Sleep Study - anyone had one

[mrsstats]

MY DH complained about my snoring. Dr is sending me for sleep study. I go Tues nite at 9:30 pm. It is at the Marriott Residence Inn. Lights out by 11 pm and no TV after 11. Anyone have one done? What was it like??

 

[jennyl772003]

My Dh had one done a few years ago. First they attached all sorts of electrodes to him. Then they told him to go to sleep. You can't move around a lot or the electrodes will come loose. My Dh wasn't able to fall asleep on his own, so they eventually gave him some sleeping pills.

I had to pick him up a few hours later. My husband says it wasn't his favorite thing, but it wasn't too bad. Now he has a CPAP and he sleeps MUCH better!

 

[HayGan]

My DH just had one and he unfortunately has to go for another one. He had a real problem getting to sleep with all the wires attached. He was actually allowed to have a tv or radio on the whole night if he wanted (we usually sleep with a tv on so that did help!)

Hope everything goes well!

 

[SC Minnie]

DD had 2 when she was younger so I had to stay with her. Yes, they hook up electrodes all over-- chest and head. We had to be there about 10 and were gone by 7am (DD went to school and I to work the next morning). She slept fine but I didn't.

The results were very alarming. I was the one that recognized DD gasping for breath in her sleep but had no idea that she was stopping breathing every couple of minutes.

Sleep apnea is very serious.

 

[ohioMickey]

Sleep studies are definitely gaining popularity in pediatric medicine. We are recognizing that getting tonsils and adenoids out is not an easy procedure and comes with risks and consequences. Yet some kids really do need them out because of true sleep apnea. Since LOTS of kids snore, but are able to maintain good blood oxygenation during the snoring, normal sleep studies help these kids avoid surgery!

So what do you do if you have a loud snorer in the house whose sleep study is normal? Buy ear muffs!

 

[ShannonRT]

I had one several years ago and was diagnosed with restless leg syndrome. Apparently my legs were involuntarily moving something like 17 times an hour during sleep, therefore I wasn't getting restful sleep and was tired all the time, even though I "slept" 7 or 8 hours.

I had mine done at the hospital where I work. The electrodes were "glued" on my scalp and I had a TERRIBLE time trying to get it out. I washed it 3 times the next day and was still picking parts of it out for a couple of days.

I had a horrible time trying to sleep hooked up to all that stuff. They also put EKG leads on your chest, and I think wrists and ankles. There is also some sort of wire taped underneath your nose to measure your breathing and a pulse oximeter on one finger to measure the oxygen level of your blood. And I think I had to go to the bathroom about 4 times during the night.

It was very disconcerting just knowing that someone is sitting in another room watching you sleep. I had it done on a Friday night so I wouldn't have to work the next day. And I actually went home and took about a 3 hour nap.

 

[arminnie]

I am the queen of sleep studies. I've had about about 10 in the past dozen or so years. Mine were done at Stanford University Sleep Study program which is really the gold standard as far as sleep centers go,

I've been written up in hte Stanford Medical Journal and have done several tv interviews about it.''

I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea in the early 90s. CPAP did not work for me so I had some pretty major surgery by the doctors who invented the prodecures (moved my tongue). And I am cured.

I got absolutly NO REM sleep when I was untreated. I walked around like a zombie.

There are all sorts of new procedures now to shrink obstructions with lasar, radio frequency, etc so less invasive surgery may now be the norm.

Because I was SO sleep deprived the hardest part for me was not to go to sleep immediately at 6 pm.

 

[KrnB]

I had one. It was at a hospital, but the room was set up like a hotel. They even had a Sleep Number bed so you could set it where you liked (great idea for a place like that!)

I felt like I was awake all night long, feeling really conscious of the wires and everything, not being comfortable for more than a couple minutes. But apparently I did get about 5-6 hours of sleep. It wasn't bad at all, just awkward because you are so aware of the wires and so actively trying not to think about them - which of course makes it worse.

Turns out I have mild sleep apnea. My doctor recommended that I try this mouth guard device that pulls your jaw out a little bit to keep your tongue from resting in the back of your throat. I was/am really against the CPAP (I know they work, but I just can't get myself to do it and my apnea's not that bad to force me to do it), so I thought I'd try it. I hate wearing it, but it seems to help, although I do still snore with it sometimes.

I haven't worn it since the boys were born, though, since it's awkward to be awake with it, and I'm up too often at night to feed them. To me, I don't feel like I sleep any better with it (I'm often still tired when I get up, but between pregnancy and babies, it's hard to tell if apnea's the cause), but I know DH usually does.

I'd really love to have the surgery to fix it once and for all instead of messing around with equipment.

 

[megan4777]

My DH has had numerous sleep studies done over the past decade. He goes to a sleep center and he said it's set up like a hotel room. They hook him up with all the wires, etc.
I'm pretty sure they want you sleeping on your back the whole time. He was allowed to bring a walkman (I believe) or watch the tv in the community room until lights out.

His sleep apnea is at the point where it's REALLY bad so he was supposed to have surgery 2 weeks ago. He's having the tonsils, uvula removed and his tongue moved forward. Unfortunately, one of the 2 surgeons got sick and cancelled at 10pm the night before. Now he has to wait until 8/21.

Good luck with your sleep study.

 

[arminnie]

He's having the tonsils, uvula removed and his tongue moved forward.

That's basically what I had done (although my tonsils were already gone) twelve years ago. My doctors in CA were the ones who invented this surgery.

I was in intensive care for a day or two - mostly as a precaution. Then I was in a regular room for another 2 days. I thought I was going to be totally incapacitated, but aside from being bruised and exhausted it was not a horrible experience at all.

I had someone staying with me but I was perfectly capable of getting up to get a drink of water, etc. One work of advice about the liquid diet thing - most of the stuff is sweet and gets old very fast. I love my sugar, but after awhile I craved anything that was not sweet.

It really worked. I've had a few sleep studies since to confirm that all is still okay and have passed with flying colors. For some reason the CPAP just didn't work for me.

I took the Lortab liquid pain medicine for a few days but fairly quickly switched to tylenol liquid. I was never in horrible pain.

I did look a mess though. I had a huge incision on my neck and lots of bruises. My head was wrapped like a mummy. This was about the time of the O.J. Simpson ordeal. One of my friends walked in and told me that I looked like I'd been dating O.J.

I'd do it again in a second - it was totally worth it. Sorry your doctor had to cancel but it is pretty intense surgery. My doctor told me before the surgery that if he even woke up that morning with a headache he would postpone the surgery as he only operated if he was in perfect form.