Turning to a sleep center/clinic out of desperation, where should I go, what should I know/ask for? Have I always been sleep deprived and didn't know it?

May 23, 2011 11:07 AM

Turning to a sleep center/clinic out of desperation, where should I go, what should I know/ask for? Have I always been sleep deprived and didn't know it?

For as long as I can remember I have woken up 5-10 times (if not more) per night every night. I never really thought this was unusual until recently I began to realize this didn't happen to other people. Also, within the past few years my allergies seem to have gotten worse where my ears are popping always and I have regular congetstion, no idea if this is directly correlated. Finally, I've started to feel like I never feel properly rested, I am not sure I have ever woken up truly refreshed.

I think I would like to go to a sleep clinic to get to the bottom of this, but I don't know much about the world of sleep disorders/test/etc. I am in the Boston metro area and would love any first-hand recommendations that folks have (Beth Israel, MGH, Sleep HealthCenters). Also, what types of test are important to take so that I make the most of my overnight stay. Any things I should keep in mind?

Thanks so much in advance for any advice.

posted by Carialle to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

The sleep center I went to (also Boston area) had terribly uncomfortable beds; I would have been better sleeping on the floor and wish I had spoken up about it. They were still able to diagnose me with mild apnea, but I don't really trust the data because I was waking up all the time anyhow from the bed trying to swallow me up.

Do yourself a favor and see if you can test out the beds at your center *before* you arrive for your scheduled sleep overnight, so you don't end up getting poor data.

Treating your congestion at night can be very useful. Always sleep with the windows shut (pollen release at night means I wake up awfully stuffed if the windows are open). Maybe ask your primary care physician if taking a steroid nasal spray during the worst of your allergy season is a good idea; for me it appears to help my sleep issues too.

As far as what types of test, very likely you'd do best having a sleep physician managing your care; they will survey you on what your symptoms are and what other conditions (allergies etc) you have, and figure out what tests you should get done.
posted by nat at 11:23 AM on May 23, 2011

Best answer: I went to SleepHealthCenters in Medford, and it was quite comfy, more like a hotel room than a what one would expect from a lab. And the people were really nice and professional. I have seen sleep-study rooms in some of their other locations and would recommend you demand Medford if you go with them. Good luck, the treatment has it's helped me enormously.

And to nat: With all the data they're collecting, they can distinguish true apnea from episodes of waking up due to an uncomfortable bed. Shifting positions or waking up won't make you stop breathing, after all.
posted by dust of the stars at 11:49 AM on May 23, 2011

Best answer: You don't really need to worry about what tests to ask for, because the sleep specialist knows what to ask YOU. I think the sleep study tests are the same for everyone - basically they just hook you up to a bunch of machines that measure brain waves, blood oxygen, breathing, eye movement, etc. If they see signs of apnea, they may wake you up in the middle of the night and hook you up to a CPAP so they can compare the results. I had a sleep study last year, and how it worked was at my consultation appointment I filled out a questionnaire, the doctor reviewed it and asked me some further questions, gave me some ideas for getting better rest, and told me he wanted to do a sleep study. He told me what tests they would be doing, how it would be set up, and showed me the room where I would be sleeping. I made an appointment for the sleep study, and the follow up study a few weeks later (the doctor wasn't present during the sleep study, but reviewed the information gathered from it afterwards). If you have any questions about the tests, or think something was glossed over, bring it up in your consultation. If the doctor doesn't recommend a sleep study, follow their advice about sleeping better, and make another appointment if it doesn't help.

I found the sleep study quite uncomfortable (sleeping in a strange bed, with instruments in my nose and glued to my scalp, twisted up in cables, and knowing that people were watching me), but other than that it wasn't a big deal. One thing I will mention: in the materials they gave me beforehand, it was recommended that you bring all hygiene products you would want the next morning. I didn't bring anything because I figured I'd just go home straight away and shower, but the paste they attach the sensors to your scalp with is *really* gross and I ended up taking a shower without my stuff.

You can memail me if I have any more questions.
posted by Safiya at 1:22 PM on May 23, 2011

dust of the stars: yes, of course, but they can't get enough data if you don't sleep continuously enough for long enough.

I was supposed to have a split night study, where they connect you to a CPAP in the middle, as Safiya says; but to do that, they need a certain number of hours of sleep. Due to the horrible bed, I never got that many hours.
posted by nat at 12:30 AM on May 24, 2011