Sleep study..

[draggar]

I don't care what they say these are a real pain in the ass!!

I had a sleep study last night for possible apnea (snoring etc.). They told me if I needed to move (roll over to my side) to let them know - of course I didn't want to be a pain so I spent the entire night on my back (mistake #1). I normally move around a lot before I go to sleep or when I wake up.

They had probes all over me - 4 on my legs (2 near each calf), 4 on my shoulders (2 on each) - these were "stuck" on my with adhesive.

I don't know how many they had around my head but they had this gel holding them in - I didn't bring shampoo or soap (I figured I'd take a shower when I got home - mistake #2) luckily it was at a Mariott so they had their cheap shampoo I could take a shower with (gel melts out with warm / hot shower - shampoo helps) - it was a mess when I got up.

I don't even know how many times I woke up or when or how long it took me to get back to sleep but I can say it was one of the worst night's sleep I've ever had. I took a caffeine pill an hour ago and I'm still groggy. I tired to sleep some when I got home but couldn't. (Maybe I'll take Luna or Kiri for a long walk to help get my system going - or will that be mistake #3?).

If it does back positive as apnea then I'll have to get a mask (pressurized air) that I'll have to wear to bed - every night (that'll be a pain in the rear to get used to!).

Thank god I took today off from work, though, I would not have been productive at all and my phone is already ringing off the hook and getting text messages "WHERE ARE YOU?????".

[Kara]

Sleep studies are a pain, yes. For mine, halfway through the night they put the mask on me, which meant after finally getting into a good sleep, I had to wake up and then try to sleep with this thing blasting pressurized air at me. And ye gads, the gel SUCKS. Had to wash my hair like 4 times to get it all out.

Sleeping with the CPAP on isn't really so bad once you get used to it. Personally I would recommend the actual facemask that covers your nose and mouth. They started me on this little noseplug looking thing but if you move in your sleep, like I do, it's gonna pop out and defeat itself. The actual facemask stays in place and I find I sleep better with it. My ex did complain at first about the noise it made, but she got used to it. It's not loud, she just said it was like sleeping with Darth Vader.

[LewisLegion]

I need to have a sleep study done. My doc has batted it around a few times since it seems like I almost never acheive a deep level of sleep until the hour or so before I have to get up (I wake up on average 7 times a night). I've kind of put it off because of these very things.

[AccountingDrone]

I have no idea what the sleep study places issues are, the place I had mine done, they wired me up with about 500 tiny little wires and a finger clip for the blood ox meter and turned me loose in the bed. I could sleep in any position, I could spin like I was on a rotisserie or sprawl out.

Maybe you can shop around for a sleep study clinic to find on that lets you move around?

[Greenday]

I probably could use a sleep study. I snore like crazy. Problem is, I don't want to have to sleep with a mask or something on. The whole point is I don't want to make excess noise while sleeping and the mask stuff will make noise defeating the whole purpose.

[draggar]

I need to have a sleep study done. My doc has batted it around a few times since it seems like I almost never acheive a deep level of sleep until the hour or so before I have to get up (I wake up on average 7 times a night). I've kind of put it off because of these very things.

I hear ya but I think it is going to be worth it in the long run.

I have no idea what the sleep study places issues are, the place I had mine done, they wired me up with about 500 tiny little wires and a finger clip for the blood ox meter and turned me loose in the bed. I could sleep in any position, I could spin like I was on a rotisserie or sprawl out.

Maybe you can shop around for a sleep study clinic to find on that lets you move around?

I forgot to mention the doctor mentioned that I didn't move and that I could have - they only meant any serious movement or if I got tangled.

[Dytchdoctir]

If it does back positive as apnea then I'll have to get a mask (pressurized air) that I'll have to wear to bed - every night (that'll be a pain in the rear to get used to!).

I've used a CPAP for years. Before I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, I snored so loud I drove co-workers out of the fire station in droves.

Yes, sleeping with a mask can be a pain, but you may be pleasantly surprised at how much better you will feel when you are actually getting a good night's sleep.

[firecat88]

Ahh, sleep studies. I just got the official on-paper results of mine yesterday. They want me to be on oxygen too, but not with the CPAP. Apparently, I didn't last nearly as long on it as I thought (I thought it was 10 minutes, but it was 5), so I'll need something else.

And, yes, they are a huge PITA. XD I remember, after being strapped up with all the wires, wondering how the hell anyone was supposed to sleep with all that nonsense going on. However, given the amount of porn channels on the tv at the sleep study place, I kinda wonder if they expect people to sleep at all. O.o

[trailerparkmedic]

I've known several people who used CPAP and they said that getting a good night's sleep more than outweighed the annoyance of a mask.

[Sarlon]

my friend loves his...he lives in the basement and when its cold outside hes all hooked up, and pulls the covers over his head and stays nice and snuggily warm!

[Sapphire Silk]

I got a sleep study done a couple of years ago. I kept waking up needing to use the rest room I think the tech got a little frustrated helping me.

The good news for me was they didn't finish the test. While I do have mild sleep apnea, my frequency waking was not frequent enough and my pulse ox was normal, so CPAP wasn't justified and they didn't bother with the mask part of the test.

I got a different kind of pillow and that seems to be helping a bit.

Hope all turns out well for you draggar. Poor quality sleep really does suck

[csquared]

Been there, done that, got the CPAP.

I was the same way after the first study. I was so tiered that I went to bed at 7:00 PM that night.

I did the second study with the CPAP. I only slept 6 hours, but felt better than I had when I got 9 hours of sleep.

The other benefit... The Wife now sleep in the same house bedroom again.

[fma_fanatic]

I had a sleep study done. Two actually. One wired up without a mask, and a second one with. Both times they ragged on me about not sleeping on my back. I finally had enough from one of the techs and told him that after he's been hit by a car and has back issues, he can tell me if he's able to sleep comfortably on his back. They finally laid off.

I'm a side sleeper and pillow snuggler. I got a bit of crap for asking for a pillow, but I told them that if they wanted a study out of me, the least they could do was give me an extra pillow. Hell, the doctor said I could get whatever I needed to get comfortable. I realize now I should have gone to the alternative site which is at a hotel not that far from my work.

As for the study itself, I was diagnosed with hypopnea, which is a variation of apnea. My blood oxygen levels were at 82%, so I wasn't getting what I needed to achieve a restful sleep.

For those who have yet to go to their study, I highly recommend getting a bottle of Johnson's Baby Shampoo. It's the best stuff I've found to get the gel crap out of your hair and off your body. They gave me a couple of the small travel sized bottles and I used both. I'd also recommend some conditioner for after since Johnson's can dry your hair out. I know it did for me.

I've had my CPAP machine for about 2 years now and I haven't had any issues. I did when I first started. I had a breakdown at work where I was in tears because I hadn't slept in almost 4 days. I just lost it I was so frustrated. My doctor prescribed me Ambien and I took that for a few months before I finally got used to the mask and actually sleeping.

I'd also recommend checking out CPAPTalk. It's an active forum for CPAP users and has a lot of good help and advice for first time users. It's sponsored by CPAP.com, which is a supplier of everything CPAP.

You should also have a good relationship with your DME (durable medical equipment) supplier. Mine is pretty good. I got rid of the first one I had because they were very unreliable when it came to sending me supplies. I switched to the one I currently use, and have no issues. I do need to reorder some supplies though.

As for masks, I really like the Respironics ComfortGel. It works for me and it's comfortable. I had a hard time with the nasal pillow masks as it felt like someone was trying to stuff something up my nose.

my friend loves his...he lives in the basement and when its cold outside hes all hooked up, and pulls the covers over his head and stays nice and snuggily warm!

Yeah, rainout (when water gets into the mask and hose due to condensation) can be a pain, but there are covers for the hose you can get to prevent that. I made my own cover from the husbands old ratty socks. I just them up and taped them around the hose. It works like a charm.

[mrsmarit]

I got dignosed with severe OSA at the beginning of July. Since my I had paid my deductible in full I scheduled the surgery to remove the obstructions and I am sitting in my chair at home recovering from the surgery,


I hate the bipap machine and wouldn't wear it so I am hoping that the surgery fixes most of my issues. I will say that the complications that resulted from my surgery sucked but if it fixes ths issues in the end then it's all good.

[Misanthropical]

I had a sleep study done for my insomnia and sleep paralysis (I just recently realized sleep paralysis was a sleep disorder) since I found out the two can be linked together. I don't think I ever fell into a deep sleep the whole night. I also don't have sleep paralysis every night and didn't have it that night either.

The room was too quiet for me to sleep in since I'm use to hearing Mr. Mis snoring next to me. He refuses to get a sleep study done even though I know for a fact he has sleep apnea.

The sleep study is worth it in the long run though, since the doctor will prescribe or give a person things to help fight off what ever sleep disorder they may have.