Third Sleep Study: CPAP Titration Test (with Ambien)

On January 11th, 2008 I went back for the third sleep study. After suffering through the second sleep study I wasn’t too looking forward to this. However, this time the doctor order 10mg of Ambien and my wife being a Pharmacist said this should knock me right out so I was a little more comfortable about it. As they say third time is a charm, so it was.

Repeating the “getting wired” process all over again, I opted again for the full face mask. I had a different tech this time and it only took him about half the time to get me hooked up. I related the last study to him and told him that I was calling a hard stop at 2am this time, If I wasn’t asleep or hadn’t gone to sleep by then I was done (Ambien or no Ambien). So not wanting to go to bed too early I laid in the room and watched TV. Gladiator was on and that’s one of my favorite movies so I just laid there watching, figuring it might help me relax. About 10:00 I got up and took the Ambien, the tech said he’d be back in about 20 minutes because lots of times they had to “pick people up” after taking it.

When he did come back (it was only maybe 10 minutes) I said I was ready to go to bed. It was really getting hard to watch the movie because I couldn’t keep up with the multiple Russell Crowes that were on the screen. Figured I’d go to the bathroom beforehand and that was a fun trip. Try walking down the hallway leaning sideways with your eyes closed, it was about the same thing.

I made back to bed, got all tucked in, took a deep breath and closed my eyes. That’s pretty much it. Next thing I know I had to go to the bathroom, so I called the tech, got up and did my thing. I figured it was going to be another one of those nights, thinking only an hour maybe two had gone by. The tech said it was 4:30am and I’d been asleep plenty long to get what they needed so I could go home or go back to bed. DAMN! YEE HAW!!!! He didn’t have to ask me twice, I wanted out of there. So he got me all unhooked and I fled that building like a felon on parole, even forgot my pillow (had to go back the next day and get it).

At this point I was excited and had a renewed outlook on this whole business. I’d slept (albeit with the Ambien) for over 5 hours in a strange place wired up like a computer. That meant sleeping at home with a CPAP, in my own bed, should be a breeze. I couldn’t wait to get a machine now, although it would be another two weeks before I got one.