training requires 

classes in computer science; physical and life sciences, 

such as chemistry, anatomy, and physiology; and mathematics, including algebra, trigonometry, and statistics. 

Debbie, who has taught courses for BRPT test preparation, says math is one area in which many students are 

lacking. “Most of the people who are sitting for the exam 

a second time are taking it again because they failed basic 

math,” she says. “You’ve got to be able to know when the 

computer’s wrong.”

Debbie also recommends that polysomnographic 

technologists have training in a variety of other subjects. 

In fact, she says, “I can’t think of a single class I took that 

I don’t use.” Courses such as speech and interpersonal 

communication are good preparation for interacting with 

the public. 

Polysomnographic technologists must enjoy working with people. They should also be prepared to work at 

night. Sometimes, such as when a shorter sleep study is 

required or when a patient’s night job requires daytime 

sleep, studies are done during the day. But because most 

people sleep at night, most sleep studies take place at 

night.

The duties of night technologists differ from those of 

others, like Debbie, who work during the day. “As with 

most healthcare professions,” she says, “part of what we 

do is dictated by when we work.” Debbie spends more 

time on sleep-study analysis and scoring, for example, 

than on observing patients, collecting data, and taking 

notes. 

What technologists do is also affected by how skilled 

they are. Debbie’s 20-plus years of polysomnography experience qualify her to serve as a team leader, a role that 

involves additional administrative tasks in overseeing the 

4-bed sleep lab in which she works. Some technologists 

apply their knowledge to related opportunities in marketing, advocacy, and product sales. And some, like Debbie, 

are also involved in research, patient and professional 

education, and community outreach projects.

But at the end of the day, it’s the study of sleep that 

most interests Debbie. “Every time you do a sleep study, 

you see something different,” she says. “Looking at the 

data, finding those gems of differentiation to share with 

the doctor—that’s rewarding.” 

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