Many people are reluctant to undergo a sleep study, often due to lack of information.
This first-hand account may be helpful.
Originally published March 19, 2015; updated Sept. 3, 2019.
As I may have mentioned a time or two, chronic insomnia has plagued me since childhood.
Also well-known is the fact that I’m a dedicated night person whose creativity is at its peak when most “normal” people are fast asleep.
This is not something I want to change per se, because I love the night. What needs to be fixed is the quality and duration of uninterrupted slumber.
To paraphrase an old cliché, I’m tired of being tired, all the time! Rarely do I ever sleep more than two to three hours at a stretch without waking up.
Going to bed early is a waste of time too, as that leaves me wide-eyed in the middle of the night.
My doctor, convinced I have sleep apnea (I’m hoping not), has been nagging me for years to participate in a sleep study. “Do you snore?” he keeps asking.
Apparently, I do, sometimes, according to my husband. (Let’s not talk about his snoring and how he has no trouble sleeping! Update 2019: He doesn’t sleep nearly as well, anymore, but refuses to do a sleep test.)
Allergies and chronic sinus problems, accompanied by post-nasal drip are some of my other annoying conditions and likely sources.
After a particularly exhausting week, I finally relented, having no idea what to expect.
“You’ll enjoy it,” said the nurse. “Just put on your jammies and think of it as a slumber party.” Yeah, right. Jammies? Never owned any, nightgowns being my preference.
Next came the call from the sleep clinic. “Your appointment will be on March 10. Check-in at 8:30 p.m. and bring pyjamas. Also, go to our website and download your sleep diary. You’ll have to fill it in for a week before the appointment.”
What’s this now? Seriously, there’s homework?
That’s right; you have to document caffeine and alcohol intake,
mealtimes, exercise (what type not specified), bedtimes, wake times,
sleep times including naps, overnight bathroom visits and get-up times.
Other directives:
Prior to Your Test • Clean Hair – Please wash your hair (shower/shave) before your sleep study. Do not use body lotion, hairspray, mousse or any other products on the day of your study because it may interfere with the proper application/adherence of the sensors.
• Nails – If you are wearing nail colour or artificial nails please be aware that it will need to be removed on one or more fingers to ensure proper monitoring of oxygen levels.
• Caffeine – Please do not consume any caffeinated beverages after 3 pm the day of your study.
• Alcohol – Do not consume any alcohol within 48 hours of your sleep study.
• Naps – Do not nap on the day of your sleep study.
• Medication – Take all prescribed medications unless otherwise instructed by your doctor. Do not take any “over the counter” medications on the day of your sleep study. • Meals – Eat a normal meal prior to your sleep study (there are no restrictions on eating). Meals are not provided at the clinic so you may wish to bring a snack and non-caffeinated beverage with you.
Please Bring the Following Items to Your Appointment • All medications.
• Pyjamas – Please bring 2-piece pyjamas or shorts and T-shirt to wear to bed, slippers and robe.
• Any personal hygiene items such as a toothbrush and toothpaste.
• A book, magazine, listening device such as Discman, ipod, etc. (something to do during non-sleep times). • Any non-caffeinated / non-alcoholic drinks or snacks you wish.
• A change of clothes for the next day if needed (You will need to go home to shower following the test). • If using Nasal CPAP, bring your mask/head gear, tubing and CPAP machine with you. [Read more about CPAP, below.]
• Bring your completed Sleep Diary. This will become part of your chart.
What a shitload of instructions, yes? Not exactly conducive to relaxation!
Lacking the proper wardrobe, I improvised with a two-piece tracksuit and spandex camisole. In hindsight, this was a mistake which made things more uncomfortable than they needed to be. More about that, later.
My overnight bag included a bottle of water, notepad, pen, Samsung tablet loaded with ebooks and camera, nighttime asthma meds, dental hygiene stuff, hairbrush and kleenex.
The thought of trying to sleep while hooked up to a tangle of wires was weighing on my mind, along with the creepiness of being watched the entire time.
Questions kept running through my mind, adding to the trepidation:
What if I can’t sleep?
What if I have to pee?
How much privacy is there?
Deep breath! Time to go…
There was a small sitting area with a TV and three men waiting. Men? GASP! No makeup allowed, so I was trying to hide behind my hair.
Silly and vain, I know, but it’s a natural reflex. Luckily, Zara, the Polysomnographic technologist had an amiable personality, which put everyone at ease.
First task was filling out the inevitable paperwork. Next came the “luxury suite.” Ha! Keep in mind; this was at the local hospital, which is efficient but more “no-frills” than some of the private clinics.
(Update 2019: This was at the old hospital. We now have a snazzy new one, but the sleep study rooms are still sparse.)
One thing I forgot was my neck pillow (for arthritis) but managed to improvise with a rolled-up towel.
~~~~~~~~
So, now comes the “fun” part – getting wired up! This is where my choice of wardrobe made things difficult. I needed to leave the jacket on for warmth, but the material was a bit thick, resulting in some minor discomfort with the chest band (looped under the arms).
(Update 2019: They have eliminated the annoying chest band, and, I bought a pair of pyjamas, just in case.)
The electrodes on the scalp are messy, especially for those of us with long hair. Ick! I was debating whether to include this next photo, since I’m so vain and all, but, it is what it is. EEEK!
Particularly bothersome were the nose prongs (which were later fastened with tape), as I have trouble breathing anyway, thanks to the sinus issues and asthma.
This is getting more “thrilling” by the minute!
By now it was 10:30 p.m. and Zara asked me to get into bed and lie on my back. She then disappeared, and her disembodied voice echoed through the speaker above my head.
“Move your left foot up and down, now the right, raise your left arm, now your right, move your eyes up and down, now left to right. Turn on your left side, now on your right.”
Movements checked it was lights out, and I lay there for what seemed like hours but was probably only 30 minutes. Suddenly, my right hand cramped up, no doubt from clenching!
~~~~~~~~
Sleep finally came, but a violent arm jerk woke me up with a start. Might have been a dream; I can’t recall. Dozed off again, then the inevitable happened.
At 2:20 a.m., I needed to pee and called out to Zara. She unhooked me, and I made my way to the bathroom, wires intact. Back to bed and much tossing and turning. That chest band and the nose prongs weren’t helping at all!
(Update 2019: Our new hospital has ensuite bathrooms, and you can unhook yourself. No need to summon the technician.)
~~~~~~~~
Next thing I remember is waking up at 5:15 a.m and Zara telling me my husband was there. “You can stay in bed longer if you like. Your husband says he’ll wait until you’re ready”. I was yearning to go home, so asked Zara if she had gathered enough information for the study. She said “yes” and came to liberate me.
She also mentioned that my deepest sleep came after 3 a.m. and that I should be on the night shift. No surprise there! Zara referred me to the doctor when I asked about her findings. It could be a few weeks before he receives the completed report. I knew that, but took a shot, anyway.
~~~~~~~~
Here we go – more paperwork; a survey about the experience: Zara was great, the bed was comfortable, I was not; arthritis was aggravating, no, I don’t want to do this again, etc. Face washed, hair combed, teeth brushed and gone!
Home, sweet home by 5:30 a.m. Tired, but also wired, I took a shower instead of going to sleep. There was electrode gel in my hair and residue elsewhere. That woke me up more, so I tended to the dogs’ breakfast, let them out and went online to see what’s new.
~~~~~~~~
By 8 a.m., my eyelids were drooping, and I crashed. The day was pretty much a write-off after that, with another nap in the afternoon and back to bed by 11 p.m. Good thing I work from home and the clients are understanding!
For the first time in years, I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. Oh, to experience that again! Regularly seems like too much to hope for, but we’ll see what the prognosis is.
Click on the arrow to read the follow-up ►
[opens in a separate window]
Sleep apnea is one diagnosis I’m dreading, because there are only two possible options; surgery (!) or using a CPAP machine.
Isn’t that sexy? I’ve never seen one close up, but know a few people who use them.
CPAP is an acronym for “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.” People with apnea literally stop breathing for a few seconds during sleep but are unaware of it.
~~~~~~~~~
The purpose of the machine is to keep airways open using mild air pressure, thus eliminating the problem. It’s been said that those suffering from anxiety or claustrophobia (me, me!), might have trouble adjusting to this procedure.
Reviews were mixed from the people I questioned. One uses it regularly and swears by it, another only occasionally, during periods of extreme fatigue. A third couldn’t handle it at all and still suffers from sleep deprivation.
~~~~~~~~
That said, if you’re having difficulty sleeping, why not consider doing a sleep study?
It may offer you a solution or at least some answers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you participated in one of these sleep studies or are you considering it?
Is this information useful to you?
Looking forward to your comments!
[Bloodshot eye courtesy of flickr.com]
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
72 thoughts on “MY SLEEP STUDY EXPERIENCE”
I’ve been using a CPAP since November, finding I feel more alert in the afternoon and not so tired in the mornings. Doctor wants me to lose 25 pounds and get retested. After using CPAP, think this has been a long needed thing in my life, weight loss would help but not cure me. Good luck on your journey.
Hi Debbie!
Bless your heart. That’s a lot to go through without a lot of good results. I don’t blame your reluctance to use the mask, but it matters – because you matter. Just ask your hubs 😉
I doubt there’s any ‘getting used to’ a clinic atmosphere, and while there seems to be a rise in home visits, I’d be one to hide in a closet when the doctor arrived. Having epilepsy, I’ve undergone a few of those studies that track what my brain is up to when I’m supposed to be sleeping. I cannot sleep with a stranger in the room. It’s just too weird; feeling like a specimen under glass. Still, I’m grateful for the meds that stop the seizures. It kind of makes all the poking and prodding worth the trouble. Wishing you deep and restful sleep whenever your body needs it!
Hi diedre; I do use the mask, most of the time, but take an occasional break from it. Can’t say I feel much different, either way. 😛 That must have been quite an ordeal for you, experiencing seizures and going through those tests! 😮 I’m glad everything is under control, now. Thanks for coming by!
I really feel for you Debbie as sleep deprivation is really awful. It’s interesting to read what happens in a sleep study and it sounds as if they are readily available over there. Not sure if that is the case here in the UK. Can’t even get a simple doctor appointment now without a huge struggle! I used to be nocturnal and do loads of creative stuff in the night, but then I read a study which linked lack of sleep in the hours of darkness to the development of Alzheimers and it scared me into sorting my sleep out. Apparently brain cells can only be ‘washed’ of the waste products that build up in all cells, while we are sleeping. And, allegedly, it is a process which needs to happen EVERY night over a long period of deep sleep. I don’t know if this is true but I’m not taking any chances.
I found that taking Vit B12 at night helped alot and also CBD oil. If I wake up, I do not allow myself to get up, read or go downstairs like I used to. I lay there and tell myself I must not close my eyes and I concentrate on staring into the darkness without blinking. My eyes always get heavy and I fall back to sleep. I’m so scared of getting Alzheimers, it sems to have jolted me out of being nocturnal.
There are also a few other things I’ve done to adress sleep apnea and post nasal drip, but I’ll write them in a blog post to save making this comment too long.
Thanks for sharing this honest acount of your study and the results – its very interesting to read.
Hi Gilly! Thanks for your expressions of sympathy. ❤ I have been dealing with sleep disturbances since childhood, so I’m used to getting by with only a few hours a night. In fact, after I first got the CPAP machine I slept for nine hours straight (only happened once) and woke up SO groggy, the day was pretty much a write-off! 😀 Sleep studies are fairly routine here, and, as someone else mentioned, CPAP machines seem to be a popular cure-all. I can’t imagine ever giving up my nocturnal ways, nor do I have the desire to. I think there’s a study out there for just about everything causing serious health issues of one type or another. Mostly, I shrug them off – like Alfred E. Neuman (Mad Magazine). What? Me Worry?. 😉
One of my friends swears by CBD oil to help her sleep, but that wouldn’t cure the apnea, which is severe in my case. I’ve tried things like Valerian, Melatonin ad 5HTP before, to no avail.
Thanks for coming by to read the article. I’m looking forward to reading yours. Cheers!
My dr has been after me to get a sleep study as well. We have a long history of sleep apnea in our family. I don’t know what it was called then but we all knew we stopped breathing while we slept. I too am nocturnal and require very little sleep most nights. My siblings are the same. We used to blame this on our dad’s military schedule that he continued to keep long after he was out of the military. We slept when he slept except during school and even then I think we were all awake in our rooms. I know I was. I used the machine once when visiting friends for a month and I loved it and couldn’t wait to get my own butttttt I guess you have to take the sleep study first, huh? Interesting post. An extra-large tongue? I was born with an upside-down kidney. Hahaha.
I can relate to what you’re saying, Karen. My sleep patterns have been interrupted since childhood, too. I don’t know about the U.S., but here, if you want your machine paid for by insurance, you have to do a sleep study and get a doctor’s prescription. I think you can buy them without a prescription if you’re willing to pay out of pocket. Mine was well over a $1000.00, so that’s a bit steep. Why not check into it? Lots of reputable companies do sell them online, as well. Here’s the kicker though: without a sleep study, you won’t know what the proper setting for your machine should be. On the other hand, if you’ve used your friend’s and it worked well…You’d have to find instructions on how to set it up, though. I WISH I liked using the damn thing, but I really hate it! Talk about severe dry mouth in the morning, and the straps sometimes leave marks on my face. 🙁 If I felt a lot better, then I wouldn’t bitch about those things. I asked them why I didn’t have all this boundless energy all of a sudden – that was one of their selling points – and they said: “Not everyone notices a big difference “. ARGHH! I guess because I still go to bed in the middle of the night and get up before 9 am, I’m not benefitting as much as I could be. Oh well! When they mentioned “extra-large tongue,” my first thought was “Gene Simmons”, but mine is too broad and thick, not long. ? An upside-down kidney? Does that affect anything?
Debbie,
DH has problems staying asleep at night. He’s tried everything and like your husband, he refuses to go have this checked out which doesn’t surprise me. He won’t have other things taken care of that I’m sure needs addressing but what am I to do? Sigh, oh well…all I can say is if he leaves me for the afterlife too soon then when I catch up with him, he’s dead meat! lol Seriously, I hope you find the answers needed for a better night’s sleep. Incidentally, have you looked into hormone replacement? When I get my HRT pellets I noticed an improvement with my sleep. Usually, as my hormones begin to drop off (toward the next 4-month insertion date) I become more restless with frequent wakeups which can last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour and on occasion longer. BTW, HRT is good for men, too. My GYN gets them himself. Who knew, right? Here’s to more better night sleeps for you!
Hi Cathy; Men are so stubborn when it comes to certain things! 🙂 That said, my husband is very good about getting regular checkups and I’m not. LOL The follow-up post talks about the diagnosis I received – severe apnea. This is something I have had since childhood, so I don’t think hormone treatments would help. Thanks for the suggestion, though. 🙂 The CPAP machine is apparently doing its job, (I still hate it!) going by the readouts, but I can’t say I feel much better. The main difference is, I don’t wake up as often during the night or have nightmares, or toss and turn, like before. That’s something, at least!
I got to do my sleep study at home. The equipment came in the mail. I followed the instructions to hook it up and wore it for two nights. When I returned the equipment, the medical supplier could read the information it collected to tell me I have sleep apnea. If I’d had to go to a clinic, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep.
Love,
Janie
Doing a sleep study at home sounds like a much better idea! Wish they had that option, here. I didn’t sleep much, but apparently it was good enough to get a reading and determine that I have a severe case of apnea. 😛 Thanks, Janie!
Whishing you all the best regarding your sleep apnea problem, friend D. Very important especially for heart health. … plus you do wanna see the beautiful Mediterranean again and again and again, don’t you, hmmm? … As for diet, have you considered Keto? I have been eating Keto for a year now, and love everything about it as I naturally dislike fruit and sweets anyway. Potatoes, pasta and bread can be easily substituted with home cooked alternatives. … and once you mastered that … voila … weight be gone guaranteed 🙂 YouTube videos and Keto recipes are easily accessible online. Try it, you might like it … the only thing you need is discipline 🙂 Much love, cat.
As I never get updates on your blog, I will have to continue to “hunt you down” I guess … o well. c.
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Hi cat! 🙂 Thanks for the good wishes, I do have a severe case of sleep apnea, but thankfully, no heart issues. It’s been a struggle with that damn machine, and it doesn’t make me feel much better. Sigh… As for the Keto diet, that would be extremely difficult. Don’t like avocados, can’t eat eggs or nuts (allergies) and my husband is Italian. I wouldn’t dare suggest taking his pasta away! (Or mine, either – talk about major deprivation! 😮 ) We do eat a lot of seafood, at least and cheese. I appreciate the suggestion, though. There’s a home-cooked alternative to bread? Interesting! I know they make pasta out of veggies and cauliflower is a great substitute for potatoes.
I have been through 2 sleep studies. The first one stated I was in waking mode 23 times per minute so I am not getting the right amount of sleep. This would mean I dont heal properly because i dont get enough REM. I had another one done last year and I was right on the boundary of for sleep apnea. I went to the office to be fitted for a machine and the one I had to rip off about 10 seconds after she placed it on. They gave me 2 more to try and I took one home with me and…never used it! Screw it!! I am on the border, I have no heart issues so it is not a necessity like a friend of mine who has severe sleep apnea and has had 3 heart attacks. I was snoring and it bothers my hubby (he has severe ADHD) so now I make sure I sleep on my side and my hubby says he has not heard me snoring in months. That contraption on my head would make me stay awake, I would have to finagle with it when I get up to go pee in the middle of the night. I cant see well in the dark and I am supposed to place it back on my head and have it in the right way and be able to go back to sleep! It won’t happen plus it makes a noise which will drive my hubby nuts!! I think, to be honest, it is all the rage to be on this machine and I don’t see how so many need to be on one unless it is medically necessary like my friend. I don’t understand how it will help your insomnia because that is normally due to the mind racing etc….You can educate me if I am wrong on this. My other friend snores like the dickens but sleeps well. He went to his dr about his snoring and his dr told him that unless he has heart ailments..stroke etc… that these machines are not the cure-all. He went for a stress test and his heart is normal, his blood pressure etc… are all aok so he just snores. I wonder why, even hooked up to all those electrodes, you got a better sleep than at home. I can’t put the question mark in because when I try it comes out like this …É. I don’t know what button I hit to make things go french:)
Hi Birgit; There are some weird formatting issues with your comment! Small red print in places. Well, it’s still readable. (I’ll see if I can edit it.) The definition of insomnia includes trouble staying asleep, as well as falling asleep. With apnea, you stop breathing altogether, and that wakes you up for a second or two (you don’t realize it). I was diagnosed with severe apnea and was reaching this awake state 55 times in 60 minutes, so you can imagine! I agree with you that sleep studies and CPAP machines seem to be the fashionable “Cure du jour,” and many people can do without them, like you. I don’t have any heart problems or high blood pressure now, but I suspect, if I didn’t get a handle on this condition, they would develop. That’s the theory, anyway. As for going to the bathroom, I don’t remove the headgear; just unplug the hose. Hubby sleeps soundly and doesn’t hear a thing! I didn’t sleep any better during the study than at home. At one point my hand cramped up, my joints were aching, and I must have had a bad dream (another byproduct of apnea), because I woke up with a start, heart pounding. My keyboard sometimes morphs into French too, for no apparent reason, and I have to adjust the settings. A distinctly Canadian problem! 😀 Thanks for sharing your sleep study experiences.
Wowza! That’s a lot to go through but if it works hallelujah! I’ve not had problems sleeping in my lifetime. I don’t take naps and go to bed around 11 pm and get up at 7 am. Have a great day and restful nights.
It was a lot and they say it’s working, but I don’t feel much different. I’m a night person who still has to get up fairly early. Could be part of the problem, but I’m not willing to change that. 🙂 My husband doesn’t even get home from work until 10:30 pm. I don’t take naps either, but do tend to doze off unintentionally while watching TV. Thanks for dropping in!
Hi Debbie – thank goodness I don’t suffer from an inability to sleep – I know I’m really lucky. I do hope whatever they suggest makes a difference … take care and enjoy the normal routine – cheers Hilary
Another one who sleeps well! You are fortunate, Hilary. 🙂 The machine is doing what it is supposed to (eliminate the apnea), but it hasn’t made much difference as far as feeling more refreshed and alert. Thanks for coming by!
Oh my, that’s a lot of instructions to tend to. I’ve not done one of these, but I sleep like a baby. I’m asleep within minutes and get up a couple of times a night to hit the restroom. Right back to sleep. I’d hate doing this study.
Have a fabulous day. ♥
I’ve never slept well and envy you that, Sandee! The study was not fun and I had to do it twice! (Second time to see whether the machine was helping. It is, but I don’t feel much different.) Thanks for coming by!
Interesting. I sleep like a log most nights. Seven to nine hours. Of course, I wake up stiff as a board due to my spinal disc degeneration. In case of fire I will not be running to the exit. My youngest son has sleep apnea and hates the machine. I feel bad for him as he is always tired.
I envy your ability to sleep well, Denise, but the disc degeneration sound painful! My arthritis also makes it difficult to get up quickly in the mornings. It takes a few minutes of lurching around. 😀 Sounds like your son and I have the same issues. I hate the machine too, but use it off and on. Either way, it doesn’t make much difference, unfortunately. Supposedly, it is doing its job though and eliminating the apnea.
My son has had sleep studies done. When he was a newborn baby I realised that he was having issues breathing during his sleep. So I emailed his NS immediately and showed him a video of what he did whilst he was napping. I even used my phone to time it and make notes on what I was seeing. I also decided to contact a pulmonary doctor at the hospital too just in case we needed them. We were admitted to the hospital and evaluated by the ENT specialists and a NS who performed a bunch of tests on Daniel. The sleep study report said that the tech detected sleep apnea during the study. We also had a scope to see if his vocal cords were working or paralyzed. Our sleep study doctor recommended for us to undergo a tracheotomy procedure as his breathing issues did not clear up on their own. We are currently 1 year post tracheostomy insertion. It feels good to have my son at home instead of being trapped in his hospital room. The nurses therapists and doctors were amazing and skilled with our little guy. Sleep studies are not fun however. Neither are the multiple appointments we have. My son has vocal cord dysfunction; neurogenic bladder and bowel, clubbed feet tethered cord and is in a wheelchair but he is so bright and perfect. His disability does not stop him from getting on with his life at all.
Welcome to The Den, Leah; Firstly, apologies for missing this heart-wrenching comment until now! My blog has been suffering from neglect over the past year. It sounds like you and your son have emerged triumphant after battling significant issues. Your story is so inspiring! Thank you for sharing it, here. All the best for 2019!
What happens if you can’t fall asleep or need a sleeping pill; do you happen to know?
Thank you so much for posting this tail of sleep and snoring dogs. 😉
Hi Chi Chi! 🙂 That’s a good question. They tell you take all of your usual prescription meds but not anything over-the-counter on the day of the study. If you don’t sleep at all, then they can’t get any data and would likely ask you to come back another time.
The sleep doctor said I could take my prescription sleeping pill (I already had them from another clinic).
I live in the SW United States. It gave me 4-5 hrs sleep in that strange place.
Hi Debbie,
Wow… Now this is interesting and I had no idea about the procedure of sleep studies. Muchas gracias for sharing your own experience on this and that photo dear (it’s nowhere near being awful though :)). Definitely come in handy for those who willing to go through and don’t know a thing about it 🙂
I’m sorry about what you have been through though. ‘Cause they don’t sound cool if you ask me 🙂 Keeps me happy as long as I’m away from doctors and hospitals. I’m glad you take action to explore the solutions for a good long sleep. A brave soul, eh?
For a period of time, I used to spend throughout the night until the morning or noon and sleep. But again I’ve set boundaries to myself to sleep early and wake up in the morning. Thankfully, now I can be either a night owl or early bird most of the time. Still… like you, I love the night 🙂 However, always had 7 – 8 hours of sleep, at least.
Hope the solution is not far away for you, Debbie 🙂 Appreciate your tremendous courage and hopefully you will gonna have long night sleeps soon.
You have a beautiful and relaxing weekend dear 🙂
Cheers…
Good day, Mayura, old friend. Thank you for visiting and reading about the sleep study. Yes, it was quite an experience! Several people had expressed interest, so I thought this would be a good thing to talk about, horrible photo (thanks for your kind words about that!) and all. 🙂 Still waiting for the results, but I too hope it will offer some solution for me. I can’t imagine having 7-8 hours of sleep and envy you that. Going to bed early only results in my being wide awake in the middle of the night and that’s aggravating.
Have a great week!
Hi Debbie,
I’m so glad you wrote about this. It’s something the doctors keep wanting me to do and I haven’t done it yet. It’s coming soon though as the sleep issues are not getting better but worse. It was nice to read and hear about how it all works. I feel like I can now kind of know what to expect. I really think this is a topic not many people touch and it was nice to hear about it.
Hope you have a good rest of the week. My daughter gets her wisdoms out tomorrow so we will be taking a lazy day for rest for her.
Take care.
Irish
Nice to see you, Irish. 🙂 Several people expressed interest, which is why I decided to speak about it, publically. Glad you found it helpful. I’m still waiting for the results and will post those as well. My doctor was nagging me for years. Finally, I gave in, because like you, the situation has gotten worse. It’s the first step to finding a solution. Hope you find yours! Best wishes to your daughter. Dental issues can be so grueling! 😛 Thanks for visiting and have a good weekend.
I should think most people wold find it difficult to sleep wired up like that in a strange place. It will be interesting to see what they have to say about you.
I have to get up to pee, whether it’s cold or not. 😛 Those nose prongs were so irritating! I did sleep some during the study, because I stayed up later than usual ~2:30 a.m. and got up earlier, so I was extremely tired. Thanks for reading about my ordeal. Apologies for the late response.
It was very uncomfortable Clowie and I’m still waiting for the results. Stay tuned!
It’ll be interesting to hear the results. I cannot imagine sleeping with nose prongs. Good lord. I need pitch black darkness, silence or soft classical music (I’m picky in my choices, too – not just someone else’s idea of “relaxing” music!), and cool air. Unfortunately, if it’s cold, I’m also more likely to have to get up to pee. But I can pretty much do that in my sleep (one of the advantages of being a woman who is able to find her way around in the dark). Even a little discomfort, though, and I’m like the Princess and the Pea. I cannot imagine how you slept at all.
Oh Debbie, this is so fascinating to me! I love that you’re being so proactive to learn what’s going with your rest and sleep and I truly hope you find what you’re looking for!
I’m still waiting for the results and hope to find some relief. This has been a life-long affliction and I’m fed up with it now. Glad you found it interesting and thanks for visiting. Apologies for the late response.
I’ll be very interested if you share the results. I have pretty much the same sleep pattern with my drive to sleep occurring after 3 a.m. According to my husband (a doctor, but not a sleep specialist), he thinks I have a Delayed Phase Circadian Rhythm Disorder. I think the main recommendation is—get a job on the 3 to 11 shift. 🙂
Results will be shared, so stay tuned. 🙂 I agree with your recommendation and will look into that disorder. The technician more or less said the same thing. Thanks for the info. Hope that’s it, because wearing a machine would totally freak me out!
Oh dear! It certainly doesn’t sound like fun. But I’m sure there’ll be relief to know what the issue is! Keep me posted, Debbie and I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
No, not much fun, Corinne, but something to write about, anyway. LOL It will be a few weeks before I find out. I can’t stand the idea of wearing a mask on my face, though, so I hioe there’s another solution.
Oh my! That’s quite an experience! Hope it all works well for you, Debbie. I must make my sister read this. I think, she suffers from chronic insomnia too!
It was not the most pleasant of experiences, Lee and I only agreed to it after much nagging from the doctor. Yes, the snoring question is rather funny. How do you know whether you snore or not? 😀 I think most people do, especially in later years.
I’ll keep you posted about the results. 🙂 Squeamish? Just a few wires fastened by gel and tape – no needles or otherwise invasive procedures. That was bad enough though! 😛 Thanks to you and wifey for your interest, Myke.
There can be a thing about noise. I got the BiPAP because it’s much quieter. Sometimes I can sleep easily to that little bit of sound. When I can’t, I wear ear plugs. If you run a fan while you sleep for the noise, you’ll be fine. 🙂
I love your positivity and I’m willing to give it a chance, if that’s the recommended course of action, but honestly, the whole idea is a huge turn off. Thanks again, Mitch. Nice to have some real online conversation, for a change.
I sent you the video I did about my BiPAP (a fancier CPAP) along with my showing one type of mask. You’ll do fine, and for the most part you’ll feel better. I do feel better; I sleep better, but I still don’t sleep enough. These things can’t take care of everything. 🙂
Wifey and I read all this together. She told me to be sure to let her know when the results come in. She got really caught up in the story… I was, typically, a little on the squeamish side. We are hoping for the best for you.
I can think of a few less than complimentary acronyms, Carol. 🙂 My claustrophobic self is freaking out at the very idea of wearing a mask. Hope there’s a different solution! I so envy you and others who can sleep well. This has plagued me since childhood. It would be wonderful to wake up feeling refreshed. Truly a luxury!
Oh how I remember my sleep study! Yep, you nailed it. That’s exactly what I went through…except I didn’t have the clothing issue. i was darn comfortable. But being hooked up to all those wires and electrodes: yuk! I remember falling asleep right away (I brought a Planet Earth DVD and was watching underwater scenery so that might’ve had something to do with it). The test showed that I had a very mild mild case of sleep apnea and I did the CPAP for awhile but found it irritating. I could sleep with it on no problem, it was just a hassle. My mom could not use the CPAP at all. I do know of others who, like your friend, swear by it. The place I went was not in a hospital so the amenities were interesting: it looked like a bedroom and had antique furniture, a nice TV and DVD player. It was quite comfortable really. It was just weird sleeping someplace other than home and it was really weird coming out at 7:00 in the morning to head home! I’m glad you got that over with. Will be interested to see what your test results show. Thanks for sharing your experience!
My brother in law recently had to do a sleep study – he has aFIB and the doctors were suspecting it was caused by sleep apnea. My husband has lots of sinus issues (he has a sinus infection right now and gets at least one a year without even having a cold) and snores – I have a feeling he is going to end up with one of these sleep studies. I am reading this post with great interest, to get a “sneak preview” just in case. I’ve heard, not to be discouraging, that a lot of people can not tolerate the CPAP machine. I hope my brother in law can, if that becomes his fate.
Oh yeah; it was interesting, Bren. LOL I don’t have any jammies either and I doubt anyone can sleep normally with all those wires attached. I should know the results in a couple of weeks.
Sounds like you had a nicer environment, at least. There was purposely no TV in the room, plus no internet or cell phone service at the hospital. I’m claustrophobic and the thought of putting a mask on totally freaks me out! I’m hoping there’s another solution for me, but we’ll see what the doctors says. Glad you enjoyed the post, Michele. 🙂
I watched it, Mitch. Thanks for sharing it. I have pretty much the same sleep issues you do, also since childhood. The sheets look like a war zone in the morning. As for the machine, my claustrophobic self was freaking out over that mask! And noise? That would be difficult, too. Waiting for the results now.
I’ve never done a sleep study and from what you describe I don’t think I’d want to. A dream study might be interesting, but really I don’t like sleeping (or trying to sleep) in a strange environment that is of an institutional nature.
Love that question “Do you snore?” My wife claims I do, but I hope I don’t snore as much as she does.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
My friend uses the CPAP machine although he has a different acronym for the letters. What an ORDEAL. Bottom line — hope you get some help. Your life will improve dramatically if you can get some much needed sleep and REST. I cannot relate at all but try to imagine what it would be like and I think it would be pretty awful. I go to bed, go to sleep, get up. In that order, same every night – about 6 – 7 hours uninterrupted. Hopefully you too can realize that luxury some day.
I can relate to the over-active brain and arthritis too, Lorinda. “Sleep apnea” has become somewhat of a generic diagnosis these days and I’m not entirely convinced this is my problem either, but we’ll see what happens. I have an aversion to taking pills and always find they come with side effects, like constipation. Thanks for sharing your experiences and for the good wishes. 🙂
Hi Debbie. Interesting experience to day the least. 🙂 When do you find out the results? I wouldn’t be able to have a normal sleep. I can’t sleep in jammies so they wouldn’t get an accurate reading of me. 🙂
B
I’ve decided I really don’t have that many sleep problems. I don’t have asthma or allergies, but I do have an over-active brain at times, and also achiness from arthritis. I find taking Ibuprofen PM works fine. When I’m normal (not now during the chemo), I usually go to bed at 9:00, stay in bed for six hours, which is the length of time the PM part works. I don’t go to sleep immediately, though. Then after 3 or 4 o’clock I usually go back to sleep and get up around 6:00. People at the hospitals are always asking me if I have sleep apnea and I say “No!” and they look skeptical. Then I tell them that I never sleep on my back, I never wake myself up snorting, and I clench my teeth so that I have to wear a night guard – dentist says I’ll ruin my teeth otherwise. So I think my problems are just the opposite. Good luck with your diagnosis, Debbie!
Well, I have to admit, it took me awhile to summon up the courage to post that awful photo. LOL I can’t imagine using that machine at all, because I have issues with claustrophobia, but, we’ll see what the recommendations are. Glad to know your husband is getting help. Last time I experienced a good night’s rest was after the sleep study. It would be wonderful to have that regularly!
I hope your brother-in-law and husband get some relief, Alana. I read that people with claustrophobia may not adapt to the machine and that would include me. The very thought of putting on a mask freaks me out! In truth, I’d rather have surgery, but we’ll see what the outcome is. Glad you found this post of interest.
Debbie I think this is the most honest and candid report I’ve read on this subject. I loved that you posted your photo. Lol… and despite being so vain. It makes you all the more lovable. My husband has sleep apnea, and I’m so grateful that he can be helped. The alternatives, like a stroke, make us both grateful for modern medicine. I hope you can be helped. You sure are on your way to finally getting a good nights rest. You’ll love it.
Interesting experience Debbie… Science has progressed so much… I think I’ll have to re-read this post to grasp everything but truly must have been an unique experience
It was a unique experience and not altogether comfortable! 😛 Here’s hoping it results in some answers.
It was a unique experience, for sure and pretty uncomfortable, but hopefully it will result in a solution. I’m sorry your sister has sleeping difficulties as well. Maybe reading this will give her the incentive to seek help. I refused to do it for so long, but just couldn’t take the exhaustion any more.