Sleep Study

Well, I had my sleep study about a week and a half ago. I wasn't supposed to get the results until this coming Wednesday, but they had an opening and I was able to get in to see the doctor this past Wednesday instead. Things don't look too good. As can be expected, I didn't sleep too well the night of the study. I mean, it's really hard to sleep when you have about a dozen electrodes stuck to your head, back, and legs all with wires leading to a box under your pillow; a snore microphone taped to your neck; an oxygen sensor taped to your finger; and a video camera pointed right at you. Granted, they do try to make you as comfortable as possible, but I mean, come on! How could anyone sleep in that situation, let alone people who can't sleep to begin with??!

I arrived at 8 p.m. and met my sleep tech, a lady named Debbie, who happened to be a very cool lady with a great personality. They had mailed me a questionnaire and a sleep diary that I needed to fill out, so we spent some time signing the consent papers and going over my questionnaire. She didn't make me watch the video on sleep apnea that they normally make you watch because I saw it when I was there in 2003. Instead she let me watch TV (so at least I didn't have to spend the night wondering who was voted off American Idol)! While I was watching the TV she hooked me up to all the wires. The room is set up just like a bedroom with a bed, a couple of nightstands, and a cabinet containing a TV/VCR. There is a bathroom that is shared between two different rooms. I happened to be the only one there that night on that side, so I got the bathroom all to myself. After pasting on all the electrodes, she had me sit on the edge of the bed and try on a few different CPAP masks. I'm pleased to say that the makes have improved tremendously even since I was there last in 2003. One thing I really liked about Debbie is she understood that I'm somewhat claustrophobic and really can't handle having anything covering my face, and she had me try on about four different masks/nasal pillows. The last time I was there, the lady had me try on one, and it was huge! I hated it, and that is honestly why I never went back for the suggested treatment. Debbie told me that I have a tiny nose (which I know I do...I've always hated my nose...not that I want a big nose!) so she had my try on the petite mask (which is about the only petite thing I've ever had on in my life!). It was actually tolerable. The mask fits over the nose...where as the nasal pillows sit under the nose with two little prong-like things that go up your nose. I preferred the mask, but the pillow wasn't bad. After trying out the masks, she had me get into bed and get comfortable, and then she set the sleep timer on the TV to go off in 90 minutes since my normal bedtime is about 11 pm (so I got to watch Lost too). In the middle of the night, Debbie came in because one of my leg leads had fallen off and she needed to tape it back on, and her exact words were..."Is this how you normally sleep, 'cause I have to tell ya...it's crappy! Ha Ha.

Anyway, as far as the results...first let me show you a diagram about the five stages of sleep courtesy of howstuffworks.com. Each full cycle, going through all five stages, lasts for about 90 minutes.


While reviewing my results with the doctor, this is basically what he said...I slept that night for a total of 200-something minutes (so between 3-4 hours), I spent 45% of the time in stage I sleep (as you can see from the diagram above, usually you're only in this stage for 4 to 5% of the time), I never made it into REM, and I stopped breathing 85 times. However, because I didn't get into very deep sleep and I woke myself up so often by snoring, my oxygen levels didn't drop. Apparently I misinterpreted the results from my last sleep study (I never actually saw the doctor to get the results but received them over the phone from a tech). I thought that I didn't have any episodes of apnea then; however, apparently I did. Back in 2003 I slept for a total of 300-something minutes, and I stopped breathing 65 times. So...this time I had more episodes of apnea in a shorter amount of sleep time. I have moved from a mild to a moderate case of sleep apnea. Back then I did get into the deep stages of sleep and into REM (barely) and my oxygen level did drop significantly. The doctor is certain that if I would have made it to REM this time, my oxygen levels would have dropped. I know for certain that at home I do get into REM because this is when dreams happen, and I have very vivid dreams that I can usually remember (which also shows that I wake up during them instead of moving through the stages).

So anyway, the plan is that right now I'm waiting for a call from the home health people. Because of my claustrophobia, the doctor is going to set me up with a CPAP machine at home to use while I'm watching TV or reading for a little longer each night so that I can get used to it. I have to go back and see him in a month so see how this is working. If it's working well, I'm going back in June to spend the night again (the first opening they have) to sleep with the mask on so they can adjust the flow to what works best for me and to see how I do.

I've learned so much about sleep in the last couple of weeks and how important it actually is. I'm actually looking forward to getting the machine. I'm so tired of being tired. It's becoming such a struggle to make it through the day. By the time I get home from work, it's really hard for me to have the motivation to do anything. Half the time I can't even make it through a movie without dozing off. I just really can't wait to start getting a good night's sleep!