Ernie Posted November 11, 2004 Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 Hi,I have looked in the archives but I did not find the answer to these questions:What are they measuring besides BP, HR and breathing. How often do they take the measurement?Are we permitted to take sleeping pills for the study?Do they serve us breakfast before sending us home?Can we take a shower before leaving?Also, any other personal advice or experience would be greatyl appreciated.Thank youErnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merrill Posted November 11, 2004 Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 (edited) Ernie--you may not have set your search to back far enough in time; several of us had sleep studies over the summer (or earlier) so search for "sleep study" back to the beginning and you'll find all kinds of posts! Here's a link to a conversation thread I had mostly with Migraine (who must've had her baby!) http://dinet.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtop...&hl=sleep+studyIt shares some of the physical details of our experience (and advice about wiping the gunk out of your hair before showering in the morning )Try not to think too much about what's going on behind the scenes; focus on relaxing. The readings they get from your body (esp brainwaves) during the night are continuous. NO sleeping pills! (At least I think that's the direx I got ... you should receive a full page or more of instructions in advance of your test, and if you don't have them, call the lab where you're having it done. There are rules about caffeine intake that day or several days out--can't remember--and other things.)Breakfast? Maybe in Canada, a kinder gentler nation, but not in the good ol u s of a. At least not where I had mine done. They'd have had me up and out by 5 am if I hadn't begged in advance to let me sleep until 7 so I could go straight to work afterwards. They usually start these things at mid-evening, 8 or 9 or so. Ask what your schedule will be if knowing will bring you assurance and comfort.If you need to eat immediately on awakening, bring something with you. Bring your own water bottle/s too! You will almost certainly be showering before leaving; the gunk they put in your hair is icky and you will look a fright! (No worries; it comes out!)You WILL sleep, even if you don't think you ARE sleeping ... it's a funny experience. I thought it was quite interesting, actually. You feel like you're part of a grand science experiment, and in a way, you are. It was a little bit uncomfortable, but the fascinating factor superseded all that. Think positive, bring a stuffed animal to hug if that might relax you or your favorite pillow. Anything from home that helps you relax or that's part of your nighttime ritual/sleep will be allowed.best,merrill Edited November 11, 2004 by Merrill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted November 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Thanks Merrill for the information and all the explanation. I did not realise that we are waking up so early. I better bring something to eat, just in case. I can't wait to get the result.Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Tired Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 I've had 2 studies in 2 different facilities and the experiences varied widely... Except for the gunk part!Neither of the places where I went had a shower; the second one didn't even have a private restroom in my room but there were only 2 rooms in that unit. The first one did bring me breakfast around 5:30 or 6 am. The second one gave me a cafeteria pass for my husband and I both. I had to spend a second night in the second facility to try a C-PAP and about 4am we all decided that it wasn't going to work so I came home.Yes, Ernie, I believe taking something to eat would be a good idea. I took a bedtime snack with me and was glad I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tearose Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Hi Ernie, I had one study done. I only wish I knew before the study to ask for frequent blood pressure monitoring. The typical study will show a lot of valuable information. In my case I had hundreds of sleep arousal's not apnea. The doctor said it shows an unusual level of autonomic nervous system activity during sleep. The question he can't answer is: did my blood pressure drop and then my body dumped norepinepherine to get blood pressure up? OR Did the norepinepherine dump on its own causing a rise in blood pressure and cause a sleep arousal? If and when I have a repeat study this will be done.I don't know about meds. The center had a shower, it does take time to get the glue out but it doesn't hurt, just takes some time. Bring slippers.Bring a favorite pillow if you think you'll sleep better. The wiring takes about 45 minutes, I watched tv while they did all the hook ups. Just pretend you are in a hotel somewhere and let yourself relax and you will fall asleep. They gave me ten pages of questions to answer at night and again ten pages when I woke up. I need something to eat before I can leave home so I made sure the center had hot water so I could have some instant oatmeal after waking.Do bring snacks and water...oh,if you are still in the pit with us next week, we'll push you out and we'll wrap a piece of cake for you to take with you...keep on movin' forward my friend, tearose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tearose Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Hey there Ernie, are you packing your overnight bag this week? Did you get all your questions answered in preparation for the sleep study? How are you doing? You aren't concerned are you?Take care, tearose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted November 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Thanks everyone for your answers. I reassures me to know what will be going on. I am the type that needs to know many details. I will take into consideration your suggestions: take some food with me, ask to sleep until later, and ask the technician to take my BP and HR more often than with regular patients. I know my BP is very instable even lying down.Hi Tearose,Thanks for asking.I have not prepared my bag yet. My study is Saturday night but I should start to get ready soon. I have most of my questions answered. I forgot to ask the hospital if we can take a shower before leaving in the morning and if I will have a shower chair. They told me that I am to take all my medications including my sleeping pills. I find that very strange because it is the first time that I am not asked to stop my medications for a study. I hope the study will be worthwhile.I am kind of nervous about it because I am afraid to faint in the morning. This is my most vulnerable time and especially when I have not slept enough. I hope that the staff will be nice to me.I have read your post where you talk about sleep arousal. Before you did the study did you realise you had this problem? After reading your post I realised that after 5:00 a.m. I have the feeling that I am always waking up and trying to go back to sleep. Does it sound similar to your symptoms? I know that I have sleep apnea sometimes but I just don't know if I have it every night or only when I am very tired. The sleep specialist also think that I might have asthma. This is also a possibility because at least once a week I wake up coughing and coughing. My father and brother have asthma. They want to test me later on for asthma but want to do the sleep study first because I have serious problems with Valsalvas!Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GayleP Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Ernie,I think they offered showers at my sleep study but I just waited until I went home. I'm glad you got the rest of your questions answered. Good luck on Saturday.GayleP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divine spark Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Ernie, I have been through a couple sleep studies. Both times I arranged ahead of time to stay in bed until about 10 or 11 a.m. because I was so vulnerable in the mornings also.I always took my medications.Some of the measurements included: Left and Right EOG, Chin EMG, Abdominal Chest Movement, Nasal and Buccal Airflow, EEG, EKG, Anterior Tibialis EMG, Thoracic Chest Movement, Ear Oximetry, Intercostal EMG.Sleep architecture included the amount of time spent in each stage of sleep and also included the following: Total time in bed, total sleep time, sleep efficiency index, wake time, latency to sleep onset, wake time after sleep onset, latency to REM onset, number of REM periods and arousal index.They measured respiratory rate, the number of respiratory disturbances producing arousals per hour of sleep, the number of apnea/hypoapnea episodes lasting greater than or equal to 10 seconds causing 4% oxygen saturations.In addition to oxygen saturation, they recorded body position, leg movements and something else I can't read on my report.The sleep technicians virtually sat in front of their monitors all night keeping an eye out for any aberrant behavior. Once they finished hooking me up, I felt like an astronaut ready for takeoff. Overall not a bad experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tearose Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Ernie, I'm sorry to get back to you so late and I'm leaving home soon so I'll have too be quick.No, I had no idea I had all these sleep arousal's. It is not the same as being aware that you are awake. I thought I maybe "woke up" around four times. The fact was I actually awoke around eleven times. My sleep arousals are in the hundreds....too many to get restorative sleep. I've got to go...have a good sleep! tearose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted November 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Hi Divine Spark and Tearose,Thank you very much for the information. That is very very interesting. I appreciate having all these details because I can prepare myself emotionally ahead of time. I will surely ask to stay in bed until later.I don't know if I slept last night because I am getting anxious. I had the impression to be awake most of the time. I don't know what makes me worried so much. It's not like a TTT where I know I will feel like /*$&/. I am just going there for sleep. But even if I know that I still worry.Can't wait to be over it.Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briarrose Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Sorry Ernie I haven't ever been for a sleep study and don't really know what goes on in that dept. If you have any questions left I would be happy to do some research for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted November 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 Thanks Briarose for your offer. I have so many questions and none at the same time so I will just try to focus on something else.Well I am leaving in 10 minutes.Good night everyone.Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted November 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 Hi everyone,The study finished at 5:30 and I hardely slept. The room was too cold. So after 2 hours of freezing I decided to use my coat as a blanket.I did not shower before coming back and went straight to bed where I slept until noon.The technician told me that I slept a bit but I have the impression of not having slept at all. I am very exhausted but what else is new!I'll know the result in December.They did not take BP or film the study, no shower or breakfast.Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingLight Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 hey ernie! welcome home! i bet it feels good to be back in warmth and your own bed. ugh! the study sounds miserable. no food, no shower, cold...how do they expect someone to sleep?!well, it is over at least! thank goodness for that. rest up...all day. snuggle under those covers and don't come out! emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted November 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 Thanks Emily for the good wishes. That is sweet of you.Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingLight Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 Ernie! You came out from under the covers! You weren't supposed to do that! Just teasing you!Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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