mkgbrook

I have had severe sleep apnea my whole life. I am 32. I was diagnosed when I was 30. My growth was stunted.. but other than that i have had no long term effects. My son is 5 he has severe sleep apnea. Most likely since birth. He has no adverse effects because I caught all the signs after I was diagnosed and we got him treatment immediately. My heart is strong with only a murmur since birth being an issue. My dysfunctional thyroid has had more impact than my sleep apnea on my heart. My husband has hypopnea and blood O2 saturation loss in his sleep. i got him diagnosed after I was diagnosed.. yes we all sleep on CPAPs and it makes air travel fun.. not to mention the house sound like a Darth Vader convention at night.. but we are all fine.

Sleep apnea rarely kills. Your body automatically reboots and wakes during an apnea event. Only in young children are the beginning to suspect the largest toll. More and more studies are linking SIDS and sleep apnea in children. With crib sleep apnea monitors being available for $60 buck OTC.. there is no excuse not to catch it early. Sleep apnea is genetically dominant and can be passed to your children.. so look into it. However it is not instant death.. just a chronic pain in the.. Uhh.. drag.

As to the study: Easy. My son had his first one at 4. I have had three.. my son 2.. husband 1.. my son is due another.. and I have another six months til i am checked.
So step by step:
1) Go to the sleep lab at 8 PM
2) You are brought up and assigned a sleep lab.. with a microphone and camera and EKG and HR monitor in it.
3) First night is a base line study to see if you have sleep apnea and if so.. how bad.
4) You are hook up with leads all over your head and face, chest, arms, legs, and back. The silicon conduction paste in the hair is the worst. Baby oil helps get it out well initially then soap and shower as usual. You may have to wash your hair if it is long three or four times.
5) Your lights will be turned out around 10 PM and then you sleep while a computer and group of nurses watch you through the camera. If you wake in the night and need to use the bathroom or anything.. the nurses will come to your call and assist you.
6) You wake, clean up, and are told when the titration study is.. the nurses will be able to give you a good idea whether or not you will need to come back. With my family there was no doubt about our issues.
7) If I have a second child they will have their first sleep study at the age of 6 mo. and they will start sleeping on a sleep apnea monitoring pad on day one.

So take a breath and relax. It will be okay. Your husband is going to get the care he needs and will do better before you know it. Good luck. Ask as many questions as you want. I hope this helps.

MG

__________________
If we learn by our mistakes, I am working on one hell of an education.