Have You Done a Sleep Study?

I did one about 6 years ago, and didn't really have any problems....... except being uncomfortable! I was wired up to all the stuff, all the monitors, and then they wanted me to sleep on my back.. that is the worst part.. I don't sleep on my back.

However, as a result of that sleep study, I now have a CPAP and love it! I use it every night, and sleep wonderfully... (except for the carpal tunnel that frequently wakes me up......)

I've had 4.

Unless you have a disability where you need help in the night, hubby would not be allowed to stay with you. For my studies, this was how it went.
1. Arrive with your overnight bag, pillow, extra blanket, etc.
2. Fill out paperwork, answer a questionaire about your sleep habits
3. Watch a video about sleep issues.
4. Around 9pm they tell you to get ready for bed
5. 1-2 people will come in and hook you up to sensors. They will be in your hair, along your collar bone, heart, legs. You will have an oxygen sensor in your nose and an sensor on your index finger. All of this is attached to a machine that is usually portable so that if you have to get up in the night you can without unhooking.
6. Then they tell you to go to sleep like normal.
7. If you are getting a split study to check for sleep apnea, they will come in after about 3 hours and hook you to a CPAP machine. If that happens they place a mask on your face. (breathe through your nose, keep your mouth closed. trust me.) Tell you to go back to sleep.
8. Around 5a or 7 hours after you got there, they wake you up. Ask you how tired you are. Have you fill out another questionaire. If they feel that you are not awake enough to drive home, they will have you stay until you are alert enough.

There may be a tv in your room, but there is no clock and the room is usually complete darkness during sleep. One place let me leave a bathroom light on, but the others didn't. You WILL have a way of contacting the technician. There may be a switch, but usually you just have to call out and they can hear you. That part is a bit weird. ;)

Tips:
1. Wear 2 piece pajamas, or t-shirt and shorts.
2. If you want a shower in the morning, let them know before you go to sleep.
3. They should have washcloths and such available so you can wash your face. You may have to ask for one.
4. You will have gel in several places in your hair. Take some wet ones to help wipe it out.
5. Take a hat or scarf to wear home.
6. When you get home you will probably want to take a shower and go back to bed.

I did it and it was fine. I went to a sleep center, and filled out the usual paperwork. I'm not sure what's involved at your end, but here's what I did. A technician measured my head and put some small disks in strategic places. Some little wires were snapped on, and those were then plugged into a small device about the size of a large cell phone. She explained everything as she went along and also mentioned that she herself had gone through this. My room had a private bath, and I got ready for bed. They told me when I was ready to just get in bed and give them a call. Then they came in and "plugged me in" so they could measure my brain activity during the night (which told them when I was asleep and when I was awake). After I got in bed and was all settled, they turned on a camera in the ceiling that filmed my actions - whether my sleep was fitful or restful, and how that lined up with what the other equipment was telling them. They made sure to tell me there was no camera when I was getting dressed - no question of privacy being violated. I didn't think I would sleep either, but if you're having sleep issues, you'll be surprised at how exhausted you are! In the morning they asked me fill something out - how many times I thought I had awakened during the night, that sort of thing. Later I found out how many times I had really been awake (130) vs what I thought (4)!!! So that explained my exhaustion and it was a relief! I'm pretty sure I went twice but I can't remember - so maybe it was the second time that I went through the same thing except I was given a mask to measure air pressure - it was kind of weird but not scary or uncomfortable. They were able to adjust the air pressure to make sure I got enough air to stop the apnea and keep me asleep. Worked great. I'm not sure what your issues are, but if you are looking at gastric bypass, then you may have some significant sleep issues related to the extra weight. And although you think you sleep well at home, you very likely do not. Your bed is comfortable and your room is yours, but it's likely you are more awake and not in REM sleep. If they are telling you not to take naps and you usually do, then you are sleep deprived.

You'll do fine - just remember this is pretty cool science and designed to help you, and the staff are used to people who are nervous or apprehensive, and who are also exhausted. I'm sure you will get some helpful answers!

The people are pleasant. Having stuff stuck in your hair is not so pleasant. Try to sleep like you normally do - in whatever is your normal position. I didn't do that with my sleep study, and it messed up the results. Bring a dull book to read or a magazine.
Bring your own pillow.
Bring an overnight bag with your normal overnight stuff and morning stuff (including meds) as well.

One trick I have learned to empty your brain and fall asleep is to count backwards by 3s from a hundred. 100...97...94...91...88... concentrate but don't worry too much about getting the numbers right.

Some years later, just to check for apnea, I had a HOME sleep study where you take a device home and wear it while you sleep. I have to admit it was much more comfortable.

It took me months to adjust to a CPAP and find one that I could sleep with, but my blood sugar dropped into a good range after I started sleeping better (sleep apnea can significantly raise blood sugar, increase risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, fatigue, etc).

They will take you into a room much like an exam room in a docs office and you will change into something comfortable to sleep in. This is important since you will be monitored while you sleep. If you are uncomfortable it will effect the outcome.

Then when you are ready they will stick electrodes to your head with glue that will wash right out when you're at home and in the shower. I had severe itching with the glue but they put cortisone cream on them and they instantly stopped itching.

Then they put the oxygen measuring tool somewhere around your nose. This measures the amount of oxygen you take in and out while sleeping.

They may also put the pads on for an EKG so they can monitor your heart while you are sleeping.

All these tools they use will monitor your basic functions and they will be able to see if there are ANY problems. If you have trouble falling asleep they may just let you sit up for a while but generally they want you to come in, lay down, and go to sleep. They most likely get off work when you leave...lol.

The test it's self will last as long as they want it to. If they see something of concern they may let you do another sleep cycle and they may wake you up after a couple of hours, get all that gear off your body, then send you off home half asleep.

It's better to be nervous and stuff in my opinion. If you are high stressed when you do this test anything wrong is more likely to show up while you're sleeping.

twice. and it was bleh. it's not scary or painful or anything like that, but like you, i don't sleep well without my dh, and certainly not when i'm hooked up to wires and in a strange bed. i didn't think i slept at all, but apparently i did.
in my case it was a huge waste of time, but i know they do help some people.
don't worry about it, hon, just plan to catch up on your sleep when you get home!
khairete
S.

Diane B. and Megan C gave you real good explainations. They pretty much described my experience.

I always have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. So I told the techs and they made sure I wasn't so tied up with wires that it wasn't difficult.

If you sleep with a pillow, be sure to bring it. It will make your test so much easier and much easier to fall asleep.

I got my CPAP machine in 1992 and the only time I haven't used it was when I went camping with the boyscouts. (I was a scoutmaster or otherwise involved in scouting for over 20 years.) I don't like wearing it the mask, but not wearing the mask is so much worse that I always wear it.

Good luck to you and yours.

I've never had one but I'm interested in the answers.
What if you can't sleep in strange places?
When on vacation it takes me several days before I can sleep well enough in a hotel to have some fun and that's after walking around all day and spending at least an hour in the pool.
Several times a year I have insomnia that will keep me up for about 3 days in a row.
If you have to take melatonin and a warm glass of milk before bedtime, do they allow this for the study?

Wow that is far to drive!
But i had no troouble falling asleep I thought i would sleeping in a strange place, but since I have 3 kids too I had no problem falling alseep it was so quiet and I was tired! Expect to do two nights thats what I had to do! I hate the machine they gave me! its horrible...