OT anyone done a sleep study

I've done it twice. It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. You really do forget about someone watching you sleep, but having the wires is a bit of a pain in the neck....or hair! I actually thought their bed was more comfortable than the one I have here at home! Good luck with it and let us know how things work out. Feel free to ask if you have other questions. Several of us in this group have done it.

Hi Anne:

That's interesting, I assumed they wouldn't give you anything so as to allow "normal" sleep, that is one of the things I've been concerned about, not being able to get to sleep at all, it can take me 4hrs to get off to sleep.

Anne

I just went through this. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Went for the c pap test afterwards which to me was uncomfortable but not "forbiding":. Just ignore the camera and comfort yourself knowing you might be eliminating a very dangerous condition. Wish you well and most of all wish you a good night's sleep. BTW thanks to all who advised me here.

Hi Anne -

At the ripe "old" age of 37 I've had about 4 (maybe 5?) sleep tests done. It's a little weird to be hooked up to the wires, but I found that it was more difficult to turn my mind off in order to actually fall asleep. It took a while, but it really doesn't take much sleep time for them to figure out what the issue is. I only got one full REM cycle this last time, but they were able to determine that I needed to "up" my pressure because it wasn't enough. I don't think they ever expect you to sleep like you do at home. I have never had any meds to help me sleep, I don't think that's a normal thing. Good luck with your study and just try to relax and let the test happen. No sense worrying about it because then you might not fall asleep at all. I also tried to use some meditation/relaxing techniques...that might help to fall asleep. As far as someone watching you all night....I think you'll be wondering how not to get tied up in the wires and actually fall asleep and won't give the camera/watching another thought. And it's not like they ask you to sleep in the nude - now THAT would be scary!! Wear nice, comfortable sleeping clothes so that you're not worrying about that either.

Good luck!!! Sue in Ithaca

For my sleep study, I had sensors stuck to my tummy, chest and inside of my knees, and the wires all lead to a little box which was strapped just under my boobs. This also contained a tape recorder. No camera's, no technicians watching me, and I was in a single room all by myself with a lock on the door (and a private bathroom all to myself). There was also a blood monitor thingy strapped to my finger which glowed red all night

- I felt like ET!

The next morning I had to fill in a questionnaire (after removing all the sensor thingies) and I put that I thought I'd had a really bad nights sleep. I hadn't been given anything to help me sleep, and it felt like I had laid awake for ages. However the consultant said they'd got a lot of data which confirmed I had moderate sleep apnoea.

The worst bit was when i turned over and ripped one of the sensors off the inside of my knee - they probably heard the scream several miles away...

Suzie B

Had it done twice. Had a fella and a gal monitors both times. They said you would NOT believe some of the things that ppl do at night and taking your pjs off is the mildest. Kinda hard to do with 2 straps around you to monitor heart rate, etc, but ppl do do it and not remember a thing in the AM. IF they are professional they will not tell you what all you do do UNLESS it is harmful (Sleep walking and cooking at night for example.) That is your drs job--as I was informed. Told I had very mild sleep apnea (wonder if we all don't to some extent as we age OR in my case from some meds that I now no longer take--and yes, I sleep much better and for longer periods of time.) I got bad migraines from the plastic air tubes so that was that.

Butterfly

We've just had a TV series on sleep problems - they filmed the before and afters. Some were bizarre - a lady whose voice box did not shut down as it should, and she made a high pitched squealing noise all night, and a man who fought with imaginary beings and had broken his ribs leaping around his bedroom, etc. were the most memorable. Most they managed to cure, but the squealing lady was one they couldn't help. They said she moved to a larger house so her husband could have his own room.

DH and his sister are going on a birdwatching expedition in September, and will be living in primitive conditions for a week. (I have more sense - I am staying at home with my cats, my quilting and my comfy bed!) Unfortunately DSisIL snores loudly all night - when she comes to stay is the only time we shut our bedroom door properly. I suspect DH will have little sleep that week.

I had the last sleep study two weeks ago and found out today from the folks who are to come out with my "new" bpap that I will also require a certain amount of oxygen along with my other air. I have never heard of this before. Has anyone here had that problem? They are changing me from a cpap to a bpap also.

Hi There, I'm a member of this group. I'm a lurker. I read all of the posts and somehow missed this one. I'm a nurse and I also have had two sleep studies. I've been using a CPAP for over two years. The good news about the sleep study is, it doesn't hurt, it can be a bit annoying. All sorts of electrodes are taped to you. They count your breaths, all body movements are measured, your eye movements, your leg movements, it seemed like EVERYTHING was counted. They also check the oxygenation level of your blood. This would tell them if you need oxygen while you sleep. A CPAP blows air towards you and you breath normally into and out of the mask over your nose. The BiPAP has two settings one for when you're inhaling and one for when you're exhaling. It depends on what the results of your test is. The hospital I work at, does have a sleep study department but due to the health insurance that I had at the time of my study, I had my sleep studies at a Sleep Study Center that was run by my pulmonologist's office. It was in another building and the inside looked more like an apartment then a doctor's office. The bedrooms had more of a 'home' look then hospital. Although there was a video camera hanging from the ceiling as well as some other equipment used for the test. I did not feel like I slept at all but the technician said I did sleep a bit. In the end, it wasn't as bad as I anticipated but I was glad it was over. :) SandyfromNJ

I have had 3 different sleep studies Anne. There is not much to it, really. They do wire you up, head, face, legs, heart monitor and so on. That is the worst part of it. You will be in a private room, and the cameras are usually well "hidden". Depending on where and so on, you may have a TV, may not. I suggest taking a favorite pillow with you if you have one. Except for the wires it is sort of like staying at a hotel overnight. Someone may come in to check on things or fix something if is comes loose. Not a thing to worry about. Sleep study centers are usually affiliated with a hospital, even if not in the hospital proper. There will probably be others there that night, but you probably won't even see them. Take a book or something to do if you have to be there significantly before your usual bedtime. Sometimes they have sleep aids/"pills", if you need one. (If you have one of your own, take it with you to take before bed. Even if it is something you just use occasionally.)

Good luck, and if they find "something" that means that they can work on fixing it and helping you feel better.

Pati, in Phx

Anne Rogers wrote:

Thanks everyone, it's good to hear other people have been through it and felt the same way!

I think I will take all possibly medication I could desire to take, for me this means pain medication as well as sleep aids. I'm also going to take snacks with me, sometimes if I can't get to sleep, I will eventually feel hungry, which makes it even more tricky to get to sleep!

I'm a bit nervous about the bed, I have joint problems which mean the best bed for me is not a normal combination, I need a firm bed, but then a soft top on it, at home I sleep with a duvet underneath me. So I will definitely take some kind of soft thing with me and my v-shaped pillow.

Anne