Sleep study at home

[Naominjw]

The sleep study in a sleep study lab was with the EEG type electrodes caulked on all over the scalp, and wires all over the place. That was a decade ago. Now I am told it is done with something in your own home with two spots that go on your temple and a little tube in your nose . . . It diagnoses sleep apnea and it can even diagnose narcolepsy. Really??? A home sleep study. Fascinating. One problem with the sleep lab is many people can't sleep there that first night and insurance will only pay for that first night. I don't see how it can diagnose narcolepsy, though because that was done doing a study that night as well as the next day.

Naomi

[joy]

I have had the thing they place on finger to measure stuff. That is the reqson I am having in November my third sleep study but just like the first two, this one will be in the doctors private place. He made a building and had four bedrooms installed. Thrifty huh, LOL. I am not looking forward to it al all but it seems I am not getting enough oxygen even in daytime but at night for now is the only time I use oxygen. I so am dreading it. Yep, just what a person who has trouble getting to sleep wants, a strange place to try and let them monitor their sleep.

I did ask, this won't work at all if I don't sleep. yes that's right. overnigh expenses for nothing. And he has already informed me that one night will most likely NOT be enough. Like my insurance will pay for that. don't think so.

[Naominjw]

Well, someone else I know just had the home sleep study with the gizmo going on the head and tube up the nose (or whatever - I'll soon find out when I have to undergo this this week)... and guess what... SHE COULD NOT SLEEP! She has some sensory problems (and PTSD) and whenever she started dosing off she woke PANICKY! If you brush at it and knock it askew the thing beeps at you... she gave up or else she would have been a mess for days.... I hope insurance will still pay even if the lab gets virtually no data. :-(

Oh - the thing that goes on our finger is a pulse oximeter. It does measure oxygen level. But, if a person is young and relatively healthy, even with apnea, they can still maintain pretty good oxygen level because their body compensates. BUT - it is a strain on the heart and what we were told is that eventually, it will start dipping. As it is though, it can still tell if there are multiple periods of oxygen dips - minor OR severe - and how frequently.

[joy]

[BI think that they said it has mild damage to heart muscle or something like that. I really could not hear them all that well. I hope to learn more after the study. Even staying awake the night before doesn't mean that I will sleep for the test tho. I think I have always had insomnia![/B]

[SleepyGirl]

I wish I would have had an option to do that instead of having to spend the night at an outside sleep center. My insomnia was even worse then usual I think because of course it is a little wierd to not be at home with all those electrodes coming out of your head. I don't even think sleep studies are even a good idea unless your primary concern is apnea. I could not even really sleep, so it was kind of impossible for them to even rule out apnea since you have to actually be asleep to stop breathing. Duh, right?

Sara