Week 20 - Sleep Study
Ahhhhhhh blissful sleep!
I’ve always been a good sleeper. I love sleep. I love the comfort of my bed, a cold bedroom, and snuggling into a puffy cloud of soft sheets, pillows and covers. Ahhhhh… I’m feeling the call of a good nap as I write this…
What is sleep apnea and why is it a concern?
As part of the special pregnancy program, my OB recommends all her patients undergo a sleep study to ensure that they don’t have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common condition in which your breathing stops and restarts many times while you sleep. This can prevent your body from getting enough oxygen. Pregnant woman often develop obstructive sleep apnea, where a blockage in your upper respiratory tract temporarily stops the flow of air during sleep. The concern is that the baby might not be getting enough oxygen while you sleep.
There are a number of potential health consequences when an expectant mother suffers from sleep apnea. Some studies show an elevated risk of pregnant women with sleep apnea developing gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or high blood pressure. And potential risks to the baby include: delivery by emergency c-section, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, the need for resuscitation at birth, and congenital abnormalities.
And so, to err on the side of caution, my OB recommends all of her special pregnancy patients be tested for sleep apnea. If you have it, there are solutions like the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine that can ensure both you and your baby are getting the oxygen you need while sleeping.
Snoring… it's in my genes!
I was sort of excited to have a sleep study done. I come from a long line of women who snore. My maternal Grandmother, bless her, could fall asleep anywhere and anytime, and would shamelessly saw logs. My Mother, bless her also, had a whole symphony of different snores. She’d start out with cute little puffs of breath escaping her lips as she fell asleep, and these would intensify into a cacophony snorts and chuffles as she feel into a deeper sleep. Both my sister and I inherited this wonderful gift (ha! Sorry to out you Sis!)
And so, I wondered if my snoring might be a sign of sleep apnea? I hoped not, of course. I dreaded the idea of having to deal with a CPAP machine and all that goes along with it. But also I worried about whether I’d been depriving my unborn baby of the oxygen it needed up to this point. So yes please Doc, sign me up for a sleep study!
Scheduling my appointment
My appointment was scheduled at the Sleep and Alertness Clinic on Bay Street, just around the corner from my OB’s office. I was asked to arrive at 8.30pm. Prior to my arrival I had to complete a 14-page questionnaire with questions ranging from any known family history of sleep apnea, to my coffee and alcohol intake, to my BMI, my night time snoring and drooling patterns, and a whole host of other questions related to various sleep and insomnia scales used by medical professionals.
What to expect…
I was provided with a digital pamphlet that detailed what to expect, what to bring, and what not to bring. If you are scheduled for a sleep study your clinic will provide you with specific instructions, but I share these for those of you who like to be prepared and know what’s coming!
You will spend the night in a comfortable and private room (I’d say “comfortable” is a highly subjective description in this case!)
A sleep technician will position dime-sized electrodes at various spots on the body to continuously record brain waves, muscle activity, heart rate, and eye movements. These monitoring devices are not uncomfortable and will not restrict your ability to move around during the night.
In all our rooms, we have video cameras that record only your sleep study. The purpose of these cameras is to record your sleeping position during the night and determine if it impacts your sleep issues, and to record any abnormal behaviours during sleep. If the recording is unremarkable, it is deleted once your study has been scored (I’ve never hoped so much to be considered “unremarkable”!)
You will usually be free to leave the clinic between 6 and 6:30 a.m. (you will be awakened at around 6:00 am).
If you require a daytime assessment you will stay in the clinic the next day with the electrodes still in place.
Daytime testing should end at approximately 4:00 p.m., but in some cases, may last up to 5:30 p.m., at which time you will be free to leave.
How to prepare for your sleep study…
On the day of the sleep study you should follow your habitual routine way of life. Do not drink coffee, tea or alcohol more than usual.
Bring all the medications you regularly use, and a list of them. Follow your regular medication schedule unless instructed otherwise.
Do not use hair accessories/treatments such as gel, hair spray, mousse or oils on your hair when you come for your sleep study.
Do not use moisturizers and creams on your face prior to the sleep study (No makeup? No moisturizers? No hair products? AND you’re going to have me on video? This oughta be good, haha!)
What to bring…
Valid health card
Medication and medication list
Pajamas, a pair of slippers, and your personal hygiene accessories such as toothpaste, and toothbrush).
Showers are available for use.
A gel-like residue will be left in the places where the electrodes were attached (e.g on scalp, forehead, chin) You may wish to bring a head covering especially if you take public transit
Dental device or positional device for oral/positional test
DO NOT BRING your own pillows, blankets or other bedding.
Let’s do this!
I arrived at 8.30pm, as scheduled, and was greeted by a nurse who showed me to my room. Based on what I’d read I was expecting something like a basic hotel room. My expectations were a tad too high! The room was much more akin to a sparsely furnished college dorm room. The only difference was all the equipment, wires and video camera set-up to monitor me as I slept. There was no TV to watch, the bed was less than comfy and the sheets and covers were a bit scratchy. I couldn’t help wonder about their laundry procedures. I tried to push that thought out of my mind as the nurse explained the process to me.
Bionic Betty
After changing into my pyjamas and getting ready for bed (ie. Removing my make-up, brushing my teeth, etc), she would apply a number of electrode stickers to my head, face, chest and legs. Next she would connect wires to each electrode and then gather each of those to connect to the central monitor. It would take her about an hour to get everything connected. “What?! An hour?!” I thought to myself. How many wires are we talking?
I shuffled off to get ready for bed, and came back to get hooked up. I felt like Bionic Betty by the time she was done with me. I looked at all the wires taped to my body, felt my face and wondered how on earth anyone actually sleeps during their sleep study! Being pregnant I usually have to pee several times through the night. How was that going to work, I asked. She showed me a neck halter with a contraption that temporarily holds all the wires and makes you mobile enough to get to the washroom. I’d have to page her if I needed to get up to use the bathroom. Ugh.
To sleep or not to sleep
At 10pm I laid down and hoped that sleep would come fast. It did not. I laid there, wondering who was watching me. I imagined a dark control room with countless TV monitors, and a quirky Lab Technician sitting behind a desk, wearing thick rimmed glasses, drinking an extra large Slurpee and munching popcorn while watching all the study participants try to sleep in these strange surroundings. I was nervous I’d do something super embarrassing. I was fully expecting to snore, but what if I farted. I mean, it’s possible… this baby is pushing on all my insides. What if I talk in my sleep? What if I drool. Ewwww, what if the person before me drooled? On and on… my brain swirled, and the harder I tried to sleep the more awake I felt. I’d never really struggled with insomnia… until now!
I kept rolling over, shifting positions and looking at my phone to check the time. Finally at 4am the door opened and the nurse told me they had collected enough data. “How is that possible?” I thought to myself. I never actually fell asleep! She assured me that I did indeed fall asleep, and they just need a few hours of data to analyze.
And that’s a wrap!
She began the methodical process of removing the wires and electrodes. The adhesive they use is heavy duty, and as they’d warned, my hair looked crazy afterwards. I was grateful to be leaving the building so early - before the streets began buzzing with people on their way to work. And I was also grateful I could drive myself home, with no need to step foot onto public transit in my current state!
The nurse advised that the results would be sent directly to my OB and would probably be two weeks before the report was ready. I shoved a hat on my head, got in my car and drove home. Ready for some real sleep, I climbed in my bed and snuggled in.
The results are in…
It’s official… I DO NOT have sleep apnea! I just happen to snore due to genetics. All clear!
