Ever wake up feeling like you never slept?
Many people suffer from sleep disorders. Sleep techs, also known as polysomnographic [poly-som-no-graphic] technologists, run tests to help you figure out what might be wrong.
What Does A Sleep Tech Do?
Sleep techs are medical professionals who perform a variety of tasks on the job:
dealing with other people like greeting them and explaining procedures
putting sensors on people (yep, from head to legs)
running tests and watching the data on a monitor to make sure sensors work
recording information based on what people tell you about their sleeping habits plus noting test results
scoring sleep studies involving different parts of sleep that you'll need to know
Listen to Jonathon talk about his day as a sleep tech.
Sleep Tech Jobs
Sleep techs work in a sleep lab located in either a hospital or clinic.
A sleep tech job may be a perfect fit if you're a night owl since most positions might require you to work overnight shifts to start. There are also plenty of sleep labs that run tests during the day if you ever want to switch to day shifts.
The average salary for a registered sleep tech is $51,164 USD/year or about $25/hr with the top 10% of sleep techs earning over $64,000/yr.
How Do I Become A Sleep Tech?
Depending on your state and/or possible employer requirements, you could become a sleep tech by finishing a college program or learning on the job.
Each state has its own requirements, which might be:
an associate's degree, which may include getting a high school diploma/GED, Basic Life Support card, and a drug screen first
experience working in a sleep lab
a specific certification to earn the title "registered sleep tech" (check out www.brpt.org and www.aasm.org for more information)
Quiz
Alex is looking for a job that has some flexibility and doesn't require a lot of school. Why would being a sleep tech be a good job for Alex?
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