Sleep Study / Insomnia

[lalalisa]

Hello,

For various reasons I've recently gone off of my sleeping pill (Lunesta) and can't be on any similar medicines right now. I am having lots of trouble sleeping at night and it makes me much more symptomatic while I'm awake. I'm considering having a sleep study done but wondered if this really accomplishes anything. I'm almost positive i don't have sleep apnea. Is there anything else a sleep study could help to diagnose / solve?

Thanks so much for any input!

Lisa

[mkoven]

i think they can look at how long you are in each stage of sleep, whether you have restless leg, and anything else that might interfere with your getting proper rest. For straight up insomnia, I don't know. But a lot of people with ans problems have some sleep disturbances, I think. Some docs will let you take an ambien for the study. So they maybe can't help you fall asleep, but can let you know if there's a problem when you actually are sleeping. I think it is worth looking into.

My first study I slept under four hours, and spent a good three staring at the ceiling. Too hard to sleep under pressure, observation, and with a million wires attached. The second titration study, about the same. But it was enough for them to diagnose apnea. BTW, most people with apnea have no inkling there's a problem. I had a couple instances of waking up gasping for air, but not often.

Cpap hasn't cured me of my ills, but it has helped late night/early morning headaches. I also have more stamina. I used to spend more hours in bed, and imagined they were spent sleeping. now I don't need to sleep as long, because it's actually doing me some good, rather than my being interrupted trying to breathe--unbeknownst to me.

since starting on cpap, if I fall asleep without the mask, I usually wake myself up with a snore, a gasp-- confirming I really need it. Your ans system needs rest too, so if you have any sleep problem, it's worth getting it diagnosed and treated.

[Guest tearose]

Good question Lisa!

I had two sleep studies and they do show hundreds of yet to be understood "arousals / bursts of awakenings". No sleep apnea.

I was told my sleep was non-restorative and they can't totally accurately interpret what they see, they were inclined to feel it is the ANS acting up in very brief but frequent firings.

I hope they have a better understanding now but I am not up on any new research in sleep and dysautonomia.

Where you have it done will help you. Can you go to a POTS aware place?

tearose

[wireless]

I think it's worth getting one done if sleep is a big problem for months and months. In CFS and fibro, it's common to not be getting stage 3 & 4 sleep. Also there are circadian rhythm disorders. I am getting mine tomorrow. Worst case, I guess they find nothing helpful. Best case, my quality of life could improve by a large amount. You could always see a sleep specialist and he/she will let you know if you need a sleep study or not based on the questionnaires and what you say.

[Sophia3]

Insomnia was my first symptom (after fatigue) when still working in late 80's/ Nothing helped...got worse and worse.

studied by sleep doctors and in studies and then government studies 13 years ago before ANS issues dx. I did not know enouogh about circadium disorders to ask about that then with the horrible insomnia.

Only slept 90 minutes first night in clinic. When i say insomnia is horrible, not kidding! some meds help control it..but I have alpha - delta sleep on top of it with little restorative sleep. No "cure" for this but many meds to help and I tried them all. Old fashioined anti depressants at low doses are thought to "help" (trazodone, amitryptiline) but MESS UP O.I. issues...*big sigh*

Exercise even EARLY in the day or overdoing things makes insomnia worse. "Normal sleep routines" made me worse. I have gone 36 hrs w/o sleeping and more than 24 on many occassions without meds.

If i can get those rare times of 10-12 hrs sleep it helps as that is like a 'normal person' getting 6 or 8 hrs sleep.

The brain is most complicated and SLEEP is still a new frontier to be studying in the grand scheme of things.

Hope you find relief or at least affirmation as to why your sleep is bad. I would love to have late night blood work of many hormones since I am often wound up late at night or racing thoughts (MUST fall asleep with tv at low volume watching light tv (no heavy movies or news, etc) The TV and klonopin has helped more than anything.

Plus I have loud ringing of the ears and tv helps to drown that out as well

[ajw4790]

Hi,

Yeah, I don't have personal experience with a sleep study, but probably need one. Try to convince my docs this! One had even put in his note in my med records that I declined a sleep study, although it was likely a mistake, I think it has swayed other drs....

But, I just wanted to add that I too have a lot of sleep issues. I tend to get on an opposite of normal schedule, sleep better during the day, RLS, hard time falling and staying asleep. Last night I tried hard to get sleep, but I don't think I ever got past the first drowsy stage of sleep, and woke up about every 15 min. So, you are not alone with abnormal sleep patterns.

I have always heard sleep studies are beneficial as long as you go to someone who is not just looking for apnea.

Good luck!