Sleep Apnea & Sleep Study

[diapernh]

I am scheduled for a sleep study on March 14th and my AB/DL friends all say i should do it diapered up. I am not a bedwetter.

I am just affraid that if i did, they would notice and say something about it, and it would get back to my family doctor.

I could always put it on and be sure to have a pair of underwear over the diaper and then my sleep pants on. but i have a problem at night - i am a sleep stripper....... i may go to bed with sweatpants on, but they may not still be on when i wake up

So, what would you do?

[guitar_a_goo_goo_ga]

why would the people conducting the study go and tell your doctor? i would assume that they will think you are a bedwetter and the problem has been adressed. and if they did tell your doctor you can always get another doctor.

[Pipsqueak]

I would say, don't wear them while you're doing the study. Chances are, that you'll worry about "sleep stripping" or someone noticing, and you will have a difficult time actually getting to sleep ... which is the point of the study in the first place.

[Baby D]

I agree with Pipsqueak, you shouldn't do anything that will interfere with the results of the study otherwise your participation would be pointless.

[guitar_a_goo_goo_ga]

hmmm....yes, that does make more sense...

what exactly is this sleep study about?

[Dill_Pickle]

I am scheduled for a sleep study on March 14th and my AB/DL friends all say i should do it diapered up. I am not a bedwetter.

I am just affraid that if i did, they would notice and say something about it, and it would get back to my family doctor.

I could always put it on and be sure to have a pair of underwear over the diaper and then my sleep pants on. but i have a problem at night - i am a sleep stripper....... i may go to bed with sweatpants on, but they may not still be on when i wake up

So, what would you do?

Assuming this study is because you are having problems, I would take whatever I normally wore to bed with me. You want to react like you "normally" do, however that may be. On the other hand, if you are just being a research subject, by all means wear the diaper if you want to.

There's lots of things diapers can do to your sleep which are not usual -- like make you more excited or nervous...and there will be plenty of interference with your normal pattern as it is, simply because you are not sleeping at home.

Having said that, if you do wear a diaper to this study, just explain that it is there to help your nervousness. And if it comes to your Dr, tell him/her the same thing.

Good luck

Dill Pickle

[diapernh]

Assuming this study is because you are having problems, I would take whatever I normally wore to bed with me. You want to react like you "normally" do, however that may be. On the other hand, if you are just being a research subject, by all means wear the diaper if you want to.

There's lots of things diapers can do to your sleep which are not usual -- like make you more excited or nervous...and there will be plenty of interference with your normal pattern as it is, simply because you are not sleeping at home.

Having said that, if you do wear a diaper to this study, just explain that it is there to help your nervousness. And if it comes to your Dr, tell him/her the same thing.

Good luck

Dill Pickle

the thing is, i usually do wear a diaper to bed at night, that is about the only diaper time i get

[superdiaperbaby]

This is interesting. A couple of months ago I decided that I was to go to an ECG wearing a diaper and a onesie(under my shirt). It was when I was going 24/7 and to not wear a diaper was to violate my rules. The general theory is that whatever conditions you are in all of the time is the same condition you should be in when you get the test done. For instance, if you always wear diapers to bed then wear them at the test.

That was my thinking at the beginning anyways, but then something happened during the test. My heart rate and blood pressure was way too high. They were worried about it and almost didn't let me do the treadmill part of the test. I was soo stressed about being in diapers and getting noticed that the theory of "same conditions" did not work.

That was when I learned that fear has physical implications. Especially panic. The past couple of months I had been going 24/7 all over the place and many times had hit a point of panic. I reasoned it was for my own good and I had to get over the social stigmas and be myself all of the time. The problem was that it had dire consequences and the ECG said I had ventricular hypertension - the wall of my heart had thickened because it was stressed by high blood pressure.

So the moral of the story is that fear is not a normal condition. If you are like most of us and fear being noticed, then in any condition where there is a possibility of diaper discovery your body will become fearful and it will affect you negatively, even without discovery.

Baby Bri

[Dill_Pickle]

That was when I learned that fear has physical implications. Especially panic. The past couple of months I had been going 24/7 all over the place and many times had hit a point of panic. I reasoned it was for my own good and I had to get over the social stigmas and be myself all of the time. The problem was that it had dire consequences and the ECG said I had ventricular hypertension - the wall of my heart had thickened because it was stressed by high blood pressure.

So the moral of the story is that fear is not a normal condition. If you are like most of us and fear being noticed, then in any condition where there is a possibility of diaper discovery your body will become fearful and it will affect you negatively, even without discovery.

Baby Bri

Baby Bri:

Dead on. Excitement (even from wearing your padding) can do things to your sleep, too. Whether to wear or not depends on whether you can relax or not wearing your padding...I have told sufficiently many shrinks about it, and my GF, and worn to work often enough, that I'm not going to be worried if a Dr or medical professional discovers it, and am not normally concerned about being discovered. For you, diapernh, I think the best route might be to simply talk to the techs about it, and ask if you can wear a diaper...this way, discovery is over and no longer a problem, so you can just relax and feel safe. You might also want to consider if this night life of yours is actually the root problem....I lost a night's sleep last week to excitement over being diapered overnight, which I am not normally able to do because the GF doesn't enjoy it.

As an example, I went to breakfast, and my work partner noticed a packaged pee pad that had fallen out of my pocket under my chair, and asked me if it was mine. I just acted casual, and picked it up when I got up after finishing breakfast. I don't think he knew what it was or what it implied, and if he did, he didn't talk about it at all...we had more important things to do.

Good luck

Dill Pickle

[DIAPERPHANTOM]

I initially thought your question would be easy to answer, but after weighing the consequences you and others have mentioned, I cannot recommend you wearing or not wearing a diaper during the study without more information about the study.

I always seem to sleep more soundly in a diaper and it would be interesting to know if that were really the case. I’ve never heard of a case study being done on the sleeping habits of diaper wearers. Too bad you couldn't be approved to become an anomaly to the study to give us some insight on that question.

[BoTox]

If it is feared you have apnea, it is serious enough you should not be screwing around.

If you are not comfortable in diapers with the chance of exposure, I'd bypass the opportunity in favor of your health. If you truly think you need them, then express your concerns to someone at the facility prior to showing up. They have probably already seen it all.

Carry on!

[redneck diaper boy]

I have been there and done that. I do sleepwet.

They see diapers all the time. In fact, there were multiple stacks of diapers on the supply table in my room. I wore cloth diapers to my sleep study.

I wound up getting a CPAP and it was one of the best things that I ever did for myself.

I am scheduled for a sleep study on March 14th and my AB/DL friends all say i should do it diapered up. I am not a bedwetter.

I am just affraid that if i did, they would notice and say something about it, and it would get back to my family doctor.

I could always put it on and be sure to have a pair of underwear over the diaper and then my sleep pants on. but i have a problem at night - i am a sleep stripper....... i may go to bed with sweatpants on, but they may not still be on when i wake up

So, what would you do?

[diapernh]

well tonight is the night, i am taking several options with me

2 attends

1 baby diaper as a stuffer

2 boost pads

1 pull-on diaper

that way if i were to get noticed i can say, that i do need them, and i will have a spare change if i do actually need them.

[redneck diaper boy]

Keep in mind that they videotape you during sleep. They use infared cameras.

well tonight is the night, i am taking several options with me

2 attends

1 baby diaper as a stuffer

2 boost pads

1 pull-on diaper

that way if i were to get noticed i can say, that i do need them, and i will have a spare change if i do actually need them.

[DIAPERPHANTOM]

Hope everything goes well, diapernh. Let us know how it went.

[diapernh]

Well last night was the sleep study for sleep apnea. It had not been a good day, I had loose poopies, and had a accident before i could get my errands done (so i had to go home cause i was not diapered) I had decided that I would take diapers with me to the hospital for the study....

I took the following with me, so i would have several options, and a change

2- attends

2 Boost pads

1 Pull-on disposable

1 baby diaper pre-slit and de-tabbed

I got there at 8pm, time for the study. It was a private room with a private bathroom. I had to watch a video about Sleep Apnea and the CPAP machine, then watched some TV.

Then the Technician came in and told me to get my PJ's on..... moment of truth people!!!

I went into the bathroom and decided to put on the attends and boost pad. I folded the top and sides down so that when i put my undies back on there was no diaper above the waist. They did not have to have me remove my shirt (had to raise it up for the heart monitor things), and did not have to remove my PJ bottoms for the leg sensors either.

then he put what amounted to school paste on the end of the electrodes and put them in my hair. I WAS WIRED UP. I had them in my hair, on my chin, forehead, near my eyes, on my nose. Now go to sleep...... yeah right...... wrong, i was out like a light, because i had not did anything that would make me less sleepy (no coffee, chocolate, no nap, got up early, etc..) This was about 10PM

Probably 2 and a half hours later the tech came back in and hooked me up to the CPAP, with just a mask that covered my nose..... he had to come in and adjust it a couple times, then he gave up and put the full-face mask on me (covered my nose and mouth).

With the first mask everytime i opened my mouth air went in my nose and right out my mouth, kinda funny to talk with that on. The second one everytime i opened my mouth my cheeks blew up like a chipmunk's full of nuts.

Neither mask fit well enough without leaks so I did not get full benefit of the machine; the want me to come back for another study where they will have all night to play with getting this thing strapped tight to my face. Nothing like being force-fed air.

They claim i did not sleep well before they put the machine on my, but after they did, i kept waking up..... I don't know

They disconnected me and then i was free to get in the shower and get back into my street clothes.... I was not going to shower till i went into the bathroom and say the marker marks on my head and the glue.... I was not going outside like this. I soaked my diaper and then got in the shower and went home,

PS I brought the diaper back home and put it in my diaper pail

[DIAPERPHANTOM]

Thanks for taking the time to give us the scoop. A little more details than I was expecting, but you did good and I enjoyed reading it. Do you think it helped and are you going back for round two?

[diapernh]

Do I think it helped - no, i don't think i had a good enough sleep, but i don't blame the machine, I know it will take time to get it adjusted and be able to get the masks fit on there the way they need to be.

I think round 2 will be more productive cause i will be prepared for what has to be done, and will know what i need to do to get comfortable and get the rest i need...

yes, i plan on going back for the second time, i wish they had gotten it all done this first time. I have went too far to turn back now

And yes i plan on wearing again

[diapernh]

well i whined and moaned and bitched long enough.... finally the doctor said "would you like to try a sleep study" I told him it was worth a try.

The cost, Well the bill is not in yet entirely... I have insurance with my job. The doctor is not in the network, so I have a $200 deductible and the consultation was $209.00 and my insurance only paid $6.00 of it. The hospital (who bills for the study itself) is in network, so that is 90%

Frankly I don't care what it costs, cause going untreated is costing me more.... costing me my health, getting close to costing my job, not to mention the danger of me being tired while driving

[Dookey]

I just wanted to add my input. I have a CPAP. I have been using it since Oct 98. It is the best thing that's ever happened. The benifits outway the hassel of getting used to wearing the mask. I now use nasal air, which is a version of an oxygen device, only larger. They have a chin strap to help keep your mouth closed. I strongly urge you to retry the test, the benifits are tremendous. I wasn't into diapers at the time of my test, but I may have past on that part for one night.

[diapernh]

OK, I just got home from the hospital. I had my second sleep study, this time the whole night i had to wear the CPAP headgear. It was a problem to get to sleep, was kinda noisey in the room. I had no problem with the machine, in fact I welcome it into my home. I woke up a couple of times, but i was in a strange room at a strange place.

I chose not to wear a diaper; i just didn't think it wise last night... i just got a vibe, and it was a good decision.

when the tech went to put the sensors on my ankles she just pulled back the waistband of my shorts without asking (not proper). good thing there was not a diaper under those shorts.

[DIAPERPHANTOM]

Yeah, it amazes me sometimes how nonchalant hospital workers are with your body, but I guess it goes with the territory. Seen one, seem them all type attitude, I guess. Anyways, looking forward to hearing about your results of the second study. Good decision on the diaper too, although it might have been interesting to hear about how you got caught in your diaper. lol

[Tinkles123]

The night I had a sleep study was one of the longest nights I can remember. They used something like super glue to fasten the electrodes to my head. I needed to use a lot of nail polish remover in the morning to get most of it out. The smell lingered for a good while.

I did not do well with the CPAP machine. They should have let me try the mask on before going to sleep. They didn't. So when they woke me up in the middle of the night to put the mask on, I was not fully aware of what was happening, and I fought them. The result was that I was deemed a poor candidate for CPAP, and the insurance company approved the surgery that had been suggested, the UPPP (Uvulopalatopharyngectomy). They remove the fleshy thing at the top of your throat, the uvula, that may mistake for tonsils. It vibrates and causes loud snoring, also interferes with your airway. They also tighten up the tissues in your soft palate. If they're swollen, they remove your tonsils. Since my septum was deviated because of a broken nose years earlier, the surgeon made that repair at the same time he did the UPPP.

The surgery was successful. Getting used to being without a uvula takes a little while. Some people experience the side effect of having liquids they've just tried to swallow come out their nose. I did not. The sore throat lasted about a week. Pain meds made it more than tolerable.

I was wearing pullups at night, for occasional light wetting, and wore them for the test and to the hospital. Within two or three weeks after the surgery, the night wetting began to get worse, perhaps because I was sleeping more soundly. Within a few months, I was wearing diapers at night. Pullups no longer did the job.

[diapernh]

The night I had a sleep study was one of the longest nights I can remember. They used something like super glue to fasten the electrodes to my head. I needed to use a lot of nail polish remover in the morning to get most of it out. The smell lingered for a good while.

I did not do well with the CPAP machine. They should have let me try the mask on before going to sleep. They didn't. So when they woke me up in the middle of the night to put the mask on, I was not fully aware of what was happening, and I fought them. The result was that I was deemed a poor candidate for CPAP, and the insurance company approved the surgery that had been suggested, the UPPP (Uvulopalatopharyngectomy). They remove the fleshy thing at the top of your throat, the uvula, that may mistake for tonsils. It vibrates and causes loud snoring, also interferes with your airway. They also tighten up the tissues in your soft palate. If they're swollen, they remove your tonsils. Since my septum was deviated because of a broken nose years earlier, the surgeon made that repair at the same time he did the UPPP.

Yeah I don't like the idea of them waking you in the middle of the night to put the mask on. The tech that did my first study was cool, he let me try 3 type of mask (nose pillows, nasal mask, and full face mask) with the machine on and off. the one thing that you miss when they put the mask on you in the middle of the night is you have no clue how to adjust it to make it fit better, putting you at the disadvantage of waking up with the mask leaking and no clue how to adjust it

Neither time did the techs show me how the mask goes on and comes off, which is something i will need to know.

I do hope that i do not develop bedwetting due to getting a deep sleep. but at least i am comfortable wearing diapers already