The maintenance wakefulness test is similar to the multiple sleep latency test, but instead of lying down in bed, the sleep technologist will ask the patient to sit in bed and to stay awake rather than sleep.
There will be five sessions to this test. Each session will last approximately 40 minutes. Patients will have a session once every two hours beginning at approximately 10:00 am. The last test should be at approximately 6:00 pm and then the patient will be free to leave around 7:00 pm.
Each private bedroom offers a television and VCR/DVD playert. Bathrooms are connected to the bedrooms for convenience and privacy.
In addition, patients are encouraged to bring their favorite reading materials or to use this time to catch up on correspondence or paperwork.
This test is often used in the transportation industry to evaluate ability to drive or fly safely.