Anxiety over sleep test?

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:15 pm

I think people have anxiety over sleep studies for all of the reasons mentioned on this thread. My wife needs a study, but she is just certain that she cannot sleep in the "lab," so she won't go.
Saw this a few days ago, the home study for $85. Maybe this will be a way for people to get their OSA diagnosed and get a CPAP prescription without the sleep lab ordeal and high cost:
http://cpapusa.com/information.php?article=Aplab

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:51 pm

Halfway thru the nite on my first study, (no breathing equipment, just the probes and monitors all over me) the tech came in and gave me a very low dosage of a sedative (I forget what it was) and said that since I was having such a hard time sleeping, she was allowed to give me that to help me relax. It still took a while longer, but I think it did help. Maybe this time I can get them to give me one to start..(?I doubt they will, though.)
I am starting to think I am more anxious now this time, not only about not being able to sleep with all the gizmos on me plus adding the cpap, but I am worried about them not figuring out all the necessary factors relating to my treatment....afraid of NOT reaping the benefits of it all. I know it is a process, but.....
Trice

norm · Post by **norm** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:36 pm

I knew I had sleep apnea for years and twice made appointments but cancelled them. I told myself, in each case, that I just didn't have the time and yes, I had a problem, but it wasn't that serious. Looking back on it now, I think I cancelled because of all the reasons given in this thread: denial, anxiety about being able to fall asleep, to have wires sticking to my body, to not being able to move about, to having to sleep on my back, to learning that my problem was actually quite serious, to a belief that even if I had a serious problem I could not learn to relax enough to use a CPAP machine and that my allergies would in any event make it impossible to wear a mask so why bother if I wasn't a good candidate for the therapy.

The only thing I know it wasn't was money, since I have good health insurance.

All I can say is that I was an idiot--looking back on it, I condemned myself to extra years of fatigue and stress on my body, not to mention condemning my wife and kids to years of sleeping in a place nosier than Grand Central Station.

So don't procrastinate, don't cancel, go ahead and get your study would be my current advice to the me back then.

Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:57 pm

I had had so many health problems, and had been prescribed so many medicines that ended up harming me that by the time I was sent for a PSG I had no trust in western medicine and was very jaded. I almost didn't go to my sleep study, fearing that it was just another chance to get put on dangerous medicines and further ruin my health and relationships. My sleep doctor thought I had narcolepsy and I was assuming they would prescribe amphetamines.

Also, at the advice of a neurologist I had started taking some supplements, magnesium for headaches and co-Q 10 plus a few others. These caused a huge improvement in how I felt and the expense and inconvenience of the sleep study seemed less reasonable given the improvements I felt.

I am of course thrilled that I went through with my sleep study. After a year of CPAP I feel a million times better, and I love my CPAP. But I do totally understand why someone would back out. Plus, I am not at all shy, but come on, the thought of someone watching you sleep all night? Actually the whole thing is kind of absurd, it's a wonder any one ever sleeps at all at their PSG.

Hoover · Post by **Hoover** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:44 pm

I felt very vulnerable with not sleep and back pain issues and did not want to take the study at the Center. They discouraged me from doing it at home but they did have loaner equipment and I was able to do my study in the comfort of my own home.

I didn't mind all the hook ups in my own bed - not the best night of sleep I had but the sleeping someplace else and having a stranger wake me up was the part that bothered me.

bap40 · Post by **bap40** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 10:42 am

I had no trouble at all with the sleep study. I did have some misconcecptions going in. I thought it was going to be in a hospital like setting and it was more of a motel type of room. I was given a prescription for Ambian beforehand to take the night of the study. I have no trouble falling asleep and in this setting it was the same. I went out like a light. I awoke briefly when the tech came in and put the mask on, but went right back to sleep. I was afraid that all would be normal and it would be a waste of time and $$$. It wasn't. I asked the tech how many people, who have the study done; actually do not have sleep apnea. She said that out of the 3 yrs of doing this only 5 people were found not to have any sleep problems. I thought that was interesting. By the time most people seek help, they have known for years that there is a problem.

So people just relax. There is nothing to be afraid of. The wires and things were not a problem. I hardly noticed they were there.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:07 pm

Seeing my Father has had 3 sleep tests done, My Uncle and cuz both a couple I some what knew what to expect. Seeing that I could fall asleep sitting up watching TV I knew I had no problem falling a sleep and looked foward to getting the results. According to my results it only took me 4 mins to fall a sleep which is about 2 mins longer then normal. One of the things I did do to make sure I had a sound sleep was stay up late the night before. I went to my sleep study with only about 4hrs of sleep the night before.

Cheers
Kluzo

trice54 · Post by **trice54** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:02 pm

I just went last nite for my second study, the titration. As I had said earlier on this thread, I was a little more anxious this time. But when I got there and had the same tech, who is very calm and friendly and professional, and the same room as last time, I relaxed a little. I discussed with her the fact that I thought I am doing some mouth breathing (and told her that I had been taping my mouth...she was aghast!) and she assured me that she would be able to tell and would switch my mask if that was the case. We discussed the fact that the last time I needed something to help me sleep and I asked her if I could just get it to start with this time...but as I suspected, she couldn;t give it to me right away. So after getting all hooked up and she put me to bed, I laid there for quite a while but could;t fall asleep. At home I would have been tossing and turning, but that is hard with all the wires, so I was just very wiggly. Actually the wires didn;t seem quite as restrictive as the first time. Finally she came in with some relief. It took a while it seems, but once I fell asleep, that was it till she woke me in the morning. So that was probably the longest I have solidly slept in a while. She had the good news that I was not mouth breathing..YAY! My pressure was adjusted from 7 to 9..I really didn;t notice it as she did that as I slept. Now I am excited to sleep tonight with the higher pressure..maybe that will make the difference that I have not seen yet. I also am anxious to meet with the dr in a couple of weeks to compare results of the two sleep studies.
Trice

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:30 pm

I guess I am the opposite of most peopls

I was pretty ok going into the first test, ( I did a two night) I didn't know what to expect, but my daughter had had many eeg's and I knew I could stand the wires and probably sleep. And I was right about the first night. Not so bad I slept long enough for them to get the readings then needed. I was ok going to the second night, the titration, because I had no idea what it would be like. It was a really bad though. Something they did with the machine made me feel like I couldn't control my breathing like the maching was trying to force a rhythm on me. The mask leaked really badly. And from the first the tech had the attitude that I wouldn't make it through the night, but I managed to force myself.

This past January I had to be retitrated. It was scheduled in early December and as it got closer I got more and more freaked out. It was all I could do not to cancel. I made them switch it from an overnight to an afternoon/evening because I am less nervous when its light. I got them to ask the doc for ambien and they were really great about everything and I got through it. Also this time I brought my own mask and that helped

3isles · Post by **3isles** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:37 pm

oops that was me, thought I was still signed in, and sorry about spelling! Spell check doesn't seem to be working for me somehow, maybe I have some filter on or something

roster · Post by **roster** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:10 pm

Hoover wrote:.....having a stranger wake me up was the part that bothered me.

In all three sleep studies, my favorite part was the sweet, young, female technicians who treated me kindly in the bedroom!

trice54 · Post by **trice54** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:33 pm

3isles mentioned that on the first tritation that the machine they used made it feel like he/she wasn;t in control of breathing..hmmm..I had no problem with the lab's machine last night, thank goodness. My pressure had been on 7, and the tech started from 5 and got to 9 as the optimal pressure. Once I finally fell asleep, I had no awareness of the pressure. I imagine she kept it at 5 until I actually fell asleep. I used my own mask so they could check to make sure it was right for me. It took me a long time to fall asleep, but once I did, I was out.
Trice