title: Sleep, sleep studies and sleep-disordered breathing: basic knowledge for the anesthesiologist.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a basic understanding of sleep physiology, the pathophysiology of sleep-disordered breathing and the processes applied in undertaking and assessing sleep studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It has become increasingly apparent that obstructive sleep apnoea is associated with heightened perioperative risk. Furthermore, the condition still remains under-diagnosed in patients presenting for surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review describes the physiology of sleep including sleep stages, sleep monitoring, the normal hypnogram and investigation from simple overnight pulse oximetry to full polysomnography. The pathophysiology of sleep-disordered breathing is discussed; from simple snoring through obstructive sleep apnoea to obesity hypoventilation syndrome. The relationship to metabolic syndrome is explored.Salient points in the interpretation of sleep study reports are presented.
authors: aHonorary Reader, University of Leicester bDepartment of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Sleep Disorders Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester, UK.
authors: Andrew P
authors: AP
authors: Hall
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects*