How much sleep is needed for a sleep study?

[SadieSunflower]

Thank you for answering my question earlier about autonomic disorders and sleep disorders.

I went to get my sleep study done last night. Unfortunately, the facility where I spent the night was not sound insulated. I could hear my neighbor in the next room snoring! The worst part was that there is a lot of construction going on in the area, and despite being on the 26th floor, with my head near the window my sleep was continuously interrupted with beeps, bangs, clangs, and chainsaws. I did not sleep well at all. I have not had such a terrible nights sleep in years! I basically didn't get anything but light sleep till after midnight. I am sure that I only went into REM sleep once for any significant length of time. The wires were a bit bothersome, but it was really the noise that kept me awake.

I am very concerned that they either didn't get enough data or they didn't get the right kind of data because my sleep was so messed up due to the noise. Do you thing that one period of REM sleep is enough to make an evaluation, or do you think I will have to repeat the study? I am exhausted and very very frustrated! I am afraid that I have wasted a great deal of effort, time, and money. One thing is for sure, I will never be visiting that facility again!

[Steven Y Park, MD]

You may want to wait for the full report and see that the results are. In general, you need about 3-4 hours to get reliable results. Many people in your situation underestimate the length of time they sleep. Worst case scenario, if the results are insufficient, there are home-based studies that are now available.

[SadieSunflower]

It's also interesting to note that because I have POTS with hyperadrenergic features, any startling nosies put a big strain on my autonomic system and makes my heart pound like wild and it takes a while for my heart to calm down again. It is worse at night because the propranolol I take wears off at night.