I've had two sleep tests before and I'd suggest bringing your own pillow and blanket if you want to and your most comfy snuggly loose-fitting jammies. For me it was kind of like staying in a motel - you really don't know people are watching unless you think about it. For the second one they even offered me a pill to help me get to sleep if I wanted it, but I didn't need it.

I've heard the "dummies" book is a good one.

I had the test and NO they don't want you to take nothing to help you sleep. beleve me I asked, , like you, Im a night person and with all the wires on my head and a snag cap on your head on me i had a hard time sleeping. wires every were, I think i was only falling in a deep sleep for 2 hours the whole night, i hated it and that jell they put in my hair for the wires to stay on, yukkkkk, i had to get a shower the sec, that i got home,, u can bring your own pillow and blanket , i was able to watch some tv but not to long, i have sleep apnea and on a C-PAP machine cause i did stop breathing at night . cant weight to lose the weight and lose that nasty machine,

I would really like to hear exactly what they do for this test. I have tried to find the procedure online but have been unsuccessful. They put gel in your hair? Will I be able to sleep on my stomach? I have back problems and it kills me to lay on it for to long. I hope that I am able to take something to help me sleep, otherwise it is going to be a long night. Haha!

no u can only sleep on your side or back because other the wires coming lose, and again no they wont give u any thing to help u sleep because it a test that has to be done with out any sleep aids at all, mine was done in Fayetteville nc , the worse night of my life, wires were coming off or lose, the jell like stuff helps keep the wires in place, all most like puddly in a way,, i hated that feeling, man,,

go to this web site , it may help u understand better, i hope it helps u out. god bless :)
http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleep-basics/viewasleepstudy.htm

Everyone's experience is different, but mine (excuse the language) sucked! I had strep throat and didn't know it yet. I hardly slept and I kept moving around which I always do my husband says "I flop around like a fish out of water" and the tech yelled at me. Never offered me a pill to sleep. Then when you have to go the bathroom they have to unattach the wires on the electrodes first. I now know I wake up 33 times an hour the dr. told me. I have a cpap maching, but hardly ever use it. It gives me a headache. At first it made me real anxious to sleep with the mask on and it took awhile to overcome that, but the headaches were too much for me so it sits in my bedroom. I don't want to discourage anyone if you can use it then do. I know alot of people who have had amazing results with one. I have lost 85 lbs am down to 170 and still have sleep apnea. I believe mine wasn't caused by weight gain, I believe it was something I have always had even at 130lbs. Good Luck and tell us how you make out.
NAL

nal is right that everyone's experience is different. I had 2 sleep studies done at 2 different places and the experiences were like night and day. I'll tell you about the good experience, which was the most recent.

Generally they clean places on your head and face with a q-tip. Then they attach the sensors with a dab of thick gel/paste (like you'd use to style your hair) - remember this has to stay on all night so it's really sticky. Once it was on I really didn't feel it much at all.

They asked that I sleep on my back, but when it was obvious I was having trouble, they told me (over a speaker into my room) that it was okay to sleep on my side. In the morning they woke me up very gently (again over the speaker). They came in and took off the equipment, then let me go shower in the bathroom I had in my room - like I said it was just like a little hotel room.

Good luck tonight!

Thank you to everyone! I will let you know how it goes in my journal tomorrow.