Scheduled this friday and need input

I started out having a home sleep study. The sleep doctor had told me I stopped breathing 20 times that night but he had said he only received partial results. I know the piece that went onto my index finger wasn't working properly. Whenever I moved a tiny bit, it would begin blinking on the screen, meaning it wasn't getting results and I know I move during the night. I'm now scheduled for an in-lab study this Friday. I'm hoping I get more results showing OSA so I can get treated! If I stopped breathing 20 times with partial results, it make sense that it's most likely much worse correct? Also, he said there's a possibility of narcolepsy that's causing my fatigue, but I would know if I had that.. right?

I would suggest you have your doctor give you a prescription for a sleep aid to use during the test. When I had my first sleep studies, I did not sleep well, but the managed to get diagnosis and a recommended pressure setting. Due to insurance requirements, I had to do a new sleep study and titration study. My current sleep doctor gave me a prescription for two Ambien, which I use during my tests. They helped me relax enough to get good testing results.

Take something comfortable to sleep in that is loose enough to allow for all of the sensor pads they will apply to you. I wore a pair of sleep shorts and a well-used, loose-fitting tee shirt. You will find various recommendations for removing the goop they put in your hair. I just used plenty of shampoo and hot water.

Various reasons, I've had to go several times for level 1 sleep tests - had to figure out what gave me the best chance of actually sleeping enough for them to get results. Both places I went provided sleep wear, but that was all in the info packet I received ahead of time, so seems you would know that one way or the other. One mistake made along the way was NOT wearing a mask to start with, when we were pretty sure I would need it after they got some results to start "titrating". Seems like that might have speeded things up. Otherwise - do what you have to do to be able to sleep. Last time, I mostly stayed up the night before and did everything that day which mostly helps me to sleep - and I did sleep enough.

xxyzzzzzz wrote:that finger probe only gives the spo2 and heart rate
they should have been measuring your RR and flow rates separately
that should have showed if you have OSA just fine

You don't have a clue, but you post anyway. He said he had a home sleep study. This was most likely a 7-channel study. It includes enough data to make a positive diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, if the patient sleeps long enough.

If you think you will have a problem sleeping in the lab, then perhaps a sleep aid as recommended would be a good idea.

In my case, the concept of not being able to fall asleep was so completely alien to me that I did not even think about it (nor did I have to).

reastlack wrote: Also, he said there's a possibility of narcolepsy that's causing my fatigue, but I would know if I had that.. right?

Well, there is overt narcolepsy that manifests in cateplexy and some other classic signs so is a pretty obvious diagnosis. Narcolepsy affects to varying degrees. Some are only mildly affected, so the diagnosis can be elusive. I think I read somewhere that late nite talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has mild narcolepsy. The thing is, daytime symptoms can have any number of causes, so to diagnosis narcolepsy, other causes first need to be ruled out or treated. Once your sleep apnea is effectively treated and you have some time to recover, your symptoms should improve. If over time you still have daytime symptoms your doctor may want to pursue ruling out narcolepsy.