Pediatric Sleep Study

So my daughter finally had her sleep study done last week.  It went better than it went for my son Zilla 3 years ago.  First, it was the same group, but in a new location.  So, it wasn't a hospital but it still wasn't a hotel.  It was about 30 minutes away.  Within 3 minutes my cell phone was ringing from my two older sons like it was the batphone.  "Can I have a snack? Where are you now?" 

I got there at "check-in" time of 7:30pm.  I figured she would, but Princess fell asleep before I got there.  I pulled up as close to the door as possible and rang the bell leaving her in the car seat sleeping.  (I was all of 6 feet away from the car.)

A tech answered the door and I explained that I had a sleeping child and would like to bring her straight to the bed and then have someone watch her for me so I could run back out and get my bag and things.  They were great. 

When I got back to the room she was sleeping soundly in her bed.  There was another twin bed next to hers for me.  One thing about Princess is that she sleeps very soundly.  They were able to clean her legs with cotton swabs of alcohol, apply goop all over her head and force sensors with little snaps on them which attached to the wires.  SO many wires.  There were several on her scalp, her face, her neck, and legs.  There were two straps around her chest and midsection.  They wrapped her head in gauze so that the sensors would stay nice and tight to her head as she slept (and rolled around). 

She slept through all of it.  Every once in a while, she'd open her eyes and look around.  I'd put my hand on her stomach and whisper and she'd go back out.  They were wrapping up the wires into one final bunch when suddenly she opened her eyes and I could tell she was focusing on the two techs above her.  When she saw the white lab coats she sat straight up and whimpered, "Mommy?"

At first she was very upset. She asked me several times if she could go home. She was afraid and I understood.  I brought some movies with me for her to watch and Little Bear took the sting out.  Then it was my son Zilla's bedtime and he was missing his mommy.  My cell didn't work great in the room but we could send text messages.  Zilla sent me a picture of himself in bed. 

I sent him a picture of Annabelle and told him, "it doesn't hurt."

 

The messages went back and forth for a few moments and finally Princess was able to relax. 

Max went to sleep with the cell phone in his hands.  (Awww)

She fell asleep in my arms and, as the techs assured me, they knew she was asleep and were in pretty quickly to insert the canula in her nose (oxygen).

I finally was able get my own PJs on and asked the tech where I could change.  First off, they came in and out of the room quickly and never knocking.  Second, there were video cameras in the room.  She said, "you can change here.. it's fine."  I pointed at the cameras and she said, "Oh, no one's watching them right now anyway.  It's just for us to see her sleeping position.  We aren't recording or anything."  I wasn't worried about my changing winding up on youtube, but I wasn't about to give any free (scary) shows either.  I went to the bathroom to change (down the hall). 

Most of the night was spent "fixing" her. Every little while the machines would alert the techs that something wasn't attached, or tangled, or not getting proper information.  They'd race in, lights on, and we'd all jump.  By 5:00am I was tired of the routine and she started crying again--aggravated at all the wires and sensors.  I called in a tech and he said, "Want to end the study?"

Yes, please. 

We got dressed and started for home.  It took two baths to get the glue out of her hair. 

Results expected in three weeks. I'm so glad it's all behind us.