"Tumescence" monitoring during Sleep Studies???

Okay, I'm sorry, but I read this in another post where someone described their sleep study and I have to ask. Is this normal with a sleep study?!?!?!

I feel it's unnatural to have wires gelled all over the body, a microphone tied around the neck, a
"tumescence band" attached you-know-where (and really, what is THAT all about???), and cameras
watching you every second of the night.

cameras, yes, they need to see what position you're in, and if you start sitting up or something

microphones, yes, to listen for snoring, talking, catathrenia, and to hear if you need them to take you to the bathroom

never had a tumescence band attached, that's a different kind of arousal than what I'd expect them to watch for, but I could see it being important if the patient has a history of bedwetting, or they're checking for erectile dysfunction.

I believe the tumescence occurs during REM. Which explains the "pre-breakfast greeting".

chunkyfrog wrote:I believe the tumescence occurs during REM. Which explains the "pre-breakfast greeting".

I'd always understood it as being most common in the morning to prevent bed-wetting.

ironhands wrote:never had a tumescence band attached, that's a different kind of arousal than what I'd expect them to watch for, but I could see it being important if the patient has a history of bedwetting, or they're checking for erectile dysfunction.

Me either! To verify the sensors they had me breathe slowly, then quickly, cough, blink, look up, then down, left, right. How do they test tumescence band?

SleepWrangler wrote:How do they test tumescence band?

I'm sure there is a quip to be made about having a nurse give you a hand... but I'M certainly not going to make it!

I think the worst part would be the no-win outcome. Either way it goes is gonna be mortifying (except for THAT GUY... the one that just loves showing it off)!

You mean the redneck who wears his hospital gown backward--just to hear the gasps!
--or sighs--(in his dreams)

What's being described is a sleep study that incorporates a study of nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT).
It is used to make a differential diagnosis of the cause of erectile dysfunction.
If no erections are measured, the problem is physiological - i.e., there is a medical physical problem.
If erections are measured, the problem is psychological.

Treatment for these two different causes are radically different.

JDS74 wrote:What's being described is a sleep study that incorporates a study of nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT).
It is used to make a differential diagnosis of the cause of erectile dysfunction.
If no erections are measured, the problem is physiological - i.e., there is a medical physical problem.
If erections are measured, the problem is psychological.

Treatment for these two differnt causes are radically different.

Huh. I never thought of that, but sure, sleep eliminates the psychological aspect of any issues and monitors the biological capability only. Is that something that is commonly done for every study, or just if the doctor requests it because they suspect an issue?

There are apparently quite a few connections between sleep and tumescence having nothing to do with sex.

I think they used to do it more often than they do now. I don't know if it was found not to be useful, or if it's just been dropped for political correctness, embarrassment, or assembly line medicine reasons.

Maybe fine print in Title 9?

chunkyfrog wrote:Maybe fine print in Title 9?

djhall wrote:Okay, I'm sorry, but I read this in another post where someone described their sleep study and I have to ask. Is this normal with a sleep study?!?!?!

I feel it's unnatural to have wires gelled all over the body, a microphone tied around the neck, a
"tumescence band" attached you-know-where (and really, what is THAT all about???), and cameras
watching you every second of the night.

That would be me who posted. In reading the other posts above, I can assure you it was not for bedwetting,
erectile dysfunction, or anything OTHER than finding the cause for Richter-scale snoring. My first sleep study
in 2000 involved the band... then the next study - 2 weeks later due to zero sleep the first time - had the band.
The third study in 2007 (at time of machine replacement) involved the band. In all three cases, the band was
placed FOR me.

archangle wrote:There are apparently quite a few connections between sleep and tumescence having nothing to do with sex.

I think they used to do it more often than they do now. I don't know if it was found not to be useful, or if it's just been dropped for political correctness, embarrassment, or assembly line medicine reasons.

NPT studies used to be done often about 15 years ago and longer, and many sleep labs ran these. This was because at the time, physicians generally would require a sleep study to determine the cause and therefore the appropriate treatment of erectile problems before they would prescribe a treatment. Nowadays medicine is different, and physicians prescribe medication for ED without any such testing. I do not personally know of any labs currently that are performing these anymore. Currently I do not believe that coverage for this testing is included under most insurance policies.