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(Message started by: gmlevenhagen on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 9:10am)

Title: Sleep Study??
Post by gmlevenhagen on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 9:10am

Tonight, I go in for my sleep study.
Has anyone done one of these? What can I expect?

Gena

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by grumpett on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 11:37am

I had one a couple of years ago! Nothing really to it. They hook you up with all these wires that detect sleep apnea, dreams, restlessness etc. If you can sleep in a strange bed with all these wires and nurses probing you all night, cameras and monitors, they might get a good reading of your patterns. I had it for the clusters and snoring (which i do really bad when i do sleep and am in a cycle of ch.)
p.s nothing showed up in mine.

Good luck and sleep well!

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by Carl_D on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 12:08pm

Did one back in October of 2001 to be tested for sleep apnea. Found out I don't have it.
Yeah, they hook a bunch of wires to ya. A little uncomfortable at first, but no big deal.

Peace,
Carl D

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by KingOfPain on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 12:20pm

http://www.achenet.org/articlessave/52198/weintraub.htm

Headaches and Sleep: The Connection
by James R. Weintraub, D.O.
We live in a sleepy society. Many people live in chronic pain. Often headaches and sleep disorders, specifically insomnia and sleep apnea, coexist with one aggravating the other. Brain systems involved in the regulation of sleep may also play a predominant role in the initiation of migraine. Some of the brain physiological changes that occur during sleep, particularly during REM sleep, are similar to those described during migraine headaches. There have been several clinical studies which have demonstrated an association between migraine headaches and sleep, and often headache can be a presenting symptom of sleep disorders. Many researchers have found an increased incidence of sleep disturbance in chronic headache patients, although the data are difficult to quantify because nighttime sleep studies are not always feasible in chronic headache patients. Below, I will discuss some of the different sleep disorders and their relationship with various types of headaches including migraine and cluster headaches.
There are various stages of sleep that we go through during the night. The most important stage in relation to headache is probably REM sleep. REM sleep, which occurs 4-6 times during the night, is the dreaming state of sleep. We do know that migraine headaches, and even more so cluster headaches, occur in direct relationship to the number of REM sleep periods that one has during the night.
We also know from experiments in the 1950s that people who were REM sleep deprived were more likely to develop some underlying psychiatric or depressive illness with or without headaches. It is suspected that certain chemicals in the brain not only play a role in the mechanism of migraine but also predispose people to awaken from REM sleep with a headache.
Migraine attacks may not only be precipitated by sleep deprivation, but by excessive sleep, as is the case frequently on the weekends when people sleep in and trigger a headache. It is also known that sleep is associated with the relief of migraine attacks. There have been observations in scientific studies that when sleep acts as a precipitating factor for a headache, it is usually sleep deprivation that stimulated the attack. Other people have experienced migraine attacks precipitated by excessive sleep where the pain is relieved or aborted with the onset of sleep. Migraine headaches usually occur either during or after REM sleep or in delta sleep which is the deep sleep that we all require in order to feel alert and refreshed the following day. What remains unclear are whether the changes in the neurotransmitter or chemical systems in the brain, hormonal influences, or a combination of several different phenomenon are the cause.
Research has suggested that certain headache disorders are associated with different patterns of sleep disturbance, which may influence the response to treatment. There has been a link between the cyclical variation in cluster headaches and chronic paroxysmal hemicrania, a certain type of one-sided headache, to the REM sleep cycle. Nighttime or early morning headaches are common in sleep apnea, and there have been episodes of nocturnal cluster headaches precipitated by decreased oxygen from apneas that occur during the night.
Sleep apnea is an underdiagnosed and undertreated problem in our society. It is more often seen in middle-aged men than women, and is characterized by loud snoring, being excessively sleepy throughout the day and having periods in which the person stops breathing during the night. Sleep apnea can be diagnosed by a nighttime sleep study, and successfully treated predominately with nasal CPAP, which involves the use of a mask and breathing machine during the night.
Since decreased oxygen and transient hypertension are noted to occur with sleep apnea, it has been suggested that these factors can trigger early morning headaches. These headaches are typically located in the frontal areas, but can be diffuse involving the entire head.
Cluster headaches are a one-sided severe headache attack that is usually accompanied by nasal stuffiness and eye tearing, and frequently occur during nighttime. There has been an association of these attacks to REM sleep, and research has noted an increased incidence of sleep apnea in patients who experience cluster headaches. In fact, in one report patients who have cluster headaches and sleep apnea were also noted to have experienced bed-wetting and night terrors during childhood. In patients with cluster headaches who have sleep apnea, it is suggested that they may be experiencing an episodic decrease in oxygen during the night that can precipitate the headache attacks. In patients who have chronic cluster headaches, it is noted that two-thirds of the attacks usually occur during the last 2 hours of sleep.

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by KingOfPain on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 12:20pm

In children who experience migraine headaches, there has also been an association with sleepwalking. Boys are more likely than girls to sleepwalk, although girls are more likely to experience headaches. The general population experiences a 1%-6% likelihood of sleep walking, yet this rises to 30% in migraine patients. There have been suggestions that serotonin, a brain chemical that is believed to be involved in the generation of migraine headaches, may vary greatly in the brain of patients who sleepwalk and could be the connection between these two problems.
There appears to be prominent associations between various sleep disorders and different headache types, and research is ongoing to look for anatomical, biochemical and electrophysiological relationships between these two entities. It is believed that structures in the lower back part of the brain, the brainstem, play a significant role in headache generation and normal sleep. In addition, a structured and regular sleep schedule can help to decrease the frequency of headaches, given the impact of excessive sleep or sleep deprivation on triggering headaches. When you discuss a headache problem with your physician, it is important that you give as much information as possible about your normal sleep patterns. It is important for the physician to be aware of the various sleep problems that can lead to increased severity of headache. Sleep apnea, sleep deprivation and insomnia are common sleep problems that are associated with headaches.
Hopefully, in the future a better understanding of the relationship between headache and sleep will be achieved as experiments in both fields try to help people with these problems.
James Weintraub, D.O. Michigan Head* Pain & Neurological Institute. Ann Arbor, MI
Reprinted with permission from Making Headway, the Help for Headaches newsletter, Windsor, Canada (June 1997).
From Headache, volume 8, issue 4. Winter 1997-1998

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by KingOfPain on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 12:25pm

Had the sleep study done.

They did not find a sleep apnea
problem but did find what
is called "restless leg syndrome".

At least I now know why when
I do sleep (which is not much),
why I awake feeling I haven't
slept at all.
Basically, I jog in my sleep. >:(

Hope the sleep study finds
you well & no problems.

KingOfPain

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by KingOfPain on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 12:37pm

" Tonight, I go in for my sleep study.
Has anyone done one of these? What can I expect?

Gena "

See 1st link.

http://www.sleepmed.md/patient_prepstudy.htm

More for information:

http://www.sleep-breathing.bc.ca/sleep.htm

http://www.sleepstudy.org/

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleepbasics/viewasleepstudy.htm

KingOfPain

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by Dave_Emond on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 4:02pm

Completely agree about REM triggering CH attacks. When we had the opportunity a while back, I would stay up all night while Annette slept. In the morning, I'd lock myself up on the recliner (to keep me from moving) and she'd watch my eyes. When she noticed REM, she would gently wake me, I'd have a short shot of pain, but be able to fall back asleep. Much better rest than I ever got trying to sleep in bed and waking on my back in incredible pain.
I went on to using Melatonin for a while, 9 mg per night. This made me sleep for up to 5 hours at times, but still woke to CH attacks. But if I was going to get them anyway, I was at least getting some sleep and it stopped most of the REM attacks. The Melatonin worked well for a few months, but slowly became ineffective.
I'll admit I fear going to sleep, I purposely stay up many nights when the attacks are worse. Not healthy I agree, but being awake during an attack is easier than waking to one or more during the night and then real screamer in the morning. Brain takes longer to register what is going on and harder for me to try to get a grip on myself.
I've never been one who can just say I'm going to sleep now, lay down and fall asleep, even before I had CH. I envy those who can.
These days, I'm back to about 2 hours sleep per day, once in a blue moon I may get up to 4 hours. Don't think I have a sleeping disorder, just my way of dealing with CH, if I were braver or stronger perhaps I get more sleep. Been off the Mealtonin for a while now, maybe it will work again. Will probably start trying it again soon.
Dave

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by eyes_afire on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 5:36pm

Sleep study? Yup, overnight and MSLT

Sleep apnea? Nope

Abnormal REM? Yup

Despite all the wires and sensors glued all over my body, I fell asleep fast and frequent.

Expect a hell of alot of wires and questions.
Bring yer teddy bear.

--- Steve

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by cootie on Oct 3^rd, 2003, 11:58pm

Hey KOP do you take anything fer the restless leg ? Doc said I got that (it's not so uncommon actually)......my legs feel like fetus's inside crawlin round and entertains me when board watchin the muscles crawl. Pam with cheap entertainment

I never went for the sleep study......I don't like a room perfectly dark or quiet can't lay down totally flat (ouch my back) and can't take my cats......I rock alot too....they'd prolly move me to a rubber room seein me do that ta sleep ! A half an ambien every nite has made a world of difference for me.....course I wait till 2:00 am cuz I fight goin ta bed period.....but it has been a miracle fer me !

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by UnsolvedEquation on Oct 4^th, 2003, 12:05am

Thanks for posting all the info people. Now I know what I can expect. I go in for my sleep study on the 8th. Doc wants to see if I have sleep apnea.
~ Unsolved ~

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by cootie on Oct 4^th, 2003, 12:13am

I have a few freinds with sleep apnea and they say they can't take sleepin meds for that condition and one freind has some sorta tank he uses at nite by his bed with mask. (O2 maybe ?) Good luck with the study unsolved ! Pam with unsolved insomnia

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by Opus on Oct 4^th, 2003, 11:25am

Been there, I had a few and they all found sleep apnea, after a few years of trying I finally got a Cpap and two months later experienced my first Kip 10. I guess sleep apnea doesn't cause my CH. At least I don't feel 80 anymore, more like 60.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: Sleep Study??
Post by taraann on Oct 4^th, 2003, 11:55am

When you get back be sure to let us know how the sleep study went!