Having an Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Prior to attending your appointment, please ensure the following:

• Your hair is clean and free from head lice - the test will not be done if head lice are present
• Eat your meals as normal, preferably two hours before the test
• Take any medication as normal, unless otherwise directed by your doctor
• Bring a written list of any medication that you may be taking.

Please take a seat when you arrive, the technician will know you are coming and will be with you as soon as possible.

The department has limited waiting space, so we can only accommodate the patient and one escort, or one child patient and one parent.

If you are unable to keep your appointment, please contact us at least 48 hours beforehand.

We need a quiet and peaceful atmosphere in order to get a good sleep record, so no other adults/children are permitted in the recording room.

• Mobile phones must be switched off when you are in the EEG unit
• Unaccompanied children must not be left in the waiting area

The test normally takes about an hour and you may need to be sedated.

All inpatients will be accompanied by a nurse.

Sedation EEG recordings (which are mainly applicable to children aged between eight months and three years) will take up to 2½ hours.

You may be asked to re-attend for a further test; this would be a sleep deprivation recording to provide more information.

• Please do not have anything eat after the specified time on your appointment letter
• Please ensure you stay awake during the day and on the way to hospital

The test normally takes one and a half to two hours.

Please wash your child's hair the night before the appointment and please do not apply:

• Hair oil
• Hair spray
• Gel
• Mousse
• Wax

Please do not let your child sleep in the morning before the EEG, on the journey here, or in the waiting room on arrival; this will allow us to apply the electrodes and record some wake EEG and then hopefully record drowsiness and sleep.

If children are asleep on arrival, applying the electrodes usually wakes them up and they are upset and it can be difficult to get them to sleep again.

Please bring anything you feel might be helpful, such as a favourite toy, blanket or book, bottle, etc.

If your child no longer, or rarely sleeps in the day it would be very helpful if you wake them earlier than usual on the day of the EEG, so that they are more likely to sleep in the department.

We would suggest waking them two hours earlier than usual.

You must be tired when you arrive so you fall asleep naturally.

When you go home it is important that you go to sleep for two to three hours, then get up, but go to bed early that evening to help catch up on sleep you missed the night before.

On the night before the EEG, please keep your child up four hours later than usual in the evening and wake him or her four hours earlier than usual the next morning.

It would be helpful if you could wash their hair the night before the appointment.

In any event, on the day of the test, please do not apply:

• Hair oil
• Hair spray
• Gel
• Mousse
• Wax

Please ensure your child does not fall asleep again during the morning or on the journey here.

We appreciate that this will be difficult, but your child must be tired in order that we can successfully perform the test.