Sleep Study

This past weekend, I got to have some fun and have a sleep study done. It seemed a bit odd as I dont really think of myself as having any sleep disorders except for self inflicted ones by staying up way too late. However, my doctor wanted me to do one, so I did.

During my annual physical this fall, my doctor had asked some questions about tiredness and stuff and I told him that sometimes in the late afternoon or evening I get tired. Unfortunately, by bedtime, I am usually wide awake and ready to do some computer work, play video games or something else besides go to bed.

So he had me get an oximeter for a night. This device measures the oxygen levels in your system as you sleep. Evidently, it had two low readings during the night. Those levels were still 90%, but evidently that is still considered low. So he ordered the sleep study.

I elected to have it done on a Sunday night since I live over an hour away from the place and didn’t want to drive home one night from work and then back to the place. I surely didn’t want to stay at work that late. I figured much sleep wouldn’t be had at the study.

It was a bit strange when I showed up because they pretty much assumed you had a sleep disorder and were playing to do treatments and try stuff during the night. Knowing several folks who have studies and ended up with CPAP kits (mask and apparatus for keeping air flowing), Suzanne was convinced the same would happen for me. I was beginning to think so too.

The plan was to go to bed and let them monitor me during my sleep. It seemed like I had a hundred different wires and probes attached to me (okay, more like 20), so it was going to be a fun night. They also were unsure why I wasn’t ready for bed at 9:00 and why I wanted to watch the end of the Sunday Night Football game. I can’t remember the last time I went or even thought about going to bed at 9.

Anyways, I climbed into bed about 10:00 and was asleep somewhere about an hour later. I do remember turning over a couple of times during the night, but slept alright until I woke up around 4 or 4:30. My first thought, was “Hey, nobody came in here during the night and put that mask thing on”. Thought it odd, but rolled over and went back to sleep for about another hour when I was up for good and the study ended.

I asked the technician about the planned mid-night intervention and he told me that I hadn’t met the criteria for any of the other steps. I said that sounded like a good thing and he said he would consider it a good thing. Being a technician, he wouldn’t give me any details about the study. Doctors would have to review the data and get back with me. But it clearly sounded like there weren’t any real sleep disorder at work. I should here more back within 10 days.

Good to know I don’t have a sleep disorder (or at least it doesn’t appear so) I guess, but there goes a night I could have stayed up late on the computer! 😉