Doctor wants me to have overnight sleep study

So my doctor has put in a referral for me to have an overnight sleep study. I have no idea what to expect. Sleeping somewhere besides my own bed? I cannot imagine that I will be able to even sleep much so it seems like it will be a waste of time and the thought of it stresses me. If you had an overnight sleep test, what was it like and were you able to sleep at all? Is it like a hospital room setting?

it's a very common requirement. They want to know if you have sleep apnea and if so, they'll know to take precautions when they have you under during surgery (and they'll know if you need a CPAP machine - I was borderline so it was suggested but not required. But if you have moderate or severe sleep apnea, you need a CPAP machine as that can be dangerous - even fatal)

my place was set up sort of like a hotel room. And yes - a lot people have a hard time sleeping during sleep studies. All that wiring makes it sort of tough to fall asleep. But evidently they're able to get a lot of info even if you don't get much sleep that night - they're used to that.

I think I do have sleep apnea. Something is going on for sure. Glad to know they can still get information if I don't sleep well.

I've had several overnight sleep tests, and they were all done at home. I was given the equipment, shown how to hook myself up and turn it on. I slept in my own bed, as usual. The next morning I returned the equipment to them.

A sleep study at home! Now that I can handle. My doctor didn't even mention that as an option.

Do you have sleep apnea (or do they think you do)? My sleep apnea was diagnosed a couple of years before my decision to have WLS (I had the DS).

I've had several sleep studies that required overnight at a clinic. They will hook you up with wires (to your head and legs) to check whether you have sleep apnea. They call it "episodes" and depending on the number of episodes you have (not just not breathing but restless legs, etc.). I went to two different clinics. Both were set up more like a hotel room. For me that hardest part is no TV to fall asleep to.

If you are having a split study - meaning they test you first to see if you have sleep apnea (stop breathing) and then they hook you up to a C-PAP machine depending on the number of episodes you experience per hour. When they hooked me up to the C-PAP for the first time, I got the best night's sleep I had had in years - they actually had to wake me up!!

As an aside - i had life threatening sleep apnea that required a pacemaker (during my sleep study I was flatline for 8 seconds). As I started losing weight my sleep apnea went away. I actually became a case study for my pulmonologist because he wanted to prove you can eliminate some cases of sleep apnea simply by losing weight - that was me!!

Yes, my doctor thinks I may have sleep apnea. I wake myself up with a sudden jolt at times and it feels like my heart stops and it is scary. I also snore like crazy.

Having no TV will be an issue for me too because I sometimes leave it going half the night. My brother-in-law uses a C-PAP but I have never taken the time to ask him about his experience with it.

I am sorry to hear that your sleep apnea was so serious but happy that your weight loss made it go away. That's awesome and it's good to know that if I do have sleep apnea, losing weight might eliminate it.

Some people hate their cpap and others (like me) loved it, because it allowed me to finally sleep. You do get used to it (I used a full mask).

My sleep apnea was diagnosed at least a year before deciding on WLS.

It is no wonder you didn't mind the cpap with such severe sleep apnea Janet! That would surely take me some time to get used to.