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NBRC SDS study materials
NBRC SDS study resources

NBRC SDS study guide

NBRC SDS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

The Sleep Disorders Specialty (SDS) Examination is an NBRC specialty credentialing exam that objectively measures the knowledge and skills of respiratory therapists who perform sleep disorders testing and therapeutic intervention. It goes beyond general respiratory care to focus on competencies unique to diagnosing and treating sleep disorders, and earning the CRT-SDS or RRT-SDS badge signals specialized skill to employers, colleagues, and patients. It is intended for respiratory care professionals who already hold the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) or Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential and who have experience or education in sleep medicine. Admission requires one of three routes: a CoARC-accredited respiratory therapist education program that includes a sleep add-on track, CRT status for at least six months before applying, or RRT status for at least three months before applying. The exam contains 180 multiple-choice items, of which 160 are scored and 20 are pretest, and candidates are given four hours to complete it. Candidates should expect polygraphic tracings based on both old and new recording guidelines, and items on scoring of sleep results follow the AASM Manual for Sleep Scoring. Topics on this exam: Sleep-focused testing and therapeutic intervention performed by respiratory therapists (detailed content outline not enumerated in source). The NBRC SDS study guide has 1 section and about 438 words.

01

Sleep-Focused Testing and Therapeutic Intervention Performed by Respiratory Therapists

This domain covers the therapist's hands-on role in sleep medicine: preparing and monitoring polysomnography, applying AASM-aligned scoring logic to the data you generate, and titrating PAP, oxygen, and noninvasive ventilation overnight. Questions are practical - they ask what you would set, change, or document at 02:00, not how to diagnose narcolepsy from scratch. Event definitions: apnea is ≥90% airflow reduction for ≥10 s. Hypopnea is ≥30% reduction for ≥10 s ending in a ≥3% desaturation or an arousal (many labs also score the 4%-desaturation variant).

438 words, about 2 min

More study resources for NBRC SDS

  • Practice questionsA patient is scheduled for a diagnostic polysomnogram.
  • FlashcardsPolysomnography EEG derivations. Standard PSG uses frontal (F4-M1), central (C4-M1), and occipital (O2-M1) derivations so slow waves, sleep spindles, and alpha rhythm can be distinguished across regions.
  • Cheat sheetPolysomnography (PSG) montage: EEG (F4-M1, C4-M1, O2-M1), EOG (E1-M2, E2-M2), chin EMG, ECG, airflow (thermistor for apnea, nasal pressure for hypopnea), respiratory effort (thoracic/abdominal belts or RIP), SpO2, body position, and snore microphone.
  • Key termsPolysomnography (PSG). A comprehensive overnight recording of sleep that combines EEG, EOG, chin EMG, airflow, respiratory effort, oximetry, ECG, and body position to stage sleep and identify respiratory and other sleep disorders.
  • Study planMap the full SDS exam content outline into a personal topic checklist covering sleep-focused testing and therapeutic intervention performed by respiratory therapists.
  • Common mistakesCandidates memorize numeric thresholds in isolation and then apply a diagnostic target to a titration night (or vice versa), because the exam deliberately presents similar patient vignettes under both study types.
  • Exam-day guideBring the exact form of identification the testing provider requires for admission.