Forest Park Sleep Institute

I have trouble sleeping. I have for years. I don’t know why, which is why I ended up here.
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After many visits to my doctor, and after trying many things, they referred me to a neurologist who ordered a sleep study be done. This is where I went to have it done.
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I’d always wanted to have a sleep study done. I’ve seen them on TV and have always been curious about them. I even remember Alan Alda going through one on an episode of Scientific Amerian Frontiers. So I was really curious how it would work out.
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You’d think with today’s technology it would all be wireless, but it’s just as complex, if not more so, then what you see on TV.
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It’s a great facility. You get your own bedroom with your own private bathroom. It’s like a hotel but smaller and much cleaner. There’s even a bathrobe on the hook behind the door! Pretty nice.
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Anyhow, you show up at night for your sleep study. When I went, there were two people working for us; Solomon and Katie. Both were super friendly and helpful people. They assign you to your room and let you get settled in. Each room also has cable TV, as well as wifi access, so you’ll still be able to update Facebook telling all those people that you’re participating in a sleep study.
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After awhile they’ll come in, tell you to «put your jammies on», then they’ll come back and wire you up. I was all tired before that happend, just chilling in my room. The wiring process is extensive, and it pretty much got me wired myself. They glue and stick sensors all over your body. Your scalp, your temples, forehead, even some on your legs. After you’re wired up you get into bed, and they plug you in. They also put a heartbeat monitor on your finger. You can still watch TV or play Candy Crush. It’s lights out at 11 PM though — they wake you at around 5:00 AM.
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The bed is comfortable, the room is comfortable. There’s a big fan on the side if you need some air or white noise. What’s super-​creepy is the big camera pointed right at your bed! They watch you all night long. Literally. To make sure you’re ok.
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Oh — the creepiest part — if you need anything, you just speak and they’ll come get you! Like, if you need to use the restoom at 3 AM, you just say «Hey Katie» or whatever, and they’ll be right in to unplug you. Weird, right? But nice.
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So it’s super creepy to have to sleep with people watching you and wires all over the place. The wires were a bit much, I thought. But overall the experience was as I anticipated — a restless nights sleep in a comfortable place.
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They wake you in the morning around 5 – 5:30. You fill out a little paperwork and you’re free to leave. You can use your bathroom to shower up if you want — it’s really nice and there’s shampoo and conditioner and everything. Not to mention that nice fluffy robe! Me, I took off. I was up early enough to make it home to get ready for work.
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I thought it was pretty cool, and the people working here are super-​nice and comforting. I didn’t sleep well, but that’s my fault. It’s also the reason why I was here. You don’t get your results right away or anything. You just go.
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But if you need to go here for a sleep study, you’ll like it! Good night!