Help for sleep study

[jan]

Dear Dr.,
I am having a 3rd sleep study because the first 2 I didn't sleep but a total of 2 hrs.! The 2nd test is when I slept for 2 hrs., it showed alpha waves were dominant. It's so hard trying to sleep all wired up and in a strange place. My neuro says I can't take anything or stay up the night before because it will alter my sleep. I would like to take an herb that helps me relax.  I take it during the day with no problem, so I don't think it will alter my sleep. What do you think? Or do you have any other suggestions? The tests ordered are polysomnogram and MSLT for suspected narcolepsy (mild, if I have it).
Thank you for your help.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Jan:

The difficulty with sleep studies is that the alteration in sleeping location and the hardware to monitor the patient can cause alterations in sleep patterns.  I would agree with your doctor and try not to change your sleep habits as these will change the "normal" sleep pattern that is currently present.  Hopefully, one of the two tests will help give your doctor a diagnosis.  I would think that the MSLT would be a good clue to what is going on.  Let us know what happens.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[One year]

I apologize but I have been trying to post a question for 1 year - every day, no luck. I am breaking the rules, but will be quick.

am a 35 year old female. am yp to 14 months of twitching which began after a sever back pain episode(right shoulder blade starting from just to the right of my spine with tingling stretching around to rib cage) - twitch all over rarely repeats in one place right away (sometimes no repeats in one place for 2 weeks or so). No weakness at all. Have had 3 normal neurological exams since and am headed for my last one next week. The exam at 7 months post symptoms was with the head of the MDA Clinic in San Fran. No neurologists has recommended an EMG (said we could do one of I desired it) but not indicated to them given the totally normal neuro exams. One said "a painful waste of my time".

is it safe to mentally stop worrying about ALS?...I hear stories of twitchers getting weak 2 years post...that worries me. Also...is myoclonus (only when I am just about fallen asleep) associated with MND?

thank you for being so kind in hopefully answering.

[Sarah-Thank You!]

myclonus when just falling asleep can be very normal and happens to most people at some point !

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear SF:

I would agree with your physicians and you do not have ALS.  Without muscle weakness, we have never seen ALS in a patient with fasciculations.  Also, short myoclonic like movements before falling asleep is perfectly normal.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[Emily Ann]

I'm not the poster, but kudos to the Dr. for answering the question, in order to ease a worried person's mind. What a kindness.

[One year]

I AM the poster and all I can say is THANK YOU! You guys provide such a helpful service - just giving us some reassurance that, for whatever reason, we often don't feel we are getting from our physicians we see face to face.

Be well!!!