You’ve got it all wrong if you think that a sleep study is actually performed to judge how well you sleep: it’s actually to determine if you’re able to sleep at all in the face of all of the hook-ups you’re attached to and the strangeness of the setting when they do the study.

Back in the day, as part of a comprehensive post-polio evaluation, I had my first study. I suspected I had sleep apnea on the basis of what my wife and others had told me about observing my sleep and sleep habits (I’ve never considered myself a “good” sleeper). During that study, they observed numerous incidents of sleep interruptions (more than 200) and a few of outright apnea. They were unable to fit me with a CPAP during that initial study. In a subsequent study a few months later, they started my off with a CPAP, and got favorable clinical results. I have been using one since then, but have had to fuss with masks and such, and it took me in real life (as opposed to the clinic) the better part of 1 1/2 years to get used to one, but, that said, I now find it hard to sleep without one.

This study was to do an update, and determine whether the settings were current, or if there were other treatment indications. Oh yeah, and I think I need a new CPAP, and they won’t (now that I live in a different state with a different doctor and different insurance) write a prescription without a new study.

I arrived at the study center at 8:30, and the hook-ups and other prep took until almost 9:30. I think I had about 8-10 electrodes on my head, two on my chest and two on my feet, and an oxygen sensor on my finger. A panel on a pillow next to me with all the connections to inputs was part of the study apparatus.

I considered the fate of the turkey before going into the oven. No, that would be wrong. I was far more trussed up than that poor bird, but would at least survive the experience.  A few exercises to test the correctness of the hook-ups and settings, and then the Song Bird fired up, and lights out.

I am a restless sleeper, and even more so if I can’t fall asleep quickly (see my post on RBS), which was, of course, the case this evening. All of my rolling and thrashing caused them to come in three times to reattach various connections over the course of the initial part of the night. I last checked my cellphone for the time at 11:00, and was still awake some time thereafter. Woke up a couple of times and then was finally awake, thinking it must be around 5:00 given my level of awakeness. Phone said 3:45. Rolled around and they then came in and fixed another connection at about 4:20.

And of course they end the study at 5:00 AM, come in, turn on the lights, unhook you, then give you a survey on how well you think you slept to fill out (don’t they know from all those hook-ups??) before you go, and then send you on your brain-dead, dopey way. I figured I got maybe 3 hours max with two interruptions. This, while using a CPAP and wearing a mask I brought from home.

So the question is: will the study have any validity, given the shortness of my sleep? Will I have to undergo another? Is there anything they or I could have done differently? Well, maybe. They might have offered my something to help me get to sleep after I wasn’t asleep about an hour (I was given Ambien during my first studies).

My experience wasn’t, according to my chats with staff, all that uncommon, and my advice to anyone undergoing one of these who isn’t a “good” sleeper or is particularly restless to discuss with the staff what might be done if, after some agreed-upon period of time, sleep has not come. Dealing with sleep apnea, a serious condition, is important, but I shan’t see the New Year in tonight, here’s betting…