Home Sleep Study

Hi all Im new to the forum and sleep apena testing. I just got done doing a at home sleep study now I did find it a bit hard to get to sleep with it all on but I think i did manage to fall asleep between 3am and 5 or 6 then at 7 till about 8.30 when the machine finished. Did anyone else have this same experience with the test like thinking probably over thinking to much but then getting some "sleep"? and getting a apena diagnoses? I suffer from all the symptoms with waking up feeling horrible no sleep feeling, dry VERY dry mouth and throat hard to breathe when laying down without four pillows etc...red eyes, big dark eyes.

I think I'm worrying that i didnt get enough sleep for it to show on the test i guess i suffer a little of anxiety.

Hi vooxxy

I doubt that anybody sleeps well with all that gear attached for the first time but it's done now and you will know if they have enough data to produce a report soon enough.

It should only take a few days to get the results shouldn't it?

Yes thats it just have to wait and see. I think because of Christmas and so on i have to call back next Thursday to find out the results or an appointment for the dr. Did you also have similar experience with the test?

For me it was new and interesting and I was a bit concerned about getting it all hooked up right and conscious of not dislodging the gear but I think I managed to ignore it for much of the night.

While you are waiting for the results you could look at other aspects of your life that might be contributing to your symptoms.

I don't keep an official record, but unofficially I would say that the worst sleep I ever got in my life was the night I did my home sleep study. I was dead set against using a CPAP and was really anxious about "failing" the test. My wife started CPAP about 3 years earlier and I really did not want to go down that road. While I thought I never slept, they told me it was enough for a diagnosis. I recall the machine I used was the Phillips Alice NightOne. It has a built in system that evaluates the test and the data, so they know when you return it if the data is good enough or not. And I did "fail" the test with an AHI of about 34 - Severe Apnea!

And, I will warn you that the second worst sleep of my life was the first night on the CPAP as a trial. It did not go well, and I was prepared at several points to throw the whole machine out the window. But, I did manage to keep it on all night. That was 6 months ago, and I can say that I have used the CPAP every night since averaging about 8 hours a night. I now look forward to sleeping with it, as it does give me a more restful sleep despite the initial pain of it all -- most of which was in my head as I was so against having to use one.

You may want to do a little research on apnea while you are waiting for a diagnosis. It is of two basic types, the more common obstructive apena where your airway blocks air flow, and central apnea where the body just decides not to breathe. CPAP treats obstructive well, but central not so well. The point is that when you get your diagnosis if it is positive, be sure to ask for your breakdown of central vs obstructive events and what impact that would have on a choice of a machine. Also demand a written report of your sleep test results and diagnosis. If you end up buying anything out of your own pocket for equipment, you need a prescription.

You also may want to do a bit of research on machines as you may want have some influence on what you get. There are dumb brick machines that collect no data and usually have only one fixed pressure. I would try to avoid them. The newest machines collect data which can be displayed in a software program called SleepyHead, and automatically adjust your pressure. The two best machines for basic obstructive apnea in my opinion are:

1. ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet For Her

2. Phillips Respironics DreamStation Auto

Both will work, and both collect data and are compatible with SleepyHead, but the ResMed has a few additional features that the DreamStation does not.

Hope that helps some,