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CHEATING ON A SLEEP STUDY

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 2:52 pm
by trodello
Is this possible? I have mild to moderate OSA, and I need to pass a physical soon. My job may depend on it. Is there a way to make the readings more favorable?

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 3:10 pm
by wading thru the muck!
Are they having you do a sleep study as part of a pre-employment screening? Are you applying for a job with NASA? If you have an AHI of less than 15 and no other related symptoms you would not even need to be considered for treatment. If they are requiring a sleep study there are things you can do to give yourself a better chance. Sleep on your side. Don't drink alcohol prior to the study. Wear a dental device that shifts your jaw forward to help elongate your breathing passages.

Are you sure mild to moderate apnea would disqualify you for the job?

Snore is key...

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 3:13 pm
by -SWS
I always thought the best way to cheat during a sleep study was to mimick one of those wacky Three Stooges snores... I could be wrong, though.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 3:28 pm
by wading thru the muck!
-SWS is right. Maybe you would have the sleep tech rolling on the floor so much that he could not record any SDB events and you'd be off the hook.

I'm sure if the Stooges could have done an episode about sleep studies it would have been a classic. I can just see it now, the sleep tech would be a volupuous blond with a skimpy nurses outfit and her name would be "Polly Somnography."

I can also picture the load snores stretching the mask 6" off their faces an then snaping back like a slap on the face.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 3:47 pm
by SleepyGuy
I don't think there is much hope of cheating on a sleep study. They monitor your brain waves and they will know not only if you're asleep, but what stage of sleep your at. Your best bet is to sleep on your side and use a nasal spray before going to bed.

If you find a way to "cheat" that would mean you've found a way not to have apneas and hypopneas without a CPAP. If you do, let us know immediately!

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 3:51 pm
by SleepyGuy
I think my nasal somnoplasty would make great material for the Stooges. Picture me sitting back and the doc putting electrodes up my nose as the nurse adjusted the voltage.

That sketch would write itself.

how to cheat

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:03 pm
by meister
Slip you wife in the back door and quickly switch the
sensors over to her!

The sleep tech told me that the cameras in those room are
so sensitive that they can see my eyes moving.

However, I tried giving him the bird and he didn't seem to notice,
or just didn't respond.

Not sure why you want to cheat? Realistically your only option is
to do something like take Ambien right before walking in the door.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:57 pm
by Liam1965
You could always copy off of the guy in the bed next to yours.

Just be sure you don't get caught, or they might take away your hose.

And I think we all know how painful THAT can be.

Liam, who has NO idea what he's saying.

Thanks a lot!

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 7:56 pm
by trodello1
All those stupid Three Stooges comments would be semi-amusing if I wasn't serious about this. (I thought this was a serious forum, anyway) This is the story: I was hired as a QA for the Dept. of Defense. My job is to accept products from defense contractors, provided they meet all the contract specs. The position also requires me to deploy to wonderful places lioke Iraq, to make sure the contractors over there (Halliburton/KBR) are truly taking care of our troops, like we're paying them to. (Whether or not you agree with the war is not the point, so please don't comment on that, because that is not my point. A man has to eat.) Moving right along....
I took a pre-employment physical to get the job and passed. I told them I had sleep apnea, and they didn't mind. HOWEVER, the US Army controls the deployments, and they have a policy that says Sleep Apnea is a non-deployable condition. But, if I get a letter signed by my doctor that says I can survive without a CPAP for six months, they'll let me go. The problem is that no doctor wants to stick out his/her neck like that. It seems my only chance is to take another sleep study and pass it. My most recent study (after my UPPP) gave me some fairly decent raddings, as far as I can tell, but I don't know how good is good! My Oxygen Saturation averaged 96.9%, with a low of 84% throughout the night. My RDI was 22.8% though, placing me just into the moderate range. I had 68 "events", 40 hypopnea's and 28 apnea's. I don't know if this all equates to me using a CPAP, but it seems so, because right after that study, they issued me a CPAP and told me to where it. (I was on active duty at the time) Can anyone tell if that equates to mandatory CPAP usage?
NOTE: I am not stupid. I know I should be using a CPAP, but I also know I will not keel over dead if I don't use it for six months. And it doesn't mean I wouldn't be able to use it either. They just want me to be prepared not to use it, just in case I am in a place where there is an unreliable power source. I just want to pass this test so I can continue to do my job.
P.S. What would Ambien do for me.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:03 pm
by Liam1965
Well, to be brutally honest, this is a serious forum for people who CARE about their sleep apnea and want to discuss how to TREAT it, not people who want to circumvent the system.

I understand you don't like the rules. But they are the rules, and we all have to play by them. If it means you don't get to go visit sunny Bagdhad, well, them's the breaks.

If you want to discuss how to survive ON CPAP, or how to get to sleep, or what Apnea is doing to you, that's fine.

If you want us, all people who are struggling to get our disease UNDER CONTROL to take you seriously when you want to lie to someone about having it, well, that's why you get jokes. It's inconceivable to us that anyone would WANT to put their life at that kind of risk.

So, you can take the jokes or not, and you can hope someone comes up with some real information as to how to break the rules, but we have Apnea. It's very stressful to many of us, and we need to laugh because otherwise we'd cry.

Liam, Court Jester and official merriment maker.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:15 pm
by Mikesus
What was your AHI? That is really the determining factor...

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:34 pm
by chrisp
Ambien will put you to sleep. If it prevents you from waking your apneas will become worse . Your O2 levels will drop even lower. You will wake in the morning with a whopper of a headache. Unless you are on cpap.

Any sleep aids or muscle relaxers or alcohol will cause untreated sleep apnea to become worse. Not what you are looking for I believe.

The only thing that MAY help is weight loss if needed, Exercise to tone your muscles and treat /prevent any allergies including food allergies you may have.

Otherwise cpap is the treatment you need.

The 3 Stooges are often refered to on this forum. Perhaps because many of us have had similar treatment from Drs. and DMES. LOL

Cheers,

Chris

Re: CHEATING ON A SLEEP STUDY

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:38 pm
by Guest
trodello wrote:Is this possible? I have mild to moderate OSA, and I need to pass a physical soon. My job may depend on it. Is there a way to make the readings more favorable?
See a dentist specializing in "sleep dentistry". He may be able to give you a dental appliance that can bring your AHI down to acceptable levels----without CPAP.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:39 pm
by Mikesus
If you are borderline you might be able to sleep on you side on a bunch of pillows to reduce the symptoms (kinda like sleeping on your side on a recliner) but the only provem way to beat Sleep Apnea is Cpap... Otherwise we all would be beating it... Not what you want to hear, but unfortunately the truth...

Reply

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:55 pm
by frequentfliertx
There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that you can cheat on a sleep study. They have you so wired and monitored that the results are fullproof. How were you planning on cheating? By tearing off all the wires that they have hooked up to you. If you have sleep apnea there IS NO WAY that you can fake NOT HAVING IT! What you should have done, is kept quiet about your sleep apnea. The less information volunteered, the better it is for you. I'm afraid that you opened up your mouth and stuck your foot in it this time bud. There is no way that you can go without a CPAP for a day, let alone six months if you have sleep apnea. You might as well kiss that job goodbye!
Welcome to stateside! Besides whjo would want a job over there being exposed to those TERRORIST CAMELJOCKEYS anyway! You're alot safer and healthier staying here! If I sound harsh then so be it. I'm just pointing out the facts man, just the facts!