Sleep study... an update

So I had my sleep study done last night. It was definitely NOT a pleasant experience. I didn't realize just how many wires I would be hooked up to, the bed was uncomfortable, I couldn't sleep in my normal position and I was so focused on breathing and staying in the correct position that I got MAYBE 1-2 hours of REM sleep.

After a while the nurse came in and put a CPAP mask on me and asked me to lay on my side so she could get a good pressure for me. The mask started leaking so she had to come in and tighten it. After a while after that, it started to give me a sinus headache because it was too tight on the bridge of my nose. So she came back in a put a diff. mask on me which fit better. But then every time I started to drift off, my mouth would open which caused the pressure to drop, so she had to come back in to put a chin strap on me. Then she had me roll onto my back and told me to stay on my back for the rest of the night.

I'm not normally a back sleeper, so I got very uncomfortable after that and sleep just was not coming back. All-in-all, the nurse said I maybe had 40 seconds of REM sleep after she put that first mask on.

Good news from all of this is she did confirm the diagnosis of sleep apnea. Bad news is that because she couldn't find the right pressure before the end of the night, I have to go back for a full night of titration. BLECH!

To top it all off, after my night of very little sleep, I had to come home and take care of my two year old while my husband slept some more! I told him days ago that I was going to need his help today after I got home because something told me I wasn't going to get much sleep and I would want to come home and go back to bed! Ha like that's going to happen! I swear somedays I feel like I'm a single parent and it ****** me off!

Oh well, enough of my rant. I just needed to share this experience with people who have been there/done that.

I almost got kicked out of the hospital during my first sleep study over 10 years ago.  I did not like the wires or the mask and let them know it.  After a while, I started ripping off wires and cussing and telling them this was BS.  They let me rant for a while and then I finished the study. 

i started wearing a CPAP after that and got to a point where I could not sleep without it.  It was like Crack. 

After surgery, I had another study, (this one went better).  I no longer need the CPAP but still must not sleep on my back.  You will make it, hang in there.

Good Luck
Steve

 Been there...done that!!! I wear a sleep apnea mask....it's not the prettiest. My husband calls me his "sexy alien"!

BUT I can tell you that once you get your regular mask/machine...you will sleep like a baby!! I'm even thinking that when I lose my weight....if I need my CPAP....I'm going to use it. I can fall asleep within 5 minutes and stay asleep the whole night. I feel great!

I stopped breathing 18 times an hour and then I would have to get up to go to the bathroom every time I woke up. It feels nice to not feel so tired in the afternoon anymore! And dreaming for the first time in years because I'm actually sleeping deep enough. 

I could have written your post exactly (except I have a 6yo son!). The sleep tests were in so many ways far worse than the surgery. I have never been more anxious, more stressed and felt more out of control. And in the end I did have a diagnosis of sleep apnea, which helped to qualify me for surgery (so I guess a good thing). I no longer wear my CPAP thank goodness, although I did learn to sleep with it. I never had any sleep problems though, before I discovered the sleep apnea.

Glad you are over it and farther along on your journey. Soon you won't have to worry about sleep apnea anymore!