Going for a sleep study? Tips for getting the best answers to your sleep issues...

I recently had a sleep study (or if you'd like to get technical Polysomnography). It was horrible. I learned a lot. I've done a lot of research since I fired the so-called sleep specialist. Here are some things I've gleaned that may help you. I'll be popping back to this one, correcting any errors, adding info as I come across it. I will pop a new date on the title if I update the post.

• You will probably get a referral from your primary doctor. Do your own research. If the doctor doesn't have good reviews, isn't a good fit, ask for a different referral. Better yet, get an open referral so you can choose your own doctor.
• Before you go for your initial visit have in mind exactly which issues you have issues with such as:
• waking up frequently
• lack of deep and/or REM sleep (if you're able to track)
• feeling tired during the day, when you wake up, in the afternoon, etc.
• Do you doze off when watching TV? as a passenger in a car? at meetings? when reading?
• WRITE IT DOWN so you won't forget
• Tell the doctor what your goals are and be sure to discuss your expectations. 
• If you've been keeping a sleep diary (always a good idea if you're having issues), bring it.
• See if a home sleep study will work. If they say it depends on your insurance know they are hoping you'll do it at their office. Some insurances won't cover anything other than a home study. Home studies can't give as much data as one on-location --- however, if you're not going to sleep away from home you may want to push for a home study.
• If you do your study at their location, ask to see the sleep room. Make sure:
• it is dark, blackout curtains, no lights in the room
• the head of the bed raises if you're used to sleeping in that manner
• the walls aren't so thin that you can hear doors closing, people in the next room.
• it has a private bathroom (nothing like having to walk down a brightly lit hallway in the middle of the night...fluorescent or other bright lights that tell your brain "wake up"...)
• if you are going straight to work from the sleep study having a shower in the bathroom may be important to you
• the room has temperature controls (optimum sleep temps are anywhere from 60 - 67 degrees depending on which expert is giving the advice, but you may sleep better in warmer or colder temps) 
• Special needs children and smaller children can have a parent in the room. The rest of us sleep alone.
• Prep for the study (here's a great little video with https://youtu.be/6OjvRoYOcaM):
• Eat dinner if you normally eat.
• Don't drink any caffeine for 8 plus hours before the sleep study.
• Don't drink any alcoholic beverages or smoke any weed or take any mind-altering drugs (kind of laughing at that one...imagine your brain wave patterns if you popped certain pills...)
• No naps the day of the study no matter how tired you may get!
• Some places ask you not to polish your nails or wear fake nails. They put a finger monitor on one finger...for me it was the pointer on my left hand.  
• Wash your hair before your sleep study so the leads will stick. Don't put a lot of product on your hair as that kind of defeats the purpose...
• Don't put on any lotion or anything that can interfere with the pads sticking to your skin
• Wear loose clothing so they can get to the top of your chest, your back and the bottom of your legs. You will not be asked to get undressed.
• You will typically arrive between 8 and 10 p.m. and leave at 6 a.m. or after for a total of around 9 hours. They hope for 7 hours of sleep time so they can adequately assess your sleep. 
• You can bring your own pillow, blanket (weighted or your fave blankie), sound machine, books, tablet, snacks, toothbrush and toothpaste (you may want to brush your teeth before you leave) and pretty much anything within reason that will help you sleep. Some have fans in the rooms --- if you sleep with one ask if they have it, if not bring your own.
• Bring your medications. Let them know which ones you take.
• Wear comfortable clothes to sleep in or bring your sleep clothes. You may want to bring slippers or wear socks for walking around on public floors.
• When you get there you'll fill out more paperwork, then head to the sleep room. The tech will wire you up...nothing hurts but they do stick gunk in your hair so the leads will attach. 

• While you will have a lot of wires hanging off your body they won't hamper movement so don't worry about tossing and turning.
• If you have a reputable, good, clinic they will measure where they place the electrodes to ensure they get the best data. If they slap 'em on anywhere on your head raise an eyebrow and expect to get a CPAP recommendation...
• An oxygen monitor will be placed on a finger
• A plastic nasal tube monitors your breathing
• They monitor
• Brain activity
• Eye movements
• Heart rate
• Blood pressure
• Amount of oxygen in your blood
• the amount of air moving through your nose when you breathe
• Snoring
• Chest movements, breathing
• The room will have a camera so the tech can watch you at times and there will be a microphone so you can contact them. Yes, they'll hear you snore... :-). Some places, most I gather, video-tape you.

Red Flags

• A Physicians Assistant does your assessment and you never see the doctor. That's not necessarily an issue but it seems that talking with the doctor on your initial appointment is a reasonable expectation. (On a number of sites they said to expect to meet with the doctor...)
• They start talking C-Pap before the sleep study expect that they have pre-determined your diagnosis.
• If you mention other option possibilities, such as Inspire, or other sleep aids and they keep talking C-Pap you may want to try another sleep doc. That's not to say C-Pap isn't a good option for some...but if that's their agenda then they may have blinders on, or worse, get a kick-back from or own a C-Pap company :-). I have NO earthly idea if that's possible, but given my recent experience, it had me wondering...
• The doctor or PA has a set agenda, doesn't listen, dismisses your concerns and/or questions. You may want to say thank you but no thank you.
• If you know more about a good sleep environment than the sleep doc... (For instance, when I walked into the sleep room the wall was a full-length window with blinds. Outside the window there were parking lot lights that kept the room bright all night and hit my eyes. The tech said she'd been asking for over a year to get black-out curtains, everyone complained...and then said it was a good thing it wasn't a garbage pickup night as it was right outside my window and always startled her...)
• They don't give you a sheet explaining what to expect during or as you leave your initial appointment
• Bad reviews
• Even good reviews can be misleading. The doctor I went to for my sleep study had great reviews, even impressive reviews. However, after the sleep study, I went back and took a second look. All of the reviews were from people who saw him in his pulmonary practice. I did not find any reviews on the sleep center portion of his practice. So, lack of pertinent reviews may also be a "tell".
• If their sleep rooms are not conducive for promoting a good night of sleep. I listed things to look for above under "Ask to see the sleep room".
• If they have wonky sleep-study times, like arrive at 9 and leave at 5 in the morning and you normally sleep until 8 you may want to have someone drop you off and pick you up. Or find a place where their hours better fit your normal sleep schedule if possible. If they tell you all they need is 2 hours of good sleep to do an assessment know you are probably going to get a C-Pap recommendation from them...
• I'm not 100% sure about the requirements for sleep techs but mine had a musical degree and was "trained" to do the job after she was hired. I did not delve into requirements while there and given she'd been doing it for over a year I opted to let it slide (after all, she just stuck some leads on my head and unplugged me). I pegged it in my mind to do a bit of checking after the study. I would "guess" that certification probably varies from state-to-state. Here's a link to requirements from one school: https://study.com/articles/Become_a_Sleep_Technologist_Step-by-Step_Career_Guide.html. Per their site "To become a sleep technologist, you'll need an associate's degree in polysomnography technology. Also, certification is required and you should be detail oriented and able to communicate with patients."  
• I just found this: Sleep technologists, also known as polysomnographic technologists, are the ones keeping you company during your sleep study, monitoring all of your vital signs while you sleep. They will have one or more of the following certifications: Certified Polysomnographic Technician (CPSGT), Registered Sleep Technologist (RST), Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT), and Sleep Disorders Specialist (SDS). https://www.tuck.com/sleep-clinics/