Sleep Study & PTSD

[TTC18]

So I have wicked insomnia. I'm sure I'm not the only one here - but anyway. Insomnia. I get to sleep OK but then wake up a lot and then am awake for good by 4 hours or so after I got to sleep. My pdoc has referred me for a sleep study.

So.. with my anxiety and fear of new environments and people, I'm going to be somehow falling asleep in a lab... and if it turns out that I do have apnea, a technician will come in and 'gently' wake me up to fit me with a mask.
HAHAAHHAHAAHAH!!
No. This is what would happen IF I fell asleep... the poor technician comes in, thinking he's going to 'gently' wake me up, and the sound of the door opening has me out of bed, screaming, and clinging to a wall at the far end of the room. Or - if I somehow sleep through the door opening, having the technician 'gently' wake me has me screaming and leaping out of bed, losing all wires, etc in the process.

Any suggestions?

 

[FauxLiz]

Ask if they can do an at home study. I had that for the first phase of my sleep study and they were just from that able to diagnose sleep apnea. I don't have a cpap there is no way I could do the mask. There are mouth pieces that can be made especially for you and you can use a wedge at the top of your bed to elevate your head. Just some food for thought.

 

[TTC18]

Thank you! I'll ask.. hopefully they'll be compassionate, lol. :)

 

[whiteraven]

This was several days ago, but I'm wondering how things went, if you talked to your doctor yet? I second the at-home study. I had one done and it provided good information to my sleep specialist.

I have a CPAP but instead of a mask, I use nasal pillows. Much, much better!

 

[TTC18]

They're letting me do the home study :) :) I'm having a hard time getting it scheduled since we're apparently playing phone tag, but I'm on the list! :) Thank you!

 

[MamaHopeful]

Same here! My doc wants me to have a sleep study but there is NO WAY I would ever be able to go. Please keep us posted on how it goes for you.

 

[NaeNae75]

I'm waiting to schedule my in home study right now too.

 

[TTC18]

I'm scheduled for 2nd week of December for a home study. Hopefully I can make it till then, haha. ?
I hope yours goes well!

 

[flynav]

Does anybody else have real trouble actually falling asleep? I cannot shut my mind off and at times just do not get to sleep at all.

 

[TTC18]

I've had that kind of insomnia before too. Some things you can try that helped me: Relaxing stuff before bed (hot bath etc) no electronics or stressful stuff for 2 hours before bed, nighttime routine, reading something calming, listening to calming music, etc all for the several hours before bed. Don't do anything in bed or in the bedroom but sleep - no TV or anything else. No coffee or other caffeine except in the AM. Cut sugar consumption. Exercise but not in the several hours before bed. All that is stuff you do when you're not lying there trying to get to sleep. When you're lying there actually trying to get to sleep: Try listening to some sleep meditation stuff, and try to relax. If you can't sleep after 15 minutes, get up, do something that's not exciting or electronic - crochet puts me to sleep, for example. Coloring, or listening to calming music, etc. Then try again. Don't lie there for 4 hours wishing you were sleeping, that's counterproductive. :) I hope you can get some good sleep! :)

 

[whiteraven]

Does anybody else have real trouble actually falling asleep? I cannot shut my mind off and at times just do not get to sleep at all.

I used to have this issue all the time. After I started practicing mindfulness, though, it no longer was a problem. I also have had trouble staying asleep - I wake after 4 or 5 hours of sleep. I discovered I have restless leg syndrome and after I started medicine for that, I sleep much better!

 

[PTSDGuy]

Does anybody else have real trouble actually falling asleep? I cannot shut my mind off and at times just do not get to sleep at all.

When I went for my sleep study in a lab, I lay there, and lay there, and lay there.... Freaking out that I wasn't sleeping, only to find out when the technician came in that I had slept a few hours, and that was enough to see I had Sleep Apnea...

I"m now happily attached to a CPAP every night... Still have issues sleeping sometimes, but I can usually manage 5 hours sleep or more with it...

Don't do anything in bed or in the bedroom but sleep - no TV or anything else. No coffee or other caffeine except in the AM. Cut sugar consumption. Exercise but not in the several hours before bed. All that is stuff you do when you're not lying there trying to get to sleep. When you're lying there actually trying to get to sleep: Try listening to some sleep meditation stuff, and try to relax. If you can't sleep after 15 minutes, get up, do something that's not exciting or electronic - crochet puts me to sleep, for example. Coloring, or listening to calming music, etc. Then try again. Don't lie there for 4 hours wishing you were sleeping, that's counterproductive. :) I hope you can get some good sleep! :)

Yep, I had to stop reading, going online or playing games in bed. If I can't sleep, I get up, then go back to bed when I'm tired... It's an adjustment, but you'll get used to it pretty quickly...