This was my second sleep study. The preparation was the same for both. I'm not sure this picture gives the set up justice. It takes an hour to get the wires all connected. There are 32 different connections on my head to record my brain waves. There are heart monitors similar to an EKG. My ankles also had connections to monitor my leg movements. You can see the band under my arms and there was also a band around my waist. These wires are all plugged into a box where the waves are monitored and recorded. I should have held up my finger for this picture to show you the device on my index finger to monitor the oxygen levels in my blood. I think there are 64 different connections. I found it all very interesting.I slept in a room in a doctor's office. The room was similar to a motel room with a TV, etc. I found the beds a little too firm and didn't sleep as well as I did at home. Plus, the wires feel heavy so you wake up when you start to turn over and it's hard to get comfortable. There is an infrared camera in the room that records you sleeping on a video, sounds are recorded also (snoring, talking in sleep, etc.). The technicians watch you constantly from beginning to the end of the sleep study - 10 pm to 6:30 am.
After my first sleep study, the doctor showed me the results of the test. I never went into stage 4 sleep and only went into stage 3 sleep barely and just a little. Most of my sleep was in stage 1 and 2. Stage 4 sleep is the deep sleep so no wonder I am constantly fatigued. The results showed that I have mild sleep apnea and mild restless leg syndrome.
For the second sleep study, I was on medication for the restless legs and also used a CPAP machine for the sleep apnea. (CPAP is a continuous positive airway pressure machine.) I thought it would be difficult to sleep with the CPAP mask over my nose but it wasn't. I slept much better than during the first sleep study. In fact, when I woke up yesterday morning, I felt a little bit rested which doesn't happen for me. I have had insomnia and sleep problems for approximately 13 years now. I have my next doctor visit on March 6th to find out the results of the sleep study and whether I will be prescribed a CPAP machine for nightly use.
(In case you are wondering why my hair is not very flattering in this picture, in preparation for the sleep study, you wash your hair but cannot put conditioner or any other hair products on your hair. So now you know what my hair looks like totally natural!)
3 comments:
Looks like fun :) I'm glad it seems to be helping your sleep problems.
That looks awesome.
I have been a snorer for a long time. As I got older, my snoring has gotten more frequent and louder. I also noticed I was tired a lot and liked to take naps during the day. I was overweight. People complained about my snoring and I could not sleep in the same room with other people for fear of keeping them awake.
Finally, I asked my doctor about the problem. He sent me home with a machine to check my breathing and pulse while I slept. The results really shocked me! The doc said my airway was closing off up to 70 times each hour, and that I stopped breathing for as long as one full minute at a time! I had severe apnea. He strongly recommended I start using the CPAP machine, since I was risking damage to my heart due to lack of oxygen.
I had read about CPAP machines before and always thought I would never be able to sleep with one, since I am somewhat claustrophobic. Surprisingly, it only took me a few minutes to get used to, and I was able to sleep comfortably from the very beginning with no problem.
The mask portion is just a small apparatus that fits on the nostrils to blow in air that keeps the throat inflated, thus preventing any snoring. Straps over the head are a little annoying, but they are necessary to keep the nose piece in place. If one changes sleeping positions at night, it’s possible for these straps to move, causing the nose piece to slip off.
I have been using a Dreamhelmet, a combination sleep mask sound-muffling pillow for years now, for sleeping at night and for napping during the day. I always find it hard to sleep without the Dreamhelmet, and I was afraid I would not be able to use it with the CPAP mask, but I was wrong about that too.
After I slept with the CPAP machine and mask for a short while, I tried wearing the Dreamhelmet over the CPAP, covering up the straps – voila, it worked like a charm! I found that the Dreamhelmet actually helps keep the straps in place when I change positions, so now I can sleep all night in comfort, not being bothered by sound, light, or changing positions. The CPAP and the Dreamhelmet are the perfect sleeping combination for me.
Now I don’t snore, I wake up rested, and I have energy that lasts all day long. I’m still overweight, but I don’t feel so run down all the time or feel like I need an afternoon nap, but I still carry an extra Dreamhelmet in the car with me just in case I do need a nap.
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