Got To Get A Sleep Study Done

Well I was set to go back to work tomorrow morning at 6am after being home a few days, but I got a call from my DBL a few minutes ago about being shut down until I have a sleep study done. So I called to have one done, waiting to hear back as the person who schedules it wasn't answering so they asked for my number.

Well maybe it'll help out, since I don't sleep that great anyways and haven't for a long time. I'll post some updates as I find out.

Jamie-

As a person who has done the sleep study, it's not the most pleasant evening or night but it's tolerable. They will find out how many times you wake up during the night. And may have you change masks. The mask I have is a ResMed Air Fit P10 Nasal Air Pillows. In other words they are just for going in the nose not a full mask. Not that I could have a full mask with a beard. But once you get used to it (a couple of nights at most), it's tolerable.

i don't remember if Rainy still uses one or not. But she also had this cleaning machine which was pretty cool.

So maybe it will work for you?

Any word on why he wanted the sleep study done? Do you fit the metrics usually used neck size 17 inches and BMI 35? I figured companies really didnt care too much as long as your medical card was valid. Either way, it wont hurt anything to get it done. Ive been using my machine about a week now and im still trying to get my mask to fit perfectly. One night too tight, next too loose where it loses the seal on my face. I went from nearly 18 events per hour down to just under 1 with my machine l.

Any word on why he wanted the sleep study done? Do you fit the metrics usually used neck size 17 inches and BMI 35?

My neck size is about 14 inches give or take, I am over weight so that is probably another concern. When I went on for my 30-45 day evaluation I had to do a sleep study questionnaire. So the answers I provided probably gave them a reason to give me one. As I have gotten 3 DOT 2 year medical cards in the last year, one for my taxi permit, one for when I got to the trucking school, and one for when I got to Schneider.

So the sleep study questionnaire is probably the main reason.

It'll be good, because I actually have a lot of trouble with sleeping either I can't fall asleep no matter what, I normally feel tired after sleeping and throughout the day or I toss and turn all night along which is common no matter where I'm sleeping, etc. So it'll help find out if something is wrong or not.

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I have been a CPAP patient for about 15 years now, from my previous profession carried over into this one. When I had my sleep study done I had not gotten REM sleep for probably close to ten years. I had somewhere around 30 incidents in my first hour of being asleep.

They set me up with a nasal mask, adjusted the pressure, and I slept like a baby for about 5 hours. When they woke me up at 5 a.m. to kick me out, I stayed awake and went to work 3pm to 3am, ended up on overtime and then had court, and in total ended up not going to sleep for 29 hours. When I laid down to try to go to sleep, I couldn't. My body didn't know what sleep, real REM sleep, was.

I have a ResMed Air 10 which follows me everywhere I go. In the truck, on vacation, visiting friends where there's a possibility I'll have something to drink and stay overnight. Anytime I anticipate laying down for a nap or an overnight, the mask and machine are with me.

It will take, possibly, a couple of days to get used to it. It is the best sleep you will have had, especially if you snore, or are drowsy in the midday. I have a full beard and mustache, and the nasal Comfort gel mask works very well for me. The only points of contact are my forehead and around my nose. My wife has the nasal pillows, and is happy with those. She tried the dental Appliance, and it was extremely uncomfortable for her. Others we know have used the dental Appliance with good success. The photo is the facepiece I use...

If you do have sleep apnea , getting something to mitigate the apnea will make a huge difference in your overall health, well-being, mindset, and level of fatigue. I am a huge proponent of sleep studies for people that score on the apnea questionnaires.

Good luck! Be sure to allow yourself several days to acclimate to whatever options the Physicians recommend. The life you save may be your own.

Another up side? You can put your head under the blankets to fully cocoon, without worrying about suffocating. Handy on those nights where the sleeper is just a touch chilly...

The photo is the facepiece I use...

Guess the photo would help..

On the plus side you will be able to do your sleep study in your truck or I was able to at least in Carlisle and your DBL shoukd have set everything up for you and all you have to do is show up to the test.

I got mine a year ago.and hated it. It prevented me.from.sleeping and for 6 mos I was completely congested to the point where i had to keep.waking and pulling it off to breathe. it sucked.

You will see posts here where i moaned and everyone told.me it was.for the best, but honestly, it was HELL. I never had that deep sleep, well rested feeling from it. i still dont. I was exhausted all the time AFTER i got it, worse than when i was in training. Brett and a few others said i needed to get used to it or use the humidifier for the congestion, or keep changing masks....masks which cost $150 each.

It seriously made me feel like something was wrong with me cause everyone else raved about the CPAPs and i felt worse. Ironically, my mother told me she never saw me so well rested and upbeat as when i started trucking. Im a napper, and trucking allows me to sleep a few hours then drive then sleep a few hours. That helped me. Then i got the machine and she saw the difference...i looked beaten down and tired.

When the summer came my congestion went away and that helps. I have had 3 different masks and i dont really have a preference but have noticed with colds i rather not have the full mouth and nose one. when i get congested i have to sleep sitting up or i choke.

the SoClean machine is like $300 but toally worth it to make cleaning easy! no lugging around parts into the shower. Not cleaning the machine properly will kill you just as quickly as the apnea itself.

My new years resolution is to lose weight and ditch the machine lol My whole life i dreamed in color and marathon long dreams like a movie. As soon as i started on the machine, the dreams stopped. Now i only dream when i dont use it. and most people wont understand this...but it feels.like a part of me died. it literally stole my dreams away.

I dont want to discourage you but it is important to know that if you dont have a great reaction to it, you are not alone or some weird mutant freak. well..i dont know maybe i am a little freaky. lol

I'll add my 2 cents. I felt I really don't need a CPAP assist to sleep, but you can't argue with the Dr who decides you need the sleep study.

So I got my machine, and use it every night. The side effects make the change worth it. The extra oxygen helped to improve blood circulation in my legs and the itchy scaly condition on my shins went away. And in the morning my lungs had that feeling of being ready to take on the day. (It's really hard to describe it, but basically it feels good.)