BiPAP Titration Study Advice

[ldj325]

Through some persistence on my part and no doubt some good fortune I'm taking over a cancellation tomorrow night (7/8) for my bipap titration study (hopefully with an emphasis on the servo aspect). And today I got notice that my VPAP AdaptSV "original" model is on its way to me. So it's a good day in my central sleep apnea world.

When I went into my original sleep study (in a hospital) in May I was fine with the hoses and wires etc. But I tend to be a light sleeper and the noise echoing in the hallway, even though it was fairly minimal like doors opening and closing, kept me awake. I'll take earplugs with me this time, but I'm not sure that will be allowed for the study (pressure changes etc.). Has anyone come up with an effective strategy to cut down on the ambient noise heard during a sleep study?

[Jaylee]

Ask them if they have a white noise machine. They had them in both rooms at the place I had my study done. Good luck.

[profoundapena]

That's really the fault of the sleep center. Mine was in a stand alone building and there was no noise at all. A proper sleep center will have sound deadening materials. Switch sleep centers. I was also told to take a tranquilizer before going to the study.

[dsm]

L

Good luck & I hope it goes really well. Nice that they were able to fit you in ahead of schedule.
Keep us posted on the progress.

DSM

[sleepmba]

At our lab, we allow ear plugs. I would suggest taking them along with you. When you meet your tech, tell her/him that you think you'll do better with the ear plugs and consider your tech talked into it. Tech's like it when someone can sleep better.

As far as pressure changes and the effects on plugged ears. I think you will be okay unless you have ear problems or an infection.

Good Luck!

[ldj325]

Thanks for the suggestions and well wishes. I have borrowed a white noise machine and I have great ear plugs (and no congestion). Last time I only slept half the time. This time I am hoping it will be different and am better prepared.

[timbalionguy]

Good luck on your study. You might find these machines just noisy enough to hide much of the din around you. (I was titrated on the sleep lab model of the BiPAP Auto SV unit). It was an interesting night, and like you, I did not sleep well. But very surprisingly, they found enough problems that the Doctor didn't have any qualms whatsoever about prescribing the BiPAP Auto SV machine for me. (No other serious problems present that are usually present with people needing ASV).

Now, actually getting a machine has been a big problem. But I think the approval letter from the insurance company finally arrived (Very ambiguously worded).

It will be interesting to find out what you think of each of these machines. A couple other people here have both ASV machines-- DSM and John Fisher.

[ldj325]

I wanted to get back about my sleep study experience just in case someone else might read this and find some value. Bottom line, in my estimation it was a great success. #1 is that I slept and for a sleep study that seems like a great success.

In case someone hasn't been through a sleep study before the sleep tech hooks many wires up to the head and body to monitor various body functions. The hook up process probably took about 1/2 hour of constant work. None of this bothered me for either study, but I thought I'd mention it for others in case this makes a difference for them.

First I had very good suggestions from some users here that I followed through with. On my first study I was kept awake by the intermittent sounds coming from the hallway--from doors opening and closing to intercoms making occasional announcements. This time I took a white noise/soothing sounds (water running) machine in with me as well as some ear plugs. (For ear plugs I have found the Super Leight orange dB 33 reduction to be the most effective over the counter plugs I have found.) The sleep tech was fine with both. I used the earplugs (my preference) and so I couldn't hear the sound machine, but it was useful to set me up for a quiet experience before sleep. Throughout the night having the earplugs really helped as I am quite sensitive to noise. I feel that this was probably the single most important external factor that led to me being able to sleep.

The most important factor was my internal attitude that this was my sleep study and it was for me, rather than for me to be a nice guy for anybody else. I got to the sleep lab quite early so that I could be very relaxed. With the extra time I was able to do some stretching to help me sleep. And this time I took in the four pillows that I usually sleep with as opposed to the two pillows on my previous sleep study. When the sleep tech came in and wanted to have the news on while he hooked me up to the monitors (as in the previous study) I politely stated my preference that the TV be off so that I could maintain quiet before trying to get to sleep. I also took in a small flash light so that the lights could be totally off--as opposed to having some light on which the sleep tech insisted on during the first study. While for some these may be small differences but I believe it was these subtle changes that allowed me to get more sleep on this second sleep study.

PS. I forgot to mention that I got this most recent sleep study 4 months before it was scheduled to happen (and the original study was done 2 months early as well). How this came about is that once I was scheduled I kept calling back to let the lab know that I was available on short notice to fill any cancellation. I feel fortunate that I was able to get the studies and get some therapy started 6 months earlier than originally scheduled.