Chapter Nine: Nocturnal Polysomnography Test

The time in between the appointment and the actual test were nerve-wracking at best.

When I arrived home, I told my parents about Julie's suspicions of narcolepsy. I expected them to maybe laugh it off initially like I had, but to my surprise, it was like watching a light bulb go off in their heads. It actually made sense! All the weird stuff I did all the time could now be explained. Come to find out, I also had a distant cousin who'd been diagnosed with the condition while in the air force many years ago.(How was that not mentioned? LOL)

I became more nervous before the test, but I also felt that seed of excitement grow into a full-grown plant, as the test time got nearer.

Finally, the "big day" had arrived. As instructed, I went the sleep center dressed in comfortable clothing with a small overnight bag and something to keep me entertained. I filled out some paperwork and was shown to my 'room.' To my surprise it was extremely comfortable. The room was cool and dark, had a real door and bed, not the hospital curtain and gurney I was anticipated. Although simply furnished with just a bed, nightstand, and chair, each room had a television and private bathroom!

The employees were very nice and described how each of the tests would go while they hooked me up to more sensors and electrodes than I'd ever seen in my life!

The first would be the nocturnal polysomnography test and would use electrodes to monitor my lung patterns, eye movements, arm/leg movements, etc. while getting a full night's sleep. Through this test they could evaluate the stage of sleep I was in and how 'good' a sleeper I was.

This test would answer questions like, was I moving my legs too much at night (a sign of Restless Leg Syndrome), was I breathing while asleep (a sign of sleep apnea), etc. While it isn't used to diagnose narcolepsy, it does help rule out other, more common sleep disorders, and give a better picture of what's happening during the night.

Following the eight hours of sleep that made up this test, I would be woken up and the Multiple Sleep Latency Test or MSLT would begin. This test is used to diagnose narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia (another sleep disorder that includes EDS) and consists of five naps separated by two-hour blocks. Basically I would be given 15 minutes laying in a quiet, dark room to nap, still hooked up to many of the same sensors. At the end of that time, I would be awoken and had to stay awake for two hours until it was time for the next nap.

A few things would be measured during the naps including: whether or not I fell asleep at all, the speed at which I fell asleep, and the quality of sleep I was getting—measured by the stage of sleep I was in.

Although the sleep center employees couldn't give me the results of the tests, they did give me a hint—if my results from the first test showed that I did in fact have a more common disorder, like sleep apnea, and then I'd be sent home before the MSLT. (It is possible to have both sleep apnea and narcolepsy, but they can't test for narcolepsy until the sleep apnea is being treated. A patient in that circumstance would go back, spend the night test with their breathing machine on to ensure a good night's sleep, and then do the MSLT. That way the data isn't skewed.)

The employees at the center indicated that while many people were scheduled for both tests, few people actually did both, typically getting sent home after the night test. In their eyes, it seemed unlikely that I would stay during the day.

I went to bed that night, feeling like I had been tied to it with all the sensors, and had some of the best sleep of my life. It was cool and comfortable, and I didn't even sleep walk! The nurse says she was in multiple times but I only remembered the time she'd frantically rushed in when I accidentally rolled over on the blood oxygen sensor causing it to give emergency readings. I woke up the next morning, packed my small overnight bag, and asked the lady if it was time to go home. The answer? A definite negative. I'd passed the test with flying colors. The MSLT was about to begin.

I wasn't too disappointed to spend my day at the sleep center. I was the only one there, and the employees were very kind.  I'd brought plenty of books and crochet along with me. The first test had been a piece of cake, I'm sure the next would be just as simple...

This time... I was in for a rude awakening...