If you're a Baby Boomer, you probably remember the old
Sominex commercials. There were versions from cartoons to video of people sleeping with smiles on their faces. However, if you've ever had sleep problems, you know it's not as easy as popping a pill, drinking warm milk (yuck!), wearing sleep shades, counting sheep, taking a warm bath, or countless other suggestions.
If you've ever had trouble falling or staying asleep, you may want to test your
Sleep IQ at the National Center for Sleep Disorders web site. For more information on sleep disorders, the
National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute has PDFs of brochures and information you can download and/or print.
Last Friday I spent the night at a local hospital in their sleep lab for a sleep study. Recently my husband has been complaining that I was snoring in spite of my using my
CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). It has been over five years since my last study so, it was necessary for me to undergo another sleep study, before the air pressure of my CPAP machine could be adjusted.
My appointment was scheduled for 9:30 p.m. and I called ahead to pre-register with the hospital. Because the last bus going near the hospital left downtown at 6:10 p.m., I was three hours early for my appointment. I took along a book I'd been reading, several magazines, and a crossword puzzle book. These fit into the carry-on with my pajamas, toiletries, and CPAP headgear and hose.
I reached the hospital and, headed to the cafeteria, hoped to get something to eat and drink. Naturally, the cafeteria is located in the bowels of the hospital basement. Following signs through a labyrinth of hallways, I arrived at the double doors of the cafeteria to find they closed three minutes before I arrived. A bevy of vending machines was in a little room just down the hall. Juggling my purse and bag, I dug out the one and five dollar bill in my wallet. My instructions from the hospital did not allow any caffeine after noon and I don't like sugared drinks. Not finding Diet 7-UP or Diet Sprite, I settled on Sierra Mist. A small bag of nacho cheese Doritos and a Salted Nut Roll rounded out my evening meal.
Armed with my vending machine junk food, drink, a ton of change, my bag, my purse, and an aching back, I wound my way back to the elevators and up to the floor where the Sleep Lab was located. A sign at the reception desk directed after-hours patients to use the desk telephone to call the operator to notify the sleep lab personnel that you had arrived. Following these directions, I learned employees would arrive around 8 p.m. and told to wait about an hour before calling again.
Settling into a loveseat in the waiting area, I dug out my book, drink, and junk food dinner, settling in for a good read. Within minutes a steady stream of hospital employees of all sorts began trickling through the hallway, nearby elevators, and doors. I felt very conspicuous eating my "dinner" with all those medical people walking around. I changed seats so I wasn't facing folks as they walked through.
About 8:30 p.m. someone called my name from behind; it was a staff member of the sleep lab with an older gentleman carrying an overnight bag. We were ushered to separate rooms. There was a double bed, a chair, a recliner, private bath, several lamps, and a photograph of a dark blue night sky with clouds on the wall. I took my things into the bathroom, changed into my pajamas, washed my face, and sat in the recliner to continue reading.
Eventually, someone came to the room to go through more paper work to be signed, questions asked, and, finally, the process of attaching all the wires to my skull and body. A pen is used to mark the spot for the electrode, a gooey adhesive is applied, and the wires attached. By the time I was "wired" and ready to stand up, I felt like a
marionette. I was given some Diet Sprite (apparently this is only available to patients) and I took my night-time meds.
Snuggling back into the recliner, I began reading once again. Before long, my eyes became heavy and I caught myself having to re-read the same paragraph. Nodding off again, someone came back into the room and asked if I was ready to get into bed. After getting all settled in, the next step was for them to ask me, via an intercom in the ceiling over my head, to make different movements with my eyes and extremities. Once they had established what my movements looked like on their equipment, I drifted off to sleep, only to wake once during the night at my usual 3 p.m. I think this is more due to body pain than anything else. Someone came in and unplugged me so I could use the bathroom and then helped me settle back into bed. I went back to sleep in about 20 minutes.
About 7 a.m. I awoke and within a few minutes someone was there to ask me if I was ready to get up. Before I was allowed out of bed, we went through the eye and body movements again. After being unplugged, I shuffled to the bathroom to clean up my hair and face. When I emerged, there was juice and yogurt breakfast bars on my tray. I took my morning meds, ate, and called my husband.
I thought I was taking the same bus home I took to the hospital the evening before. I hadn't noticed the Saturday route doesn't come near the hospital. So Tom looked up the schedules and found one that came fairly close on Saturdays. I could just about make it if I left right away.
I grabbed all my stuff and headed out, noticing I was the last patient to leave the sleep lab area. They must have all gotten up super early or they didn't hang around to clean up, which had me pondering if the other patients in the lab were all men. I was cutting across the parking lot of the supermarket next door when I saw the bus drive through the corner intersection on its way downtown.
Dang!
I trudged on to the bus shelter at the corner and called my husband to find out when the next bus came by. One hour. Guess I had time to finish my book. I did finish the book, and moved on to a crossword puzzle. About 10 minutes before the bus was due, an older lady sat down in the shelter with me. We visited until the bus arrived. Once dontown, I had a 45 minute wait until the next bus home, so I kept working on my crossword puzzle.
My bus finally arrived and I settled into the first seat I came to and looked out the window all the way home. It was weird to get off the bus at nearly 11 a.m. and be getting home since the previous afternoon. After letting myself into the apartment, I found my husband and the cat still fast asleep in the bedroom.
Just like the Sominex commercial: "...sleep, sleep, sleep."
My legs suddenly began to swell this week so I was elevating them for a bit. Gradie decided he should entertain me with a yarn toy. I managed to get this between his acrobatics from my legs, bouncing off the top of the sofa, rolling to the floor, and grabing at the dangling wrist strap on the camera.
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