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This might be a shot in the dark – I know some of you have mentioned that you plan on going to a sleep clinic, but I'm not sure if any of you have actually been to one! Regardless, at some stage new members will join that have undergone a sleep study so I wanted to get this topic rolling.
I thought it would be a good idea for us to share our sleep study experience. So, if you've been to a sleep clinic please share how it went. Was it even more difficult to sleep? Was it expensive? Were the findings helpful?
Let's make this discussion topic the ultimate sleep clinic resource! Whaddya say?
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
'Martin' wrote on '10:This might be a shot in the dark – I know some of you have mentioned that you plan on going to a sleep clinic, but I'm not sure if any of you have actually been to one! Regardless, at some stage new members will join that have undergone a sleep study so I wanted to get this topic rolling.
I thought it would be a good idea for us to share our sleep study experience. So, if you've been to a sleep clinic please share how it went. Was it even more difficult to sleep? Was it expensive? Were the findings helpful?
Let's make this discussion topic the ultimate sleep clinic resource! Whaddya say?
I was in a sleep study, which is an oxymoron, since I'm an insomniac. It wasn't for my sleep disorder though…I have everything from lucid dreams to night terrors; walk, talk, sing, scream, swear, and move furniture in my sleep; they were trying to map what was happening in my brain while this was going on. Since it was for a reasearch study, I did not have to pay. I was chosen based on an online dream journal I was keeping at the time.
First the insomnia was a road block. The other problem is all the wires they stick on you. I have never in my life been able to sleep on my back. I have to sleep on a side, preferrably my left side…but the wires make side-sleeping very hard. I also couldn't stand being a room that “open.” They wouldn't give me extra blankets, but offered to raise the room temp. However, I need the weight of blankets, not the warmth.
Eventually, I did fall asleep, but when the dreams kicked in, I was ripping wires off, etc. Lots of complications. Disturbing to watch the tapes. But one cool thing was the singing. It was difficult to hear the specific words, but the melodies were beautiful. I didn't know I could sing like that.
Other people who have heard the singing, like family, say the songs are captivating to them.
But that just makes me paranoid about sleeping…LOL. I don't want anyone “eavesdropping.”
Went for a sleep study last night. It was an interesting experience. The wires were slightly annoying, but even more irrtiating was the damn oxygen sensor stuck on my finger. I kept poking my eye with it.
Basically, they said I have mild apnea, and guess what? Insomnia. 😐 No, really? I didn't see that coming. The sleep apnea wakes me up and my mind apparently goes into overdrive, thus keeping me awake. Back to the doctor! Woot! <_<
'LindsayK' wrote on '13:Went for a sleep study last night. It was an interesting experience. The wires were slightly annoying, but even more irrtiating was the damn oxygen sensor stuck on my finger. I kept poking my eye with it.
Basically, they said I have mild apnea, and guess what? Insomnia. 😐 No, really? I didn't see that coming. The sleep apnea wakes me up and my mind apparently goes into overdrive, thus keeping me awake. Back to the doctor! Woot! <_<
On reflection then, do you think it was a useful experience, or just a waste of your time?
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
'Martin' wrote on '15:On reflection then, do you think it was a useful experience, or just a waste of your time?
Waste of my time. It might work for others to help find solutions, but I already kenw everything they told me. Oh, well.
'LindsayK' wrote on '15:Waste of my time. It might work for others to help find solutions, but I already kenw everything they told me. Oh, well.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained though, hey? 🙂
Marint asked:
I thought it would be a good idea for us to share our sleep study experience. So, if you've been to a sleep clinic please share how it went. Was it even more difficult to sleep? Was it expensive? Were the findings helpful?
By the time I was greenlighted for the study, my acute insomnia bout had finished. The “sleep specialist” was a pulmonologist, who had sleep apnea on the brain, since that was his hammer. I don't think he believed a word I said. OF COURSE the study showed nothing!
But as others have said, the wires superglued to you all over, the insistence on sleeping on your back, the canuale up your nose, the bloodox clip on your finger, the awareness that there's a camera on you all night (thus no real privacy, and I loathe the idea that someone strange is watching me sleep–too creepy), the discomfort of clothing and bad sheets, the unfamiliar bed, for me, the excess heat–and yes, it would have been nice to have a cooler room and a nice heavy cover (I too am a weight-activated sleeper, one of the reasons my “sleep snake” (the spa heatwrap), which I did not have yet, works to settle me down) to wrap around me. They didn't want me reading past 9 pm, and they woke me up at 6 am, hustling me out of there!
I wasn't at all pleased with the experience, and annoyed I'd been put through it at the wrong time, and for the wrong diagnostic expectation. I think an EEG would have given more useful info.
'MarinaFournier' wrote on '24:Marint asked:
I thought it would be a good idea for us to share our sleep study experience. So, if you've been to a sleep clinic please share how it went. Was it even more difficult to sleep? Was it expensive? Were the findings helpful?
By the time I was greenlighted for the study, my acute insomnia bout had finished. The “sleep specialist” was a pulmonologist, who had sleep apnea on the brain, since that was his hammer. I don't think he believed a word I said. OF COURSE the study showed nothing!
But as others have said, the wires superglued to you all over, the insistence on sleeping on your back, the canuale up your nose, the bloodox clip on your finger, the awareness that there's a camera on you all night (thus no real privacy, and I loathe the idea that someone strange is watching me sleep–too creepy), the discomfort of clothing and bad sheets, the unfamiliar bed, for me, the excess heat–and yes, it would have been nice to have a cooler room and a nice heavy cover (I too am a weight-activated sleeper, one of the reasons my “sleep snake” (the spa heatwrap), which I did not have yet, works to settle me down) to wrap around me. They didn't want me reading past 9 pm, and they woke me up at 6 am, hustling me out of there!
I wasn't at all pleased with the experience, and annoyed I'd been put through it at the wrong time, and for the wrong diagnostic expectation. I think an EEG would have given more useful info.
I've been through one sleep study (one of the two) and it was awful. Luckily at the time I was on a heavy sedative for bipolar disorder, which I've been switched off of due to excessive sleep-eating. Yeah I actually ate like 4 heaping bowls of cereal at night and didn't even know it till I woke up the next morning… That happened every night for months. I gained about a hundred pounds and I was already quite obese, still am. I have an appointment Saturday with my psychiatrist to see if we can fix this insomnia/circadian sleep disorder THING. I really really hope he does not make me do a sleep study. I will be a happy camper the rest of my life if I never have to do another one again. I was diagnosed as having sleep apnea but had a UPPP surgery to remove my uvula and shave down my soft pallet to allow for better breathing at night. I don't snore anymore usually so I think it's a success. But yeah never will I do another sleep study—-unless its the only way for my psychiatrist to help find a drug that will help me sleep. Herbal remedies have done nothing for me and ambien and lunesta and trazadone did nothing also. So I'm at a loss of what to do. I tend to sleep during the day though. But I woke up at 6pm yesterday afternoon and had 3 hours of sleep at noon today. It's now going on 6pm and I don't think I'll get to sleep till like 4am, not sure though. I'm not ready yet.
i'm interested in doing a sleepy study. it sounds like it could be very useful to me. one of my best friends took her kid for a sleep study as the kid was suffering from some sleep apnea, and the results were illuminating. they discovered that even aside from the sleep apnea (the kid has unusually large tonsils and has since been scheduled for surgical removal), their brain woke them up 5 times an hour. combined with the sleep apnea caused by the breathing trouble, and it was a whopping 13 times an hour. the poor kid was never able to fall into deep, restful sleep. naturally, they were suffering from health trouble–cognitive trouble, attention-deficit, behavioural issues, etc.
the downside is i understand it can be quite expensive. something like 3 grand, in this case. i'll have to check with my insurance and see what it's going to be like for me.
'Baron' wrote on '20:i'm interested in doing a sleepy study. it sounds like it could be very useful to me. one of my best friends took her kid for a sleep study as the kid was suffering from some sleep apnea, and the results were illuminating. they discovered that even aside from the sleep apnea (the kid has unusually large tonsils and has since been scheduled for surgical removal), their brain woke them up 5 times an hour. combined with the sleep apnea caused by the breathing trouble, and it was a whopping 13 times an hour. the poor kid was never able to fall into deep, restful sleep. naturally, they were suffering from health trouble–cognitive trouble, attention-deficit, behavioural issues, etc.
the downside is i understand it can be quite expensive. something like 3 grand, in this case. i'll have to check with my insurance and see what it's going to be like for me.
Yikes that does sound pricey. What are you hoping or interested in discovering with the sleep study? Are you concerned you may have sleep apnea? Do you think more specific data on your sleep habits could help you sleep?
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
'Martin' wrote on '21:Yikes that does sound pricey. What are you hoping or interested in discovering with the sleep study? Are you concerned you may have sleep apnea? Do you think more specific data on your sleep habits could help you sleep?
i don't believe i have sleep apnea, but i do wake up often and don't get very restful, or deep sleep in general, and the results from my friend's kid's sleep study sparked my curiosity. yeah, i think the data could be useful, in terms of finding an approach or strategy, but wouldn't consider a sleep study at the very top of my priority list yet.
'Baron' wrote on '20:i'm interested in doing a sleepy study. it sounds like it could be very useful to me. one of my best friends took her kid for a sleep study as the kid was suffering from some sleep apnea, and the results were illuminating. they discovered that even aside from the sleep apnea (the kid has unusually large tonsils and has since been scheduled for surgical removal), their brain woke them up 5 times an hour. combined with the sleep apnea caused by the breathing trouble, and it was a whopping 13 times an hour. the poor kid was never able to fall into deep, restful sleep. naturally, they were suffering from health trouble–cognitive trouble, attention-deficit, behavioural issues, etc.
the downside is i understand it can be quite expensive. something like 3 grand, in this case. i'll have to check with my insurance and see what it's going to be like for me.
Poor kid! Glad they found causes, and hope the surgery & CPAP help.
As to your insurance, you may need your doctor/specialist to explain to the insco how it's “medically necessary” for you to have this. Best of luck!
All this talk kind of reminds me of this blog post from back in July 2010:
http://www.insomnialand.com/blog/why-insomnia-is-the-ignored-sleep-disorder/
Basically, insomnia treatment is less attractive as billing is done under a psychological code which pay poorly. Compare that to sleep apnea where the treatment typically costs $10,000 and is covered in full by insurance.
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
My doctor referred me to a sleep clinic in Feb. of '08. I went in thinking they were going to tell me why I can't sleep. How naive I was!
I had to be there at 9:30 p.m. A technician hooked me up to a zillion wires attached to a large monitoring machine. I fell asleep easily that night, but I woke up at 3:00 a.m., which was happening to me a lot back then, still does actually. I lay there awake until about 5:00. I had to stay a certain number of hours for my insurance to cover it.
When I went back a week later for my consultation, the doctor was concerned with sleep apnea only. He wouldn't even talk about my waking-up problem. He and his staff were absolutely worthless for my situation. The doc wanted me to try sleeping with a band-aid-looking patch that covered about 90 percent of both nostrils. They restricted my breathing waaaaay too much, so I through them in the trash.
What a waste of time.
Hi. I did sleep study two years ago. Complete waste of time and money. It costed me 11.000 rubles (I live in Russia, not in a big town). It was my second sleepless night. I layed all night, with my eyes closed. In the middle of the night nurse came to check me and she was suprised that I do not sleep. Althoug in the morning when a sleep specialist came he told that I had a good 9 hours sleep!!! It is when I had zero sleep that night. I did not look to the data but instead brought them to another sleep specialist (although he is specializing in sleep apnea). He told that I had a very vierd night: in his interpretation I spent 6 hrs in mostly stage 2 with sth about 20!!! awakenings during the night. It is when I am sure I did not sleep a wink that night. After that I went home (of course in awful condition) and googled polysomnography and reviews and immidiately found several reviews saying the same things as me: we did not sleep a minute that night but sleep study showed that we slept several hours. I had a tough discussion with my doctor after this study because he believed it. But after I told him that when I was in hospital I was checked several times per each night if I sleep or not by hospital staff and they proved that I do not sleep during the night he started to maybe belive me that polysomnography may show mistakes. I believe that this technology may show mistakes (like in my case). I regret that I did this sleep study because now I have problems with doctors. They all ask me about sleep study. And they say that I sleep. And stop treating my insomnia. So I have now more problems after this sleep study. For our town 11.000 rubles is a lot so it is expensive procedure here in Russia. In our capital it is much more expensive. We have only two somnologists in our town. The one of them who agrees I have problems do not know what to do with me. He advises me to go to Moscow. But it is very hard in my condition. The other one (who did sleep study) advises nothing to me.
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