About us
The Polysomnography Program at UTB/TSC offers the only advanced certificate in sleep study in the Rio Grande Valley. The program also provides sleep center management services to hospitals and physicians.
Courses in this 15 credit hour program may also be completed as part of the UTB/TSC Respiratory Therapy, Bachelor of Applied Technology (B.A.T.) in Health Science Technology or Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (B.A.A.S.) programs.
Sleep specialists trained in polysomnography can confirm whether a patient’s sleep problems, which can cause irritability, sleepiness, headaches and other symptoms, are caused by a sleep disorder. In polysomnography, sensors applied to the patient’s body monitor how their body acts during sleep. The equipment makes records of multiple physical measurements such as brain waves, heartbeats and breathing patterns. The results of the polysomnographer’s evaluation are used by the patient’s physician as part of a careful, detailed medical evaluation to determine the source of the sleep disorder.
There are more than 85 classified sleep disorders, but some common types are:
- Insomnia
- Sleepwalking
- Sleep terrors
- Narcolepsy
- Restless legs syndrome
- Jetlag
- Periodic limb movement
Polysomnographers perform sleep examinations overnight for adults and children in a technologically advanced setting. To be successful, they must have exceptional skills and a wonderful bedside manner.