Anybody ever go through a sleep study to see if you have sleep apnea?

[nytemare]

I went to the neurologist today for a follow up for migraines, which haven't been bad.

My memory, though, has been pretty sucky. In my work, I deal with a lot of different databases to get info and enter it. I will sign on a database at my work and forget why, and I will make database entries, forget almost right away that I made them, then go to enter the data again to see I already entered the stuff.

I am not depressed, like my job, pretty satisfied with my life.

He said it could be sleep apnea, and I am going to do a sleep study.

Has anyone else done one so I should know what to expect?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. It's called my wife, shaking my shoulder to wake me up, then sending me

to the doghouse when the logs I'm sawing are too big.

[seemunkee]

2. My brother-in-law did recently.

They woke him up after 45 minutes and said he had stopped breathing 7 times already. He now sleeps with a mask.

[nytemare]

5. How is the mask working for him?

I want to thank everybody for their responses.

:hi:

[seemunkee]

6. He feels much better

sleeps through the night and actually feels like getting up in the AM. Has more energy during the day.

[nytemare]

8. That sounds good.

I am sometimes lethargic, but not bad. I knew one guy that had sleep apnea that would fall asleep mid sentence. He started using a mask and he was like a different person.

[DanCa]

3. Yes just make sure the mask fits right

The CPAP isn't that bad, you go in for a test, g et too watch some tv and fall asleep. The only thing anyonning was that I wear glasses so I just had to stay up without anything to do until i fell asleep. After they put the mask on that is.

[nytemare]

4. Did you have memory problems?

I am only 34, and really the possiblilty of having sleep apnea seems credible. I am not married, so I don't know if I snore, but I often wake up after thinking I've heard something, probably myself snorting.

I am too young to have a shitty memory.

[DanCa]

7. I have young onset parkinson's however I am falling asleep alot.

It'll be okay really. The cpap isn't that bad, the worst is that it's kinda like sleeping under a soft electric fan in your face at times.
Oh to answer your question memory loss wieght gain the whole bit. They might show you a video before you get in I am the classic apnea type.

[nytemare]

13. Glad it helps you.

:)

About 2 years ago, I lost 65 pounds on Weight Watchers. After surgery last year, though, I have gained about 25 pounds back. Hopefully, I can lose it again.

[LoZoccolo]

9. It sucked because I couldn't sleep.

They put a bunch of electrodes on you and tell you to sleep and that's basically it. No big deal for most people, but me...I have trouble sleeping a lot of times, especially when it's not my own bed, plus it's in a hospital which was kind-of noisy compared to my normal sleep environment. I slept for a little bit, I think it was less than two hours.

[Debbi801]

25. The same thing happened to my husband...

Between all the hospital noises, the strange bed, strange pillow, and not enough blankets, he might have gotten 1-2 hours of sleep all night. So, the test was inconclusive.

Other than that, the test wasn't anything difficult or frightening.

Good luck.

[AntiCoup2K4]

32. This may be the only time I ever agree with one of your posts, but...

...I've refused to take the sleep test for exactly those same reasons.

They can't exactly study your sleep if you don't sleep, and I know I couldn't do it.

I'm also about 99% sure that I would never fall asleep with some mask strapped to my face. When I used to work graveyard shift, I tried wearing earplugs to make it easier to sleep in the day time. It didn't work.

I honestly don't know if I have sleep apnea, insomnia, or something else entirely. Falling asleep at work pretty much sucks though.

[Roon]

10. I had sleep apena

had to wear the mask and everything. I lost fifty pounds and quit smoking and the apena went away! :-)

[faithnotgreed]

12. thats a great story

i will pass that along to my mom

she is a bit overweight and her dr wants her to have this sleep test but she is skeptical
i encouraged her to at least have a comprehensive test that will determine more than just apnea

congratulations on your improvement - thats a lot to be feel good about

[Roon]

27. It would be an even better story

if I didn't misspell apnea twice..lol..Must have been really tired last night.

[faithnotgreed]

11. yes

and from what i understand that has become THE latest test to administer

there are most definitely sleep disorders and sleep is of utmost importance but of late i have heard more people say their doctors have ordered a test specifically for sleep apnea
my mother is the latest even though i was there when the dr asked her the questions about her probability that she has sleep apnea

the results were "about 0%"
so of course he ordered the sleep apnea test though i still dont know why that specifically

i told her she should at least have a comprehensive sleep test given the time and expense

i had a couple sleep tests which ruled out depression etc
after all that the dr ended up prescribing me a stimulant (adderall if i remember correctly) though i knew enough not to take that as any answer

i do wish you well with your test
some people truly do have sleep disorders and since sleep effects every part of our body then its important to have this checked out if theres any reason to suspect it

[nytemare]

14. It is just some weird stuff.

I can't remember names a minute after someone tells me. I keep repeating things to people.

I am sure losing the weight that I gained back will help, although the memory problems were going on while I was at a better weight, as well.

I laugh at myself for my flakiness, but it is to a point where I need to be concerned.

[faithnotgreed]

15. most certainly this sounds like a good step for you

im glad youre seeking help for these things
and i just saw someone post here that after losing weight they also lost the apnea which is wonderful

very best wishes to you
i dont know how long this has been going on or what other doctors you have seen (i will read the rest of the posts now) but its essential to get sleep since it does impact basically every function

[nytemare]

18. Thanks for the well wishes!

:)

[Floogeldy]

16. I was too tired from gasping for air all night long.

;(

[nytemare]

17. Awwww.

I'm sorry, Floogeldy.

:(

[Midlodemocrat]

19. Yes. I didn't qualify for a C-Pap, but I was on oxygen for a while

the problem with oxygen is it causes your sinuses to stop up, thereby exacerbating the problem.

I still think I could benefit from a C-Pap, but I am claustrophic to an extent and don't think I could handle the mask.

The sleep study itself was totally painless. They glue some electrodes to your head and someone watches the monitor the entire time you sleep. The only bad thing is that they get you up pretty early.

[faithnotgreed]

20. what caused you to have the test

and why didnt you qualify for the c pap (though i dont know that is)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. CPAP is:

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure......

Just how it works, I'm not sure.......

But that's what the initials stand for....

:hi:

[billyskank]

24. It works like this

With obstructive apnoea, the airways relax while you are asleep and collapse when you breathe in. This causes deafening snoring. Eventually you are totally unable to breathe, so you wake up and gasp for breath, although you almost certainly won't remember this. If you sleep with a partner, they will be painfully aware of it, however.

A CPAP device keeps the air pressure in your windpipe somewhat higher than atmospheric pressure which stops your windpipe from collapsing, thus enabling you to get a good night's sleep. Basically, it keeps your airways inflated.

(As an aside: if you have neurological apnoea (which is rare) then you simply stop breathing. It is not that there is any blockage, and there will be no snoring. I have no idea what can be done about this).

[faithnotgreed]

31. and thank you billy

from some of the snore posts i have read in the lounge it sounds like maybe some people could use this

[faithnotgreed]

29. thanks peggy....

very kind of you to pop in and help me out with that

[Midlodemocrat]

22. I was always exhausted.

The CPap is a machine that has a mask that fits over your face and sends air down your throat, obstensibly to prevent you from having apneic episodes.

I didn't have enough apneic episodes overnight during the sleep study to qualify.

[faithnotgreed]

30. ok - thank you

didnt mean to be intrusive but was wondering about why you didnt "qualify" etc

[REP]

23. Mixed Apnea

They stick a bunch of electrodes on you, wire you up and tell you to sleep. Bring your own pillow; it helps.

I was initially told that I was "too young, too thin and too female" to have sleep apnea. It got to the point where I was blacking out randomly and hallucinating before I saw a doctor who kne that young women can and do have sleep apnea. Mine was the most severe they had seen. Unfortunately, I had gone untreated so long that I will always have problems with my memory, which used to be to near eidetic. The memory problems aren't as bad as they were, though.

The kind I have is called "mixed" because I have both obstructive (from very small upper airways and enlarged turbinates) and central (where the brain sometimes "forgets" to send the signal to breathe) apneas.

I aso have severe migraines. Treating the apnea didn't do anything for the migraines, except allow me to actually sleep when I have one (which is rarely these days since starting Topamax).

[China_cat]

26. My oldest son did.

He didn't give me the details however. But he had to have surgery to correct the problem and he's doing a LOT better now.

[MissMillie]

28. Yes,

Expect to go to bed early and get up early. There will probably be a TV in your room, so you can sit in bed and watch TV after you've been wired up, but I find that hospitals don't have cable and there usually isn't too much to watch.

You will have about 20 wires attached to you on different locations on your body. Most will be on your face and head, but they will attach some to your legs (so they can see if you have restless legs syndrome). they will also but a sensor around your chest to check your breathing. There will be a camera and a microphone in the room.

Wear something comfy to sleep in, and bring your own pillow. Do what you can to make yourself comfortable.

You probably won't get a lot of sleep. You won't be used to having all those wires on you.

If you have to get up to use the potty, just sit up in bed and say so. The technician will come in and disconnect you from the monitoring device. When you go back to bed, it's a simple reconnect.

If it is obvious to them that you have apnea (it has to be pretty severe for it to be obvious--like 20 more more episodes in an hour), they will wake you up at connect you to a CPAP machine.

I've been sleeping with a CPAP machine for 4 years now. It took a little getting used to at first, but now, it's just part of my face when I go to bed.

[nytemare]

33. Thank everybody for your responses!

There are plenty of websites I can search for symptoms, etc, but it is always better to get firsthand experience!

:hi: