How to do a Sleep Study (or zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

Annie and I had the privilege of doing a sleep study on Thursday night (she did the study); I was the adult supervision. A sleep study for a 6 year old goes something like this.

Gather: Teddy bear, purple blankie, butterfly pillow, snacks, Little Mermaid DVD, Little Mermaid book, nighttime CD packed all in a ladybug backpack.

Drive down to Childrens Hospital at 7:15 PM. Arrive and follow the blue stars to the Childrens ICU unit; find the sleep study room; it is quite small. A hospital bed, chair/bed for dad to sleep in, dvd player and two cameras that record every movement.

Then hook up child to much electrical equipment. Oxygen sensor on toe, 2 probes on legs, two on chest, one on back, 5 on the face and about 5 on the head. Each has a small wire attached to probe; then route all wires through the back up to the head and put a sock with a small face hole - so that patient can rest comfortably.

Watch Little Mermaid until subject gets tired; turn off Little Mermaid, get scared so dad has to crawl in bed with patient. Wait for patient to fall asleep - maybe 15 minutes, carefully try to sneak out of bed to go to his own chair. False alarm once, false alarm twice - ahhh then I get to go to my own chair.

Patient awake at 11.00 PM - calling for daddy; patient awake and 4:00 AM - all tangled up; patient awake at 5:00 AM - time to go home and see mommy. Dad encourages another 60 minutes of sleep - no go. Out the door into the chilly MN January air; just to be met by a couple coming in for a baby (that brings back memories). . . .

Home at 6 and everyone slowly waking up here - and just in time to put Little Mermaid on again; dad showers; we have strep running in the family we load everyone up for a quick trip to the clinic and 3 strep tests (all negative) and then drop everyone off at home and at work by 8.45 AM.

You have to see it to believe it.

Lee