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No stage 3/4 sleep

I had a sleep study done recently which showed I get zero stage 3 and 4 sleep.  Any idea what I can do about this?  What type of specialist could I see to help me?  Thanks!
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Avatar universal
Same boat, same problem, no solution.  CPAP will be the standard go-to by any physician as it absolves them of any responsibility and will keep you dependent on a machine for the rest of your life with no real or actual solution.  If you miss a night of use, they'll blame you for not adhering to the CPAP properly.  I would go to as many neurologists and sleep doctors as you can and get the proper help and medication to induce the correct stages of sleep.  
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Avatar universal
Same boat, same problem, no solution.  CPAP will be the standard go-to by any physician as it absolves them of any responsibility and will keep you dependent on a machine for the rest of your life with no real or actual solution.  If you miss a night of use, they'll blame you for not adhering to the CPAP properly.  I would go to as many neurologists and sleep doctors as you can and get the proper help and medication to induce the correct stages of sleep.  
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Avatar universal
Ok, when a sleep study comes back negative for sleep apnea, that's just the beginning.

First of all, how much time did you sleep? Did you reach REM and while on your back? Was your night in the sleep lab at all representative of your normal night's sleep? Often a person's sleep apnea is more prominent in certain positions and sleep stages. If those didn't occur during the study, it wouldn't capture the events and only proves you did not have apnea that night. If the wires and strange surroundings kept you from sleeping soundly, it could be this test is not diagnostic. You can request an auto titrating test machine for a couple weeks to use at home to see if it captures any apnea events.

Also, what exactly did the test say about limb movments? There are limb movement disorders that disrupt sleep, and they are bad enough in their own right. But also to be considered, they can preclude apnea events if the limb movements are strong and frequent during the time of the study.

Please review your study results and see if there are any clues there. One night in a lab is not necessarily your final answer, but may hold clues to where to go from here.
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172715 tn?1285494490
The sleep study person usually can make a suggestion on what caused the loss of stage sleep.  One time the person said it was psychiatric for me, but that was right before the apnea started. Also I had just gotten married for the 2nd time and my husband slept with me during the study (in a twin hospital bed).  So it could have been some anxiety there because the bed was small and my mind was so intuned to my husbands movement and it was my 1st study ever done.  Anyway the person that writes up your study info usually has a report for your primary doctor.  You have the right to have a copy of that report. Don't stop now, follow through with this.   Best Wishes, Sharon
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Avatar universal
Wish I knew what the cause was as it might be easier to treat that way.  Study doesn't say why I miss those stages.  It did state that there's no need for C-PAP as there were no apnea related issues.  It was the kind of study where if they had noted apnea during it, they would have tried a C-PAP on me for the rest of the study night.  Not sure where to go from here, but was hoping I could find a specialist of some sort who could help me figure out/treat what's causing the problem since they're telling me it's not apnea.  
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Avatar universal
Did your sleep study show why you miss those stages? I agree with idesofmarch. Treating the cause is your best option.

dday575 - I'd say you've got to rule out some possible causes. First, do some things to help yourself deal better with the stresses of life. Make sure you eat right and exercise. Google sleep hygiene and implement healthy bedtime habits. Find something to do that's totally separates you from the stresses and is totally relaxing. Don't know what you've already had checked, but I'm thinking things like hyperthyroid or a sleep disorder. Personally, I'd put a sleep study at the top of the list. If nothing shows up, then maybe talk to a doc about testing for bi-polar, but I would not pursue that till AFTER everything else has been tested. Sleep disruption can cause the mind to do strange things. Solve your sleep issues and I'm thinking you'll find you're no crazier than the rest of us.
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Avatar universal
i know i am stressed out a lot but my concentration level is gone. i hear everything else that is around me but the person talking to me. My mind races at night and i barely sleep.. I also find myslef talking to myself .. am i going crazy ?
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172715 tn?1285494490
If you call the sleep study place they can tell you which doctor is the head of it and then you may have to get a refferal from your primary doc. or the person that did or read your sleep study. It really depends on what caused you to miss the stages or an ENT doc. to fix an obstruction or order you a C-PAP.  You will probably need meds for the cause though. A pulmanary disease doctor takes care of my studies, ordered my C-Pap and started me on the right meds. Best of luck to you.  I do know how you feel-been there and sometimes I am there again...
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