Tell me about your Sleep Study...

[chell]

Please tell me all about your sleep study. Today my doctor decided to schedule me for one and I want to know all about yours. Did you have trouble falling asleep. Normally I do, so I know I will not being in my own bed and not being with my Sweetie.

Do they have to unhook you every time you get up to go to the restroom? I go a lot. I do mean a LOT!

Thanks for any and all info you can give me!

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I've had about four. The first one I couldn't sleep much. Didn't know what to expect. Didn't know that everyone else seems to wear sweats, stuff like that. There is a camera pointed right at you and you just talk to the room if you have to go to the bathroom. It's kind of a bit weird the first time. Every time I had to get up I was pretty much hooked up to a harness walking down the hall. They had to come into the room to disconnect me from the monitors first.

 

[clh2]

One of my coworkers just had a sleep study done to evaluate whether or no she needed a CPAP.

One comment I recall her making about the sleep study was the temperature in the room wasn't right for her, unfortunately, I don't remember if she was too hot, or too cold.

The other comment she made was the clinicians in the sleep study wanted her to sleep on her back, and my coworker is NOT a back-sleeper. This and the wrong temp caused her to sleep very little during the sleep study.

 

[jmskinner]

My DS had one at 7. It was a rough night. There is a monitor that goes into each nostril, not real far, but it obviously bothered my boy. They were scared they couldn't get it done. I was really surprised how quickly he fell asleep once he was set up. I didn't get any sleep because they kept coming into the room because he had knocked out the one in his nose.

It's weird being in a room, knowing there is someone watching and LISTENING to you.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

My DS had one at 7. It was a rough night. There is a monitor that goes into each nostril, not real far, but it obviously bothered my boy. They were scared they couldn't get it done. I was really surprised how quickly he fell asleep once he was set up. I didn't get any sleep because they kept coming into the room because he had knocked out the one in his nose.

It's weird being in a room, knowing there is someone watching and LISTENING to you.

It may depend on where it's done or what it's for. I've had them at three different hospitals and I've never had anything up any nostril. I don't know if that is how they were checking oxygen levels, but I had a monitor put on my finger to check the level in my blood.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

My sleep study was awful. First thing, the tech dug the electrode tips so far into my scalp that they stung and my head hurt all night. She also used so much of the "glue" stuff that when she pulled them off the next morning, a lot of hair came with them. It was hotter than hot in that room, because she insisted that "heat makes you tired." Not me - I get sleepy when I'm cold. She wouldn't let me read or watch TV to try to get tired; she just announced, "Okay, lights out!" I was informed that I would not be allowed to use the bathroom, because the electrode wires wouldn't be able to reach, so I'd have to hold it (and due to a cyst I'd had a few years earlier, I have to go every 2 hours). And I was told I'd have to sleep on my back because of all of the wires. I have never slept on my back in my entire life. Needless to say, I slept for about 20 minutes that night. And their conclusion was that I suffered from insomnia. Gee, I wonder why...

I went home, dropped into bed, and slept soundly for the entire day. When I went to the doctor to discuss the findings, I told her no way was I going to return for another sleep study.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I HATED my sleep study. You have all these things hooked to your head and then your heart and the sides of your face. I had an oxygen hose looking thing taped right under my nose and then also the pulse ox on my finger. You are supposed to sleep on your back, which I just don't do.

Getting the glue crap out of my hair took forever and I got tired of trying to pick it out so I went to the hair stylist and had her wash my hair and pick the yuck out.

I was supposed to go back for another test because the only thing the found from the first test was that my brain doesn't "shut down" for sleep. I was like duh who can relax and sleep hooked up to all this stuff.

 

[chell]

Thanks everyone! If I can't sleep on my side I know for certain I won't be sleeping much.

It will be interesting to see how I react to having all the stuff stuck on me since I'm allergic to most adhesives.

My neurologist's office seems to have the best sleep lab in the area and I'm waiting to hear back from them to see if I can have mine done there. I hope so. I've already decided to take the day after off from work because I'm certain I won't get much sleep. But on the odd chance I do then I can find something fun to spend the day doing.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I have always wondered about those.
It seems like they should try to mirror the conditions patients have in their usual sleep environment. Many people even have a harder time sleeping in a motel room, let along hooked up and glued together and sleeping in positions they can't or won't normally sleep in, or in too hot/cold rooms.
What would be the point of the test? Seems like it would be a false reading of what the issue really is.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I used to be a sleep tech. If you have any questions, let me know.

Usually, you will have a small wire (thermister) up your nose (it should barely go in). If you have to have a CPAP, then you will wear a mask (either over your nose or up your nose).

If you need to get up during the night, they will unplug you (but you will still wear all the wires). I would have patients hat got up every hour.

You should have a TV in your room so you can just watch that until you fall asleep.

It is best if you sleep on your back (side is ok, but no stomach). Just a heads up, because that can be an issue with people.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

What would be the point of the test? Seems like it would be a false reading of what the issue really is.

The point is to see what conditions you have during sleep. A test will let us know if you stop breathing, have leg movements, snore, etc. It's best if you are asleep the whole time, but really only a few hours are needed.

 

[chell]

Thanks for offering to answer additional questions Amber. Stomach sleeping is definitely out for me but side sleeping is a must. Will they let me bring my Sweetie in with me so I can snuggle up with him?

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Thanks for offering to answer additional questions Amber. Stomach sleeping is definitely out for me but side sleeping is a must. Will they let me bring my Sweetie in with me so I can snuggle up with him?

It depends on the lab, but occassionally we would allow spouses to stay for a bit (not the whole night).

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

I did mine when I was 7 months pregnant - that was fun! They were great though, the guy sat around watching tv with me while getting hooked up and I could watch tv until I was tired. I think the worst part was them waking me up at 6am

The girls just had them done in the last few weeks, here they are all wired up...

Belle

Ami

 

[lovemygoofy]

Chell, I'm also allergic to most adhesives, just a topical allergy though. I had to deal with the itching most of the night by not itching and then as soon as I got home, I took some benadryl to help the itching and to help me sleep. The worst I think was the glue in my hair. I had yucky itchy welps for a few days on my head.

 

[chell]

Chell, I'm also allergic to most adhesives, just a topical allergy though. I had to deal with the itching most of the night by not itching and then as soon as I got home, I took some benadryl to help the itching and to help me sleep. The worst I think was the glue in my hair. I had yucky itchy welps for a few days on my head.

Thanks! I see that I can't take my Benadryl that night. Guess that will be a 2 Allegra day then.

 

[goofyforlife]

I've had two no-sleep tests (as i've deemed them).

The first place i went was just ridiculous for me to fall asleep. 1) the walls were so thin, i could hear the guy snoring in the next room, The technicians cell phone ringing two-three times during the night, the microwave going off at 2:30 when the techs were heating up their meals, and the incessant sound of the crickets chirping at the windows. (My home bedroom is three stories up and not alot of trees behind our house so no cricket sounds)

God it was awful... They also forced me to lay on my back and i was so uncomfortable i couldn't sleep.

For the second test, i picked a different center. After 3-4 hrs with no sleep he let me sleep on my side and they barely got 1-2 hrs of monitoring. THen they woke me up at 5 and sent me home. Luckily i did my test on a Sat night so i slept all day Sunday.

My sleep dr wants me to go for a third test and this time she gave me Ambien.

 

[Devil_Dog99]

I can usually sleep on the soft side of a rock. DW says she has never seen anyone enjoy their sleep as much as me. There are two exceptions - planes and sleep studies.

I had a snoring problem and my Dr. sent me for a sleep study. After getting hooked up and plugged in, I couldn't fall asleep to save my life. Took me two hours. Don't know if it was the Radio Shack they had taped to my head or teh ressure to perform, but sleep was non-exsistent. I guess I did fall asleep at some point. But the test was somewhat of a bust. I was supposed to sleep normal for a few hours, then they were going to hook me up to the tube that blows air into your throat/nose/whatever (sorry to those who do need it and use it). But since I took so long to fall asleep, they cancelled the second part of the test. The nurse did say that when I did fall asleep, boy did I snore!!!! (duh - that's why I am there).

Woke me up at 5 to send me home where I went promptly to sleep!!!

 

[jfulcer]

Ok, there's been a lot of negative responses here on this thread, but I've had a study done and so has about 6 family and friends and none of them have had any problems like others during their sleep studies.

The only thing that I agree with is getting the glue out of my hair. That wasn't fun. I got to sleep on my side and/or back, there were no weird sounds/etc, and I got to get up as much as I want and stay up watching TV late. They told me they wanted me to follow my normal routine as much as possible.

All of my other friends/family have had similar experiences.

A lot of people have good experiences and great outcomes. It was the best thing I've ever done for me and my family.

 

[smartestnumber5]

GF has had two done--the first was to diagnose her with apnea and the 2nd was to find the right pressure for her breathing machine. It wasn't the best night of sleep she ever got of course, but then she was having pretty crappy sleep anyway which is why she was sent for the test. She just came home at 7 am and climbed into bed with me for another couple hours of sleep.

It was one of the best things she ever did! Turned out her throat was closing to the point that she was stopping breathing 30 times an hour, which meant that her whole sleep cycle from surface to deep sleep was completely messed up. When she first got her machine it was like she was a different person--a person who actually sleeps!