question about sleep studies

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I'm supposed to have a sleep study later this month, due to long-term sleep problems. I mainly have trouble with waking frequently throughout the night, but sometimes have trouble falling asleep, too, thanks to various health problems.

When I scheduled the study, I asked the person from the sleep center how much I would need to sleep in order for them to collect enough data to figure out what was going on. She said they usually need about six hours and, when I asked if that would need to be in blocks of a few hours in a row, she said yes and suggested I ask my family doctor for a prescription sleep med if I had concerns about sleeping during the study.

This really doesn't seem right to me, since anyone who is able to rest soundly for a solid six hours wouldn't need the study in the first place. And, if I go in there and take meds to knock myself out, I don't think they'll get an accurate picture of what's going on and it'll be a waste of time.

I was just curious if anyone here with insomnia has undergone a sleep study before and might have some input. Thanks!

They can do it with certain meds, and without. Not all meds allow you to sleep the same. I'd ask your doc about it.

When I did a sleep study, and I only stopped breathing once, but I was only taking in 60% of the air. My mother on the other hand, when she got her sleep study done, didn't even make it through the night before they came in and said you need to use the CPAP now. She stopped breathing a few hundred times in the first half before they hooked up a cpap for her to use.

It does vary with everyone for what the problem is that is actually causing the sleep issues, for how long you need to sleep before they can diagnose your issues.

Even if you can sleep for six hours straight, there could still be a problem. I used to sleep 8-10 hours straight through, but it turned out to be a low-quality sleep: when I went in for a sleep study, they discovered that I stopped breathing every minute or two, so my brain never got into the deep, restorative stages of sleep. I had been sleep-deprived for years and didn't suspect it. The only reason i went for a study was because I developed weeks of insomnia after staying up all night to celebrate a co-worker's birthday. My system was so delicately balanced that it was unable to recover from that one stressor.

A med to help you sleep won't necessarily invalidate the study. I've been given meds during a couple of the studies I've had, and been repeatedly assured that it doesn't interfere with the data collection. (Not sure if its permitted to mention the name of the med here) In fact, if your problem is insomnIa, they have to give you something to get you to sleep so they can, you know, study your sleep. Does the sleep center not have a physician of their own who can prescribe something appropriate? If you get a script from your own doc, double-check with the sleep center to make certain it won't interfere with their study, and definitely ask them precisely when they want you to take the med.

Good luck!