Couldn't sleep during sleep study for Sleep Apnea...

Has anyone else had this problem? I couldn't sleep at all and I don't think they got a proper sample of what my sleep is like for the test. I was supposed to have a split study test. I had the worst time falling asleep and when I did fall asleep it wasn't for very long and I'd wake up and struggle to fall back asleep again. I was tired... I just couldn't sleep. At any rate... this all could have been prevented had the sleep study techs let me take a sleeping pill like I had asked. My doctor had pre-authorized that I could take it even, so I don't understand why they wouldn't let me have it. I hardly slept. Thus, I never had the CPAP put on, and the tech said I didn't snore!!! Both my parents and my significant other give me crap about my snoring all of the time... I just don't know what to do. Any suggestions or has anyone else run into this problem?

I am surprised that they didn't let you take your sleeping pills. I had a sleep study done recently, and they told us to do what we normally do at home (you can even drink alcohol, eat food, take sleeping pills). I would talk to the doctor and have the test repeated and insist on taking sleeping pills if that is what you are used to doing. Good luck!

I had my split study just two nights ago. Same problem - could not fall into REM sleep. Went through a night of worry and exhaustion (it takes ENERGY to focus on breathing when you're having a hard time) to wake up the next morning and have the doc tell me the study was inconclusive and that I'd need to do it all over again...but "next time we'll give you a sleeping pill." Talk about frustration!! My problem was that I'm not a person who sleeps the entire night in one position. Especially not flat on my back. My back hurt after a couple of hours. I slept on my own during the first two hours, but the distraction of the wires, the "glow" of the machines being as bright as a lamp, and the "click" of the cameras as the attendant zoomed and turned it by remote kept my mind working. Eventually I had a C-Pap put on - and I wasn't worried, as I've tried a C-pap as I was awake before. BUT.......there's a difference between having the mask on while you're awake and your nasal passages are clear, and having it put on after you've been laying with your head not elevated for 2 hours. I had only 1 nostril that was "working" - and the pressure on the C-pap made it feel like even THAT nostril was being pinched closed. I wanted to give the mask a "good 'ol college try" so I kept my mouth closed and for about an hour I literally struggled with each breath...it felt like I was drowning....I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life! There was a point where I literally heard myself thinking..."I can't let myself fall asleep like this....if I have to 'think" about breathing, I'll quit breathing altogether if I go unconscious." Well, I got up for a bathroom break, and had the attendant make sure the mask was properly "sealed" (my eyes had crusted over and watered up from the humidity leaking out). It "felt" better after that - but my nose was still plugged up. So I "cheated" and opened my mouth for the rest of the night and "felt" like I had gotten a few hour's rest after that. Needless to say, my jaw dropped when the doc told me I have to do this all over again....tearing 20 stickers off my skin, laying flat on my back.... People have different reactions to the different kinds of masks - but I'm going to ask them to let me try the "full-face" model before they knock me out. I have a hunch I'd be able to fall asleep if I didn't have to "concentrate" on whether my mouth was closed or not. The one positive thing from the experience was that I learned that I DO have apnea. And I don't want the doc to rush into a decision about how to titrate the machines....my frustration is that they couldn't schedule the new study for another SIX weeks! They tell me I most likely need a Cpap, that I have apnea - but it's ok for me to go another 6 weeks without it in the mean time? It just sounded very illogical to me. Anyway....sorry to take up so much space...but I wanted to let you know you're not the only one with the same issue. The attendants/docs at the sleep center can't give you sleeping meds. Another doctor has to prescribe them and provide them, or you bring them yourself.

I had also been scheduled for a split night sleep study when I went for the first time. I don't know how they expect you to sleep at all with all of those wires and stuff hanging off of you. Also, they make you sleep on your back because apparently that's where most people sleep "worst" which I can definitely attest is true. After the study was over at 5am, I got up and almost did a celebratory dance because the tech never put the CPAP on me, and I thought that it meant that either did not have sleep apnea or did not have it enough for the CPAP. When I asked him why I had not been put on the machine, he told me it was because I had shown "signs" of sleep apnea, but that he did not think it was bad enough for the CPAP. Wrong. A week later, as I was pestering the lab and my Dr.'s office for the results, I found out that I would have to return to the hospital for ANOTHER sleep study, this time with the CPAP. I was hoping that it would be the same technician, but it wasn't. I really wanted to give that guy a piece of my mind. Well, the first hour of the test, their fire alarm kept going off. This would have been bad if it were a NOISY fire alarm, but no, it was not so noisy as it was a STROBE light that went off for what seemed like FOREVER. I finally gave up on trying to sleep and grabbed a book to read off the nightstand. The tech came in and asked what was wrong, duh, how dumb do you have to be, can't you see the BRIGHT FLASHING LIGHT?? When that was finally over, I still had trouble sleeping due to the fact that I am not a back sleeper, I prefer my side or my stomach. Also, I did not like the CPAP, the pressure of air going in my nose was forcing my mouth open -- I could not help it. So the technician came in and gave me a chin strap. Fun. When I got up the next morning, I was NOT more refreshed than usual, I don't see how they could expect that to happen. I also found out that my machine was set on a 12 out of a possible 16 in pressure, which means the first tech was a complete moron. Now I am in the process of pestering the sleep lab again about my results, because I am having surgery in two weeks and my surgeon said he required that I be on the CPAP for those two weeks, but when I asked the nurse and explained there was no way for me to get the machine in time for me to be on it for two weeks, she said the ABSOLUTE minimum is 7 nights. I expect to have to do some major yelling over Monday and Tuesday.

That's very interesting. I went in for my sleep apnea study this past Thursday. DH went in last Sunday and he was given a CPAP halfway through the night; for me, nothing, though I know I awakened several times gasping for air and I had several severe sleep paralysis episodes. In the morning I asked the tech and he said that I had some apnea but I didn't meet the "criteria" to be given the CPAP. However, he said that my blood oxygen levels were too low; they were in the 80s most of the night and never got above the low 90s, and he said that is a real problem. He also mentioned that there was a possibility after the techs read the test that I'll need to go back. I meet with the pulmonologist and cardiologist in three weeks and hopefully I will find out more then. I am glad that I took the advice of people here and scheduled my surgery for later in the summer; I think by the time they figure out what the heck is going on I'll have just enough time to use any equipment before surgery. Anne