1. < Sleep Health

Overnight Sleep Study Questions

Posted by tim1028 @tim1028, May 18, 2023

I'm getting an overnight sleep study done at an outpatient Sleep Center this weekend. I want to make sure the study is high quality in order to diagnose or rule out any underlying sleep issues.

Any suggestions for preparing for this? I know the usual advice on the day of the study: no naps, no caffeine/alcohol. Anything from your experience to pass on to make this study successful?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Sleep Health Support Group.

SusanEllen66 | @SusanEllen66 | May 24, 2023
In reply to @tim1028 "SusanEllen, Yes, bring your own pillow and blankets. I should have done that. Make sure you..." + (show)
@tim1028

SusanEllen, Yes, bring your own pillow and blankets. I should have done that. Make sure you adjust the room temperature to what you're used to. I would also try to arrange your sleep time with the sleep tech so that it matches your normal sleep time as closely as possible. I'm a night owl, so they let me go to sleep later, about 11 pm, which helped. I also brought a book and some music on CD to relax to, which helped me relax until they wired me up for the study. I was actually able to sleep, but not as well, of course, as in my usual sleep environment. I was allowed to take a sleep drug (zolpidem 5 mg) which helped me get to sleep.

It looks like a CPAP may be in my future because while my sleep apnea is mild I have symptoms excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue.

Jump to this post

@tim1028 thanks! I will take my stuff. I’m really a late night person. I’m up past midnight.
I’m sure they will not let me have any medicine to sleep. They are looking to see how quickly I fall asleep and enter REM sleep. If I have narcolepsy it has to be within 8 minutes.

I hope they come up with a solution for you. Being tired all day isn’t easy.

REPLY
tim1028 | @tim1028 | May 24, 2023

Diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and periodic leg movement. Sleep Doc thinks a trial of CPAP is in order. My wife uses one and loves how it has improved her sleep and energy during the day. I'm hoping for the same. Stay tuned.

REPLY
carol1024 | @carol1024 | May 27, 2023
In reply to @quazar "No one warned me about the paste in my hair. They used some sort of paste..." + (show)
@quazar

No one warned me about the paste in my hair. They used some sort of paste to hold the sensors on my head. So, don't wash your hair before the sleep study because you will absolutely need to wash your hair right after. Honestly, it was the worst night's sleep ever. I was cold and so uncomfortable, and woke up more times than I usually do. Definitely pee right before the tech hooks up the wires because it is a pain to do it when you really have to go. And be patient- My tech took a while to respond to my alert. Good luck!

Jump to this post

I know the paste they use is inconvenient but necessary. Your hair must be clean because if it isn't, the oil in the hair will keep the paste from adhering to head which will not hold electrodes in place and they will keep falling off. It's not that big of a deal to wash your hair when you get home from test. I actually didn't wash mine for a couple days because I washed it a couple days before and the tech combed my hair good before I left and got most of the glue out.

REPLY
carol1024 | @carol1024 | May 27, 2023
In reply to @lacy2 "....I don't remember everything about my sleep study a few years ago but it took the..." + (show)
@lacy2

....I don't remember everything about my sleep study a few years ago but it took the young man about 50 minutes to hook me up to all the wires; then i trie to go to sleep and he kept coming into the room and the head of the bed had some equipment on it and he several times double checked some of the wires etc., also i had to urinate through the night so that was a bit of a problem an having to be careful of the wires; we were awake/woken up in our individual rooms at 6am.... when i got out of bed i noticed on of the wires was off. few weeks later met the dr. very nice but said something to the effect i woke up or 60 times and suggested one of those machines for through the night but I didnt get one. I thought it would be like a simple oxygen mask but it has to press on your face and not let any outside air in and my face is sore and I have tmj and dry eyes etc., so decided against it. so i still have sleepless nights but feel i am not a good candidate for the machine...also they have to be cleaned or sterilized each week or so and I would be afraid of germs etc. however, many people have the study done and benefit considerably from the night mask, so am not saying they dont work, just not for me. But no wonder i kept waking up with so many wires attached and trying to move around....i got the lab tech to take a photo of me with all the wires and i would put it up here but i think you can envisage it!! one woman in another room did not sleep the entire night! good luck. J.

Jump to this post

You just didn't get a proper fitting. I have just the nasal mask and hose connects at top of head so when I turn over it changes with me. I had to change nasal pieces because they gave me the small at first and after couple weeks I said I need the small wide because the other mashes my nose and I feel like I'm suffocating. It's much better now. It just sits under my nose. Plus, if the equipment is too tight it will leave marks on your face. My face is mark free in the mornings.

REPLY
wr61 | @wr61 | May 28, 2023
In reply to @tim1028 "Thanks everyone for your helpful and supportive comments. I had my overnight sleep study and found..." + (show)
@tim1028

Thanks everyone for your helpful and supportive comments. I had my overnight sleep study and found it difficult. The wires, the unfamiliar room, the uncomfortable bed and the anticipatory anxiety made for a strange night of sleep/wake. I tossed and turned and had the sleep tech come in several times to reattach stuff. It did not feel like a normal night, so I hope the data they got is helpful to sort out any sleep issues I have based on the study. When the sleep tech woke me up in the morning, he said, "You moved around a lot last night."

Jump to this post

I don't think anybody really sleeps normally during the test, I sure didn't either time. Now on Resmed a10 auto cpap machine. AHI 1.2 😎.

REPLY
1 reply
Valerie | @lacy2 | May 28, 2023

...just wondering, as I did after my test: because we are in a different bed, strange room, wires all over us.. is this a true "picture" or accurate results that end up with our getting medication and a breathing machine? daughter's watch has a setting measures sleep movements etc., would this be useful?

REPLY
2 replies
carol1024 | @carol1024 | May 29, 2023
In reply to @lacy2 "...just wondering, as I did after my test: because we are in a different bed, strange..." + (show)
@lacy2

...just wondering, as I did after my test: because we are in a different bed, strange room, wires all over us.. is this a true "picture" or accurate results that end up with our getting medication and a breathing machine? daughter's watch has a setting measures sleep movements etc., would this be useful?

Jump to this post

Yes because when you sleep, you sleep, no matter where you are. I had the best nights sleep in 6 months when I had my test, even though I woke couple times to adjust headgear. The night I did without it, the first night, I had 31 episodes of apnea but don't remember waking during the night. In fact, the second time, I woke up at 4 and she went ahead a disconnected everything and I went home.

REPLY
carol1024 | @carol1024 | May 29, 2023
In reply to @wr61 "I don't think anybody really sleeps normally during the test, I sure didn't either time. Now..." + (show)
@wr61

I don't think anybody really sleeps normally during the test, I sure didn't either time. Now on Resmed a10 auto cpap machine. AHI 1.2 😎.

Jump to this post

My first night, without mask, I don't even remember waking up but they said I had 31 episodes of apnea. The second time, with nasal cpap, I woke couple times to adjust headgear but went right back to sleep.

REPLY
martyk | @martyk | May 29, 2023

Has anyone used the Philips C-Pap? I see that they have been recalled.

REPLY
2 replies
alterrm | @alterrm | May 29, 2023
In reply to @martyk "Has anyone used the Philips C-Pap? I see that they have been recalled." + (show)
@martyk

Has anyone used the Philips C-Pap? I see that they have been recalled.

Jump to this post

My cpap was replaced with the phillips dreamstation. it works great.

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.