Sleep study questions

[Graceryan0679]

I just have a question. I did a sleep study 2 nights ago and I won't know the results until next week. But my question is if they don't wake you up to put a cpap mask on you, does that mean that everything is ok?

[kaiasgram]

I just have a question. I did a sleep study 2 nights ago and I won't know the results until next week. But my question is if they don't wake you up to put a cpap mask on you, does that mean that everything is ok?

Not necessarily. Sometimes the apneas don't start happening until it's too late in the sleep study to start doing a titration. So they let you sleep the rest of the night and then have you come back for a second study with the machine, or they have you use an Auto-adjusting cpap (APAP) at home to determine the correct pressure.

[tortoisegirl]

Agreed. Often the office (and insurance) has a threshold for which to qualify for a "split night" study, if your doctor even ordered the option for one to begin with. That threshold is often closer to the severe range. Plenty of folks get diagnosed with apnea and/or another sleep disorder who didn't use CPAP during their diagnostic study. So do you have an appointment scheduled to get the results?

Thats great. I had issues where they didn't tell me to schedule a follow up after the sleep study and when I called asking why I hadn't got a call, it was a long wait for an appointment. My doctor ended up prescribing an auto machine for me instead of a second titration study. It depends on their common practices and the complexity of your condition. There are pros & cons for an APAP vs. a titration study. If you go the APAP route, be sure to ask if you are just using that machine for a period of time to determine a single pressure (and swapping the machine out), or keeping it. The former still happens to some folks, although it makes no sense to me. Best wishes.

[Graceryan06]

Yes, I do have a follow up appointment scheduled about a week after my study. I am just curious though if I got enough sleep because that was the WORST night of sleep I have ever had, so I don't know if I got to sleep enough. Does that make sense? Its just weird though, because some days, I am sleepier than others and some days I am fine. I quit smoking in May of 2013 and I thought that I would never have any health problems at all. Wishful thinking, huh?

[Julie]

Most of us have lousy nights for sleep studies and most feel they haven't slept a wink, though in fact they have... it's all normal, if weird!

[Krelvin]

My second study recently was 8yrs after the first and the first half was very bad since I had not slept a night without my BiPAP for 6 yrs at least. Never thought I slept a wink, but they got me with the needed 2 hours baseline needed to move to the second part.

The tech really should have told you before the study began what they were going to do.

[Graceryan06]

Yeah, the tech really didn't explain anything. The only thing she explained was that if I stopped breathing 40 times in 2 hours, that they would have to come in and put me on a cpap. So, I just assumed that everything turned out fine. My doctor didn't mention anything about a split study, but maybe she will explain a little bit more on Tuesday when I go.

[englandsf]

I thought the same thing - no apnea because no mask.

I was wrong (AHI around 40) and went back for a second titration study (more money for sleep lab/doc!).

If you have the same routine I'd try to get a few mask types to try during the set up - full face, nasal and pillows - if you can.