first sleep study - complete waste of time? - Yup!

[ironhands]

Finally going for my first sleep test tomorrow. I'm a little nervous I won't be able to sleep or show any symptoms. Any advice?

[Lambeau]

I had the same anxiety before I had my sleep study this past July 2nd. My fears were unfounded.

My sleep room was in a hospital room especially designed for sleep testing. There were two such rooms with a central control room between them where the nurse/sleep technician monitored all the controls and display screens of both patients all night long.

The room was carpeted and without any windows at all. Totally dark and quiet when the lights went out.

I reported for my study at 9:00 p.m., and it took about an hour for me be to be all hooked up to a zillion wires, and the study explained to me in detail. My lights were turned off at 10:08 p.m. I was monitored all night with night vision cameras, a sound system in the room where if I woke during the night I could just talk and they would hear me in the control room. I was told that if I needed to use the bathroom in the night, to just sit up in bed and they would come into the room and lead me to the bathroom with all my wires still hooked up.

I had no trouble at all falling asleep in perhaps 30 minutes. I was woken up on purpose after about 3 hours and had the xpap machine and nasal mask put on my face at that time (it had been already fitted for my head and face size before lights out). Once that was put on in just a couple minutes, I went right back to sleep in less than five minutes after Xpap was running. Believe it or not, I actually liked what was going on. Slept better for the rest of the night, before being woke up at 6:00 a.m. and told I could go home. The data would be sent to my sleep doctor for evaluation, and I saw him on July 8th and left with a brandy new PR system one 760 model.

[oak]

when my doc ordered the sleep study, they put in a script with it for ambien in case I couldnt go to sleep. I took it and it really helped me deal with the foreign surroundings. my sleep study was very similar to Lambeaus. dont worry, they are used to people being a little keyed up and will put you at ease.

[ironhands]

My message was a little ambiguous, I'm not nervous about anything to do with the environment, or testing method, I'm just worried that I won't be able to fall asleep, or that if I do, for some magical reason I won't show anything odd. I explained my symptoms to my GP, and mentioned I was making noises that sounded like catathrenia.

Doc says "what's that". Other than checking the standards, I'm in perfect health other than low blood sugar, high cholesterol, and falling asleep at my desk

So, yeah, I'm pretty much going into this with no first-hand info from a doctor, and I won't even discuss the symptoms at length with anyone until the post-consult, a month from now.

All I can say is I'm thankful for the internet, pretty much had to research everything on my own, and pester everyone here

[RogerSC]

Personally, I wouldn't take another sleep study without using Ambien, I did have a LOT of trouble getting to sleep during the sleep study that I had (for various reasons), and my sleep doctor suggested that using Ambien would be fine if I had to have another study. I've heard that they may have Ambien available for you to use if you need it at the sleep study lab, I would hope so if they didn't give you a prescription for it. Maybe it isn't too late to ask your sleep doctor to send a prescription over to your local pharmacy? Just in case you find that you need it. Maybe just having it with you would be enough to relax you *smile*?

[ironhands]

Maybe it isn't too late to ask your sleep doctor to send a prescription over to your local pharmacy? Just in case you find that you need it. Maybe just having it with you would be enough to relax you *smile*?

Don't have a sleep doctor yet, didn't even have a GP until a few weeks ago for my first physical in ... well, ever. I'm not anxious or not relaxed or anything like that, I'm just worried that it'll just be a waste of time and come back inconclusive. I can't just book a second sleep study in a few weeks if things don't present themselves tomorrow, unless I pay out of pocket, or wait another year for insurance to cover it.

[oak]

I understand how you feel. My words were almost the same. just check with the sleep lab. they can tell you on the referral sheet if your referring doc put a sleep aid on there. i was worried the same as you for nothing because they had already anticipated my need for a sleep med as a routine thing.

[ironhands]

I understand how you feel. My words were almost the same. just check with the sleep lab. they can tell you on the referral sheet if your referring doc put a sleep aid on there. i was worried the same as you for nothing because they had already anticipated my need for a sleep med as a routine thing.

Doubtful, my GP was more interested in her vacation. going back for a followup in 2 weeks with the GP - the results should be with her by then, and 2 weeks after that is my first consultation with the sleep doc. That means it'll be another month before I get a machine, if i need one right? Ugh.

[oak]

the sleep lab may have a sleep doc read their results and prescribe a starting pressure for you and fax it off to the DME, so the speed of your getting a machine may be sooner than you think. just breathe and try to take one step at a time and more than likely everything will fall into place. be sure to educate yourself about the machines pros and cons and about what to expect when meeting with your dme provider. this and other forums can be a great help to you when you get to that point.

[Sheriff Buford]

I'm thinking you WANT an inconclusive test. If a "good" test was taken, it will tell you if you have sleep apnea or not. I hope you don't have it. No one here wants it. If you do have apnea, the wait to get the machine can be torture. If you don't have apnea, then hopefully the doctor(s) can find out why you have the symptoms you are experiencing.
- request a copy of your sleep study... insist....
- butter-up the sleep tech and you may get some info from him/her. If she is a she... do your manly stuff. If he is a he... beg. Tell them you won't tell anyone what you are told. Tell them how smart they are and they probably know from the git-go what the results are. Write down what the tech tells you. You want your AHI, O2 level, apnea incidents and central incidents, your leak rate and your 95 percentile. Write it down and scramble back here. We'll help you.

Sheriff

[ironhands]

the sleep lab may have a sleep doc read their results and prescribe a starting pressure for you and fax it off to the DME, so the speed of your getting a machine may be sooner than you think. just breathe and try to take one step at a time and more than likely everything will fall into place. be sure to educate yourself about the machines pros and cons and about what to expect when meeting with your dme provider. this and other forums can be a great help to you when you get to that point.

It's 1-2 weeks for the initial results at this lab, I doubt there'd be anything done before then, unless I'm secretly severe. As far as machines go, S9 Elite is pretty much the standard on these forums from what I've seen Already got one lined up with a DME up the street, the mask is the only issue.

[ironhands]

I'm thinking you WANT an inconclusive test. If a "good" test was taken, it will tell you if you have sleep apnea or not. I hope you don't have it. No one here wants it. If you do have apnea, the wait to get the machine can be torture. If you don't have apnea, then hopefully the doctor(s) can find out why you have the symptoms you are experiencing.
- request a copy of your sleep study... insist....
- butter-up the sleep tech and you may get some info from him/her. If she is a she... do your manly stuff. If he is a he... beg. Tell them you won't tell anyone what you are told. Tell them how smart they are and they probably know from the git-go what the results are. Write down what the tech tells you. You want your AHI, O2 level, apnea incidents and central incidents, your leak rate and your 95 percentile. Write it down and scramble back here. We'll help you.

Sheriff

I'm actually hoping I do have it, since it'll at least be an answer and I can get the treatment I need. If it's not, back to square one

Depending on how much time I spend talking to the tech, getting info shouldn't be hard, I'm familiar with everything going on, so I figure if I ask the right questions I'll get the advanced answers I'm looking for. I think what I'm going to see is a very low O2, and low to moderate AHI, around 10-15. Might end up being higher because I'll be sleeping on my back, I usually sleep on my front.

Are they able to give me a copy of the raw results on the spot, or will I have to wait for the analysis to be done before any real info?

[oak]

my tech wouldnt give me anything except a very short report that said I had apnea and what my AHI was (which was wrong as compared to the final report). he said the full report was 1000 pages of data (uh, huh) and that the sleep doc had to review it first and then it would be condensed and I would have to get it from my referring (family physician). And thats exactly what happened.

I hope you get some answers tonight! Best of luck.

[ironhands]

my tech wouldnt give me anything except a very short report that said I had apnea and what my AHI was (which was wrong as compared to the final report). he said the full report was 1000 pages of data (uh, huh) and that the sleep doc had to review it first and then it would be condensed and I would have to get it from my referring (family physician). And thats exactly what happened.

I hope you get some answers tonight! Best of luck.

If printed out, it likely would be 1000 pages of data. I'm not carrying that home

7-12 sensors on a plotter over 6-8 hours, with a minimum resolution of 2-3 seconds (I would assume much more) sounds likely. How many pages would the typical high-resolution data file from any cpap be?

Hopefully everything goes well tonight, I know I"ll be camped outside the place at least an hour early due to the transit system. Gonna be a long night.

[Sheriff Buford]

7 - 12 sensors?? I counted 38 on mine. The tech won't give you a copy on the spot. He will say the doc has to "analyze the info" first... but make sure the doc will give the results to you when you see him/her. You'll want that info later on while you are treating.... sorta like you want to know what you had and how far you've come in treating it.

Sheriff