Anyone have experience of sleep clinics?

[artifarti]

DP has been a terrible sleeper for years - after seemingly nine hours of sleep, he wakes up tired and falls asleep/naps whenever he can. He says he wakes several times a night. Having a toddler obviously hasn't helped but he wasn't much better before. He went to the doctor and had blood tests which found nothing but other than that the doctor just said 'You have a child, of course you're tired, haha.' It is having quite an effect on our lives and I want him to go back to the doctor and get referred to a sleep clinic at the local hospital but wondered if anyone had experience of how they can help as I don't know much about them. Thanks if you can help!

I would go back and get a second opinion from another GP. My DH has recently been referred to a sleep clinic although he hasn't had his appointment yet so I can't tell you what goes on! He thinks he may have sleep apnoea (sp?) so the GP wants to get it checked out. DH has been looking on a lot of websites for advice, I'll post a few links if you like when DH gets up.

Thanks EauRouge, sleep apnoea is what I have been thinking too - the daytime sleepiness, he snores, wakes up unrefreshed, all seem to fit the bill. DP thinks that it is amazing that I can function happily on just six hours' sleep but I tell him that most parents do! Links would be great when you/DH have time, thank you.

That sounds very like my DH as well. He's in the world of the living now and he has told me that his for his appointment at the sleep clinic they are giving him some machine or other to borrow and take back the next day so they can analyse the results. Presumably then they will decide if any further tests need doing. It's not until next month but I'll let you know how he gets on if you like?

I asked him which sites he looked on and he said 'I just googled sleep apnoea'

Dh has sleep apnoea, and has been at sleep clinics a few times.

The sleep apnoea trust are v helpful.

Dh has been on cpap for 4 years now, and it has made the world of difference, and prob saved his life

I've not been to a sleep clinic per se, but have had my sleep monitored in a hospital. A number of wires were attached to my upper body (including head). It was completely painless and I had no trouble falling asleep or turning over in bed. The wires were connected up to a variety of monitors, with readings taken throughout the night and I was given the results later. It turned out that I did have sleep apnoea and although my oxygen absorption levels were affected, it wasn't too serious. So, I was given information about a cpap machine but decided to lose weight instead (which was effective). Now, if my weight goes above a certain level, I know it will cause the same problem. Your DP may consider losing weight (just a few lbs could be effective - in my case it was simply getting the right side of a particular BMI measurement).

Of course, there are other reasons for excessive tiredness (diabetes for example) but presumably your doctor has already tested for these.

Thanks everyone, very useful. Now I just have to force persuade him to make another doctor's appointment...

OH has sleep apnoea due to his facial bone structure (long story) diagnosed several years ago and the change to his and our life was amazing.
One of the big things for him was been able to watch a film, prior to this if he sat down for any longer than 5 minutes he was gone.
(Apparently this is one of the big warning signs) though he never actually snored just grunted a lot.
He actually did his sleep study at home went in and was shown how to hook himself up and then did it over 2 nights (thought being that he would have a ?normal? nights sleep at home)
He had a band around his neck with a tiny microphone, and strap around this chest about nipple height and one around his belly and then an oxygen probe clipped to his finger
It turned out that while his oxygen level didn?t drop too much he was waking on some level about 40 times an hour.

Since he started with the machine he?s actually lost weight without trying, run a marathon (and possible TMI alert our sex life improved hugely)

I was a bit worried about the machine as I?m not the heaviest sleeper and the only one I?d ever seen/heard was really loud, but it?s actually really quiet and I kind of miss it when he?s not here it a bit like a wave sound or a whoosh whoosh
It took OH a few weeks to get used to it but even managing an hour with it made such a difference that he stuck with it

I?d go along to the doc with him as you?re going to be the one who will have picked up on any strange noises etc that he makes at night etc. And push.

DH went to a sleep clinic years ago. He was diagnosed with sleep apnoea and had his nose operated on. things improved dramatically after that.