--- title: Can I take a sleep aid (or sleeping pill) before my sleep study? description: "Are you worried that you won't be able to sleep during your sleep study? Some patients ask us: is it OK to take a sleeping aid or sleeping pill before my sleep study?" image: https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hubfs/JUDY_SESSION_2_JPG-175-1.jpg --- **[![ASMS_logo_shadow_round](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ASMS_logo_shadow_round.png?width=200&name=ASMS_logo_shadow_round.png "ASMS_logo_shadow_round")](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/)** **Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc.** The Sleep Experts`®` (877) 775-3377 ## Sleep Better, Live Better Blog ### *We believe that education is the first step to finding better sleep. Our articles educate people on sleep news, sleep disorders, and sleep care to help them achieve better health and live better lives. * *Thanks for joining the conversation.* ## [Can I take a sleep aid (or sleeping pill) before my sleep study?](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/can-i-take-a-sleep-aid-or-sleeping-pill-before-my-sleep-study) Posted by [Julia Steele Rodriguez](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/author/julia-steele-rodriguez) Find me on: [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/julia.steele818) [LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/in/juliasteele) [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/juliasteelerod) Oct 9, 2015 9:00:00 AM ![Sleeping soundly during in-center sleep study](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hubfs/JUDY_SESSION_2_JPG-175-1.jpg "Sleeping soundly during in-center sleep study") **Are you nervous about your upcoming sleep study appointment or worried that you won't be able to sleep with all of those wires or in unfamiliar surroundings? We will make you as comfortable as possible; still, some patients ask us: is it OK to take a sleeping aid or sleeping pill before my sleep study? ** Our goal is to watch you sleep so that we can evaluate you for a sleep disorder. When a patient is unable to fall asleep during the evaluation, it precludes our ability to monitor their sleeping patterns. It is common for some patients to take sleeping pills to help achieve the goals of the study.  ---   Points to consider before taking a sleeping aid before your sleep study: ## 1. Business as usual Continue to take any prescribed medications that you usually take (unless otherwise instructed by your doctor). If you usually take a medication at night, bring it with you to the sleep center. ## 2. Tell us everything List all medication, prescribed or over-the-counter (including any sleep aids), that you have taken, on your medication list in your [intake paperwork](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/forms). ## 3. Be safe We don’t know what effect the sleep aid may have on you, so please arrange for safe transportation home from the sleep center in the morning. ## 4. Why are you coming in for the sleep study? Generally, sleep aids have little or no effect on the diagnosis’s made from your sleep study data, but the reasons for having the sleep study need to be considered. If you are having the sleep study to evaluate sleep disordered breathing, like [obstructive sleep apnea](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/what-is-sleep-apnea), the sleep aid shouldn’t have any effect on your normal breathing patterns. Sleep aids may change your sleep architecture like reducing the latency to sleep onset, altering the depth of sleep, changing the percentage of time spent in some sleep stages and increasing your total sleep time or sleep efficiency which could impact your diagnosis for other [sleep disorders](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/sleep-disorders) like [insomnia](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/insomnia-causes-symptoms-treatment). --- In conclusion, it's best to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns. Most importantly, please make sure that you include the sleep aid, if you decide to take it, on your medications list. If you haven't already scheduled your sleep study because you are nervous about falling asleep in the sleep center, [contact us today](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/contact)! We'll answer all of your questions and make you as comfortable as possible in the sleep center. Sleep well! 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Corporate Office 17835 Ventura Blvd. Suite 300 Encino, CA 91316 Phone (877) 775-3377 Fax (877) 855-6227  [info@sleepdr.com](mailto:info@sleepdr.com) ## **Top Links:** [Frequently asked questions (FAQs) ](http://www.sleepdr.com/frequently-asked-questions)[Download Service Request Form (Rx) ](http://www.sleepdr.com/service_request_form)[Request medical records ](http://www.sleepdr.com/request-medical-records)[See a complete list of locations ](http://www.sleepdr.com/locations)[Schedule an appointment ](http://www.sleepdr.com/schedule)[Sleep Better, Live Better Blog ](http://www.sleepdr.com/sleepbetterblog)[Contact us](http://www.sleepdr.com/contact) **About Us:** Our mission is to empower sufferers of sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, to lead more fulfilling lives by improving their sleep. We believe that by caring for and educating our patients and diagnosing and treating their sleep disorders we can help them achieve better health. With 20 locations across California, we are the leading provider of in-center and in-home (HST) sleep studies, PAP therapeutic devices, and replacement PAP supplies. We are contracted with more than 300 medical groups and commercial health plans. We partner with independent physicians who are at the forefront of the field of sleep medicine and together we provide high-quality, affordable, result-oriented and patient-centric diagnostic and therapeutic sleep medicine services. We strive to make all our interactions with patients, referring physicians, coworkers, and others courteous, caring and professional and we consider each interaction with our patients as an opportunity to live up to our commitment to the highest standards of patient care.  ### Subscribe to our blog: [![Twitter link](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hubfs/twitter-865437-edited.png "Twitter link")](https://twitter.com/mysleepdr)[![Facebook link](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hubfs/facebook-square-750598-edited.png "Facebook link")](https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedSleepMedicine)[![LinkedIn link](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hubfs/linkedin-815276-edited.png "LinkedIn link")](https://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-sleep-medicine-services-inc) ## Original photos by Francisco Crow [www.fc-images.net](http://www.fc-images.net) All rights reserved. Our administrative offices AND sleep centers will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2016 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.