I'm participating in a sleep study

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Over the last few years, my wife has observed that during the night, I seem to exhibit symptoms of sleep apnea (snoring, halted breathing, etc.). In more recent times, I’ve been suffering from a severe lack of quality sleep, and she finally convinced me to see a doctor about it.

Well, today my physician passed me on to a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders. I’m going to go spend the night in an institute where I’m wired up and monitored in my sleep to see if they can figure out what might be the trouble and how to solve it (probably CPAP, but I’m hoping against that).

So I wonder if any of you have ever participated in a medical sleep study, and if so, I’d ask that you share with me what I can expect. Thanks!

Mods: my apologies if this is better suited to IMHO or elsewhere. Do what you must. :slight_smile:

2

Been there, done that – twice, even. It’s not so bad. They spend a ton of time wiring you up – head, ankles, chest – and then they have to escort you to bed because you’re so covered in sheathes of wires that you can’t really move properly. But the good thing is that because you’re apneic, you can STILL fall asleep without any problem.

I probably shouldn’t mention this, but in my first sleep study, I woke up in the middle of the night and became aware of the video camera focused on me. (Remember that old Peanuts cartoon where Linus becomes aware of his tongue? It was kind of like that.) Anyway, it made me incredibly self-conscious and it took me a long while to fall back asleep. The second sleep study, no problem.

3

I’ve done it twice: once for diagnosis, the second time with my new CPAP to make sure it solved the problem. Yes, you will get wired up. Yes, there will be a camera on you. Despite the fact that I usually had difficulty falling asleep (even though I was exhausted from the apnea), I had no trouble falling asleep there, and I slept well. I have to think that they went to some trouble to make the room the perfect sleeping environment. You’ll have your own sleeping room.
I was worried about waking up and needing to go to the bathroom – which I did, but it’s not a problem. The room was miked (they’re listening to you), and I just announced that I needed someone to help me. No biggie.

It was actually pretty interesting. The next morning they discussed the results with me, and they were willing to show me the records of my brain waves and answer all my geek questions.

If you have specific questions or concerns, ask and I’ll answer what I can.

4

I had sleep study done a couple of years ago, and I posted a detailed description of what happened.

I’d also recommend thinksnow’s Sleep Apnea, Educate Yourself thread, on page 2 of which I describe my prescribed treatment involving sporting equipment.

Good luck with it.

5

I’ve had three of them. What the others say about wiring up - all true. However, I had major trouble falling asleep at the first one. I usually have trouble in a new place anyway, but this was particularly bad because the bed was rock-hard (they were at the other 2 places also) and they expected me to fall asleep on their schedule, not mine.

I usually set the TV to “snooze” at home and doze off that way, but there was no remote on the TV at the sleep study place so it was off, or on. They unplugged the light so I couldn’t read.

They tended to run into the room whenever I turned over, also, which disturbed me out of whatever drowsiness I might have been working on. When I needed to pee during the night, however, I called out several times and was ignored. When I finally screamed “If you don’t come in here NOW, I will WET THE BED”, they showed up. Too bad - I’da done it too, out of spite, and been rather proud of it. Badly run place. At three AM, when it was clear I was never going back to sleep, I made them unwire me and I left. After having an acetone-soaked gauze pad shoved in my face by a careless technician. I was not pleased.

The next time, I was a bit more prepared. I stayed up the entire night before so I had a bit less trouble going to sleep. In fact at 10 PM I was ready. Naturally they hadn’t wired me up yet and by 11:30, when I was wired up, I wasn’t drowsy any more. But I managed to fall asleep, somehow.

Similarly with the next place, except it was an hour drive way from home; docs wanted me to have one at their hospital (I’d gone there because they’re specialists in my sleep disorder) because the earlier 2 hadn’t gotten good readings for one particular factor. They wanted a different nasal monitor. Which the technician informed me they were out of. I pitched a fit and said I would leave right then, as that was the only reason I was there. They found one.

Long and short of it:

  • You will sleep (or not) on their schedule, regardless of how radically different it is from your own. If you normally sleep from, say, 1 AM to 8 AM, you will lie awake in a dark room until 1 AM because they want you to sleep at 11 PM. And you will be rousted out of a sound sleep at 5:30 because they want you to leave by 6 AM.

  • You will be trashed with exhaustion the next day because of the surroundings and disrupted schedule.

  • You will be faced by technicians (and doctors) who are utterly flabbergasted that you can’t drop off to sleep in odd situations with things wired from here to eternity, because “every one else can”.

  • You may be faced by techs/docs who don’t understand why you claim you won’t be able to sleep with a tube shoved up your nose and down your esophagus to measure god-only-knows-what, without a sedative, and who will be peeved that as a result (since you certainly mustn’t use a sedative) they can’t get that data. I dont think that last one is routine, as neither of the earlier studies suggested it.

  • You may get some good readings that will help diagnose and treat sleep problems.

Bring a book and a book-light. Bring a portable music source with headphones. These will help pass the time if you have trouble sleeping. Don’t plan on going to work the next day.

6

I went in for mine the week after my wife and I returned from our honeymoon. The experience itself wasn’t so bad. We did get to find out that my oxygen level dipped down into the low seventies pre-CPAP. And while I can’t say that I like using my machine, the difference it made in the rest I get at night was extraordinary. I wonder how much better I’d have done in college if I’d been diagnosed a few years earlier.

7

I’ve had two…one pre- and one post-tonsillectomy. I don’t really have much to add…it’s unconfortable and unfamiliar, but on the whole it’s not that awful. Man, it’s hard to pee with all those wires on though. :slight_smile:

The only other thing I would mention is to ask them if they have the non-pain-in-the-ass adhesive for the electrodes (water soluble, I guess is what you want). It’ll save you some of the acetone issues like Mama Zappa had.

Best of luck.

8

Thanks to all of you for the advice, and I apologize for my extended absence from the thread. Busy weekend. :rolleyes:

I know the hospital where I’ll be taking the test is a very reputable one here in Southern California, so I hope that bodes well for the treatment I’ll receive from the staff. I’m not terribly worried about being able to fall asleep initially – my problem is waking up after my first sleep cycle in the middle of the night and then staying awake. I suspect that having tubes and other assorted fixtures on me isn’t going to help that problem one bit, but since it’s all in the name of science (and particularly science designed to benefit me), I’ll work through it.

laina_f and Kingspades, can you tell me a little bit more about the CPAP itself? It seems very likely that I’m going to end up with one of these myself. How long did it take you to get used to it? Just how intrusive is it? Are you forced to sleep in different positions than you did before you had it? And did the quality of your sleep improve instantly with it, or was it a gradual process?

Billdo, thanks very much for the info and links. I’ll be studying them shortly. Although after reading about Mama Zappa’s experience, here, I’m not sure I want too much more detail beforehand - sometimes it’s better going in ignorant. :slight_smile:

Sal Ammoniac, I can see where being conscious of the camera could be an issue. I’ll deal with that if and when it becomes an issue, I guess. :dubious:

Friday afternoon, I got in to a sleep specialist about the issue. I spent about 30 minutes filling out paperwork, and spent a whopping three minutes with the doctor. It was mainly him skimming my paperwork, asking me a couple of questions and saying, “Yep…sounds like apnea alright. Time to get you into a study.” :rolleyes: I know, I know…it has to be done, but it just struck me as a waste of time.

At any rate, I’m probably about two to three weeks away from an appointment for the actual slumber party. Please keep contributing your experiences and comments, and I’ll try to keep you guys abreast of what’s happening. I will definitely share my own experience once I’ve been through it.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed thus far. I really appreciate the info.

9

My machine is pretty simple. The controls consist of an on/off button and a couple of arrow keys that I never use. It has the ability to be a humidifier as well, but I quit using that feature after a few months. It was a fair bit of trouble to keep clean, and I didn’t feel as though I was losing anything by not using it.

I use a nasal mask; it’s shaped like a triangle and fits over my nose. Because I tend to toss about a fair bit and my wife is a light sleeper, I keep it as tight as is comfortable. Any little sound air makes escaping the mask will wake her up.

Getting used to it was actually pretty simple. My doctor recommended that, at first, I practice using it while awake. I think it actually did make a difference.

I find mine to be fairly intrusive. I like sleeping on my front and that’s difficult to do with the mask on. I can do it by folding my pillow in half and resting my head on it so that the mask is pointing out over the edge of the fold. What I find most uncomfortable is that I always have to face away from my wife, because the air vent at the top of the mask will blow on her if I face her. Anytime she comes to bed late or wakes up early, I find myself taking the opportunity to face the other direction for a change. Comfort aside, it’s also frustrating to not be able to, say, fall asleep while laying my head on my wife’s chest.

For all the trouble, though, I noticed an improvement in my sleep immediately. Because I’ve been using it for four and a half years now, it’s hard to remember how tired I used to feel when I woke up after even a long night’s sleep. I get reminded from time to time when I doze off on car trips and feel more tired after than before. I don’t like using my CPAP, but the benefits of doing so far outweigh the inconvenience.

10

Thank you for that. I anticipate similar feelings. I do have one advantage, though, in that I tend to sleep mostly on my back, and on one side as a second favorite. I can’t stand to sleep on my stomach.

I’ve often thought about how I used to feel back in my very early teen years. I remember what it was like to wake up feeling incredibly refreshed and…well, alive. I’ve always attributed the loss of that feeling to my lack of being in shape as I’ve grown older, and I suspect that’s still true to some extent, but any advantage I can gain from a quality night of sleep will be worthwhile.

11

The CPAP machine is basically a box (mine is about 12" x 6" x 4"). Pictures of CPAPs. I have the Remstar Plus.

Humidifiers.
My humidifier is a plastic box that can sit under the CPAP machine. I change the water daily and rinse with a dilute Clorox solution occasionally. Without the humidifier, the hose from the CPAP goes directly to the mask; with the humidifier, the CPAP hose connects to the humidifier, and the humidifier connects to the mask hose. Ask for a humidifier; better to have one you don’t need than not to have one you need.

Various masks.
My mask, the Respironics Profile™ Lite Nasal Gel Mask was recommended by the sleep therapist. It’s the only style I’ve ever tried.

Just how intrusive is it? See link to pictures of masks. It sucks, but I can wear it or die.
Are you forced to sleep in different positions than you did before you had it? It seems to work best for me if I sleep on my back, but I prefer to sleep on my side. The longer I have it, the better I get at dealing with it.
How long did it take you to get used to it? I had a horrible time getting used to it. I actually gave up at one point, but got motivated to try again when I wanted to go on a trip that would involve sharing a room with other people (without the CPAP I snore like a bear with a buzzsaw). I’m very comfortable with it now and find it easier to fall asleep with it on than off.
And did the quality of your sleep improve instantly with it, or was it a gradual process? I’m still having sleep problems, probably due to diabetes, so I can’t really answer this.

12

I had no idea there was so much variation in the styles used. Do you have any idea why your therapist recommended that particular one? And if so, was it a general recommendation, or something the therapist recommended specifically for you and your condition?

13

I’m gonna guess that the therapist recommended that one because the insurance company suggested he do so. I could’ve asked for a different one, but I knew nothing about any of them, and you don’t get to try them on.

14

I thought the o.p. was about “sheep” studies. I was wondering if Hal Briston knew about this…

Oh… sleep studies…never mind.

15

  • I did not walk out of the first sleep study with a CPAP machine. They ordered it for me, and a couple of weeks later when it arrived, I had to go to the supplier to pick it up. Someone there explained it to me and fitted my mask. Then I went back to the sleep clinic for a night so they could determine the setting of the CPAP (the pressure you need to keep your air passage open while you sleep).

  • Save the phone numbers of your doctor, the sleep clinic and the supplier. You may need them later. Also save whatever documentation comes with your CPAP, humidifier, mask, and chinstrap. You may need it when something breaks. Keep a record of the dates of your doctor visits and clinic visits, as well as the dates you receive the CPAP machine or other equipment. The reason for keeping good records is that your insurance company is probably staffed by idiots.

  • My insurance allows me to replace the humidifer, mask, chinstrap, and hoses every six months. Even if you don’t always do this, it’s a good idea to get an extra of everything as soon as you can so you’ll have them if something breaks. The people I’ve had to deal with when something breaks are idiots, and it usually takes weeks to get a replacement.

  • You’ll get a chin strap to keep your mouth closed while you sleep. For me, the chinstrap was the worst part, and I couldn’t adjust to the CPAP until I stopped using the chinstrap. When you go back to the sleep clinic for the second time, see if they will verify whether or not you actually need to use a chinstrap.

  • This site lists this mask as their best selling mask. The mask I have is the second best seller.

16

The sleep study for me was fine but I wish I had some slippers as the floor is cold.
The cpap machine only took a little getting used to but do you have a cat? Does the cat sleep on the bed with you? My cat would sometimes get facinated by the mask and then swat at it or he would bite the hose and put holes in it.

17

No cats, but my wife has been known to swat at me in her sleep. :slight_smile:

laina_f, so there are actually two nights spent in the center, eh? Bah. (And yes, I just realized you’d already said that earlier in the thread.) I’ll just do my best to swing it so that I don’t have to work the next day on either occasion, just in case. Thank you so much for all your advice – you’ve been a wealth of info, and I really appreciate it.

That goes for everyone who has participated in this thread. My sincere thanks! Just know that if you ever invite me into your homes in the future, my snoring by then should be the least of your concerns. :smiley:

18

I have one of these scheduled for myself next week and I am really really hoping that they find out I have apnea. I know that sounds weird, but it would explain a lot of my symptoms (constant sleepiness, depression, constant sleepiness, inability to focus, and might I add constant sleepiness) and is very treatable. I had one about seven years ago and at that time I didn’t have apnea but had some type of condition that they recommended a device for, but my insurance wouldn’t cover it so I let it slide.

The thing I’m most concerned about is that I almost always sleep on my side and my stomach and I won’t be able to do that when I’m hooked up like a hard drive. My concern, stupid as it may be, is that if I usually have apnea when I’m at home on my side/stomach that I won’t have it sleeping on my back and it will go undiagnosed. Does anybody know if this is the case?

Pardon a slight hijack, but with all disclaimers about “I’m not taking your advice as if you were a medical professional” yadda yadda, I would like to ask Dopers who have been diagnosed with apnea-

1- Did you ever actually wake up during the night unable to breathe for a second? (I have this sensation, if not nightly, then at least several times per week.)

2- Did you ever have nights when you were off work the next day when you slept 12 hours straight and woke up sleepy?

3- Was every morning a trial getting up and getting to work on time?

4- If yes to any of the above, did the treatment help?

19

Treatment did help a lot.
(Well, I’m still not a morning person)

You probably sleep on your side because your body knows that you have less apnea on your side. On you back it will probably be worse.

For my test they said I had ‘mild’ apnea as I only woke up an average of 25-30 times an hour during my study. In other words I was only ‘asleep’ for two minutes at a time.

20

If you haven’t yet read thinksnow’s thread, I recommend it. You’ll find a lot of information and answers there.

I’ve been told that blockage of the air passage is usually worse when you are sleeping on your back than when you are sleeping on your side. At your first sleep study, you’ll be able to sleep either on your back or on your side, despite being wired up; you can change positions during the night. Don’t be shy about asking the technician for information.

I was also told that it’s not the stopping of breathing that wakes you up, but rather a drop in blood oxygen level. Usually your body wakes you up just enough to get a breath, and usually you are not consciously aware that it’s happened. thinksnow reported that during his study, “My brain had to wake up enough to tell my body to breathe 463 times in 6 ¾ hours.” Basically, you’re fighting for oxygen all night and never get the sleep you need.

I did sometimes wake up gasping for breath, but I believe that was because the apnea caused me to sleep with my mouth open, which dried out my mouth and throat to the point where they felt paralyzed. I’d wake up feeling like I couldn’t breathe when actually what I couldn’t do was swallow until I poured some water down my throat.