Sleep Study...anyone ever done one?

[Tigger&Belle]

My neurologist wants me to do a sleep study because of my chronic migraines. Lack of sleep can contribute to them (and caffeine, which I no longer drink). I don't know how in the world I would sleep in a lab, though. If anyone has gone through this I'd love to hear what it was like.

 

[hiwaygal]

Hi Tig!

I've had two...one to see if there were any problems and the second to get me started on my machine.

They're not bad. No pain involved at all, just a little uncomfortable sleeping with a bunch of wires attached to you.

I started a thread on the C&C board: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1275439

There might be some general information there.

 

[JR6ooo4]

It is not like trying to sleep in a hospital room because you need upcoming surgery, etc...

So it is more like a noisy hotel room with bad cable and some wires.

DW was tested for sleep apnea (sp). She asked if she was waking herself up during the night with her own snoring. They said "yes, like 8 times"
she said "oh, 8 times a night huh?"

"No 8 times an hour!"

Like I said it is a very unintrusive procedure. The worst part is not being in your own bed for a nights sleep.

MIkeeee

 

[LukenDC]

I had a sleep study two weeks ago. I went to a sleep study center and arrived at 9:00 PM. The technician took me into a private room and attached electrodes to my head, chest, and legs. The electrodes were taped to my chest and legs and placed on my head with a thick goop. I also had a small clip-on blood oxygen monitor on my finger. I then got into bed.

The room was outfitted with a camera and loudspeaker. The technician returned to his office and then spoke to me through the loudspeaker. I had to move my legs, eyes, and facial muscles in order to calibrate the monitoring equipment. Afterward I tried to go to sleep.

Even though I arrived at the sleep center tired, it was tough to fall asleep. When I did doze off, I often awoke with a start. There was a lot of noise in the hallways and other rooms (each room had a TV that patients could watch). Sometimes I would fall asleep and the technician's voice would come over the loudspeaker instructing me to rollover.

At 5:00 AM, the technician woke me up and the study ended. After he detatched the wires, I went into the bathroom and tried to remove as much of the goop on my hair/scalp as I could. I then went home, showered, and slept soundly from 6:00 AM to noon.

 

[hiwaygal]

LukenDC that's pretty much how my first one went too!

Except I elected to just drive home with the goop and electrodes still on. I felt like the Bride of Frankenstein

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Thanks!

See, that's just it...I wouldn't sleep with the hallway noise, etc. Do they serve mixed drinks? Should I bring my secret supply of xanax?

 

[lovemygoofy]

My sleep study wouldn't give me anything to help me relax and sleep but apparently others have been given things to help.

I HATED my sleep study. I hated the goop in my hair with the plug ins. I hated not being able to roll over; I sleep on my right side and being hooked up to talk to NASA I could barely move.

I would doze then snap awake. Finally I slept for a few hours continiously but I think I always knew where I was.

Apparently I dont snore, but my brain doesn't turn off enough to go through the sleep process. What the heck do you expect being so tied up like a turkey?

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I've had 4 of them I think. The first one was a little odd. After that they're ok. In all of mine the tech watches you on the screen all night and your room is miked so I just talked out loud if I needed anything. They're in no way painful. Just a little hard to fall asleep the first night.

I know a guy who drank a six pack before his sleep study. He told the doc he does it every night, so the doc figured if he wanted to really know what was going on, he should 'proceed as normal' for the test. Usually they tell you not to take anything.

 

[SplshMtn99]

I had a sleep study two weeks ago. I went to a sleep study center and arrived at 9:00 PM. The technician took me into a private room and attached electrodes to my head, chest, and legs. The electrodes were taped to my chest and legs and placed on my head with a thick goop. I also had a small clip-on blood oxygen monitor on my finger. I then got into bed.

The room was outfitted with a camera and loudspeaker. The technician returned to his office and then spoke to me through the loudspeaker. I had to move my legs, eyes, and facial muscles in order to calibrate the monitoring equipment. Afterward I tried to go to sleep.

Even though I arrived at the sleep center tired, it was tough to fall asleep. When I did doze off, I often awoke with a start. There was a lot of noise in the hallways and other rooms (each room had a TV that patients could watch). Sometimes I would fall asleep and the technician's voice would come over the loudspeaker instructing me to rollover.

At 5:00 AM, the technician woke me up and the study ended. After he detatched the wires, I went into the bathroom and tried to remove as much of the goop on my hair/scalp as I could. I then went home, showered, and slept soundly from 6:00 AM to noon.

I've never had one, but I imagine I would never be able to fall asleep since its not uncommon for me to be up till all hours of the morning. Also, I don't really sleep when I'm in a different bed.

No wonder they tell everyone they kept waking up. DUH!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

That's just it, Tina and Splsh, how in the world would I ever go to sleep? And then they talk to me during the night?

How about going to the bathroom during the study? I have this thing about going RIGHT before I go to sleep.

Duck, too funny about the 6 pack! That's how I am with my computer.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

How about going to the bathroom during the study? I have this thing about going RIGHT before I go to sleep.

With me, they made me walk down the hall with the five thousand wires hooked up to my skull and legs when I had to go.

Also I had to ask the red glowing light in the ceiling if I could go. That seemed to be where the camera that was watching my every movement and mic was.

 

[chager]

I just did one a couple weeks ago. You can't have any caffiene or naps the day of the study. They hook you up to the electrodes wires which are attched to a liitle box. If you have to go to the restroom they just unhook the box from its hook up and you carry it to the restroom. Apparently I was lucky when I did mine. It was really too quite. I was in room without windows. I think I got that room because I had to stay for nap study the next day. Apnea is not my problem so the only time I was woke up was when the tech had to reattach the wire to my leg. Apparently I have a form of narcolepsy! I was in REM within 4 mins of falling asleep but according to the maching I woke several times. I don't remember waking up, but evidently I did. I woke up at 6:30 ate breakfast and then did naps at 8,10,12, and 2. No problem there either!! At the 8am one I was asleep in 6 mins and by the 2 pm one I fell asleep in less then a minute!! Overall it wasn't a bad experiance. They did have a really really small shower that I cleaned up in before going home.
Good luck!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Duck, you'd better be so joking about the red light!

chager, what an ordeal for you!

 

[goofyforlife]

Thanks!

See, that's just it...I wouldn't sleep with the hallway noise, etc. Do they serve mixed drinks? Should I bring my secret supply of xanax?

Hi T&B.....

I've done 2 studies so far. I call them my no-sleep studies. The 1st one i hated. I was the last one hooked up that night (around 11:30 ish) I did fall asleep a couple times but the walls were paper thin. I could hear the guy snoring in the next room even!!! Well that and the cell phones that kept ringing (i swore it was the technicians) Then around 2 am the technicians hated up their "lunches" in the break room next to my room and the smell was bad and you could hear them using the microwave.

Of course they found mild apnea then but were too lazy to test me that night so i had to go back for a CPAP sleep test.

THe second night was at a different center. Even more disturbing. I think my results showed that i barely slept 2 hrs the whole night.

My symptoms have since cleared up due to my weight loss but i am supposed to go for a final test.

No!!!!!!!!!!! Don't make me.... Actually the neurologist gave me an Ambien sample to take ahead of time.

 

[DISUNC]

I have a PHD & Masters in Sleep Studies!

No ONE studies Sleep more than me!

 

[Conservative Hippie]

My little brother did a sleep study last month. It was in a Marriott, but he said it was impossible to get comfortable enough to sleep with all the wires.

 

[holycow]

how do you make an appointment?

My DS is concerned. He talks during his sleep and is worried about having roommates throwing him out in the middle of the night!


My DH and DS went away for the week and during the night my DS yells at my DH....Hey get out of my Tent! (he went camping the week before)


any help will be appreciated.

 

[LukenDC]

Duck, you'd better be so joking about the red light!

I, too, had to address the red glowing lights when I was speaking.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

My sleep study was awful. I was not allowed to read to fall asleep, or put on the TV (which is how I fall asleep). I was told I HAD to sleep on my back - I never sleep on my back, I cannot sleep on my back. The tech wouldn't allow me my body pillow because it would most likely disconnect the wires - well, that's how I sleep; half on my stomach, half on my side, curled around my body pillow. She said no, you can only sleep on your back. I also informed her that I most likely would need to get up several times to use the bathroom, due to prior surgeries, and she said absolutely not, once you're hooked up, there's no getting up. She mashed the electrode tips so hard into my scalp that I bled, I had bruises, and clumps of hair came out with the glue. I won't even mention how hot it was in that room.

The results said that I suffered from insomnia. Gee, I wonder why...I was sweating, had a throbbing headache and backache, and a full bladder. Who can sleep like that?

 

[LukenDC]

My sleep study was awful. I was not allowed to read to fall asleep, or put on the TV (which is how I fall asleep). I was told I HAD to sleep on my back - I never sleep on my back, I cannot sleep on my back. The tech wouldn't allow me my body pillow because it would most likely disconnect the wires - well, that's how I sleep; half on my stomach, half on my side, curled around my body pillow. She said no, you can only sleep on your back. I also informed her that I most likely would need to get up several times to use the bathroom, due to prior surgeries, and she said absolutely not, once you're hooked up, there's no getting up. She mashed the electrode tips so hard into my scalp that I bled, I had bruises, and clumps of hair came out with the glue. I won't even mention how hot it was in that room.

The results said that I suffered from insomnia. Gee, I wonder why...I was sweating, had a throbbing headache and backache, and a full bladder. Who can sleep like that?

Yikes! Did Nurse Ratched conduct your sleep study?