I am very pleased to have just discovered Manhattan A.W.A.K.E. and I am looking forward to joining with you on 10-7. Even before then, if you could provide me with a listing of Sleep Clinics, Doctors, etc. experienced in the field of Sleep Apnea in NYC, I would be most grateful.

Suffering with fatigue, it could be that I have sleep apnea. Very recently, I went to a sleep clinic and received a comprehensive overview from a doctor, was scheduled for an overnight evaluation and looked forward optimistically to the test. As it happened, I went for 2 overnight stays. However, the procedures applied at the testing were not what was explained would take place and I was told quite different things about my test results and the divergence causes me to have a lack of confidence in the competency and reliability of the results and recommendations.

In the morning after the 1st test, the tech (who is quite experienced and has worked with the same doctor for 3 years) told me that I had not fallen into a deep sleep until the last hour and that, although my breathing had been a little off, that since I had not been asleep long enough, that a conclusion could not be made, but that they MAY call me back. When I got a call to come back, I was told that I had MAJOR sleep apnea. Even with the discrepancy, I decided to go back in for a 2nd test because from the thorough overview that the doctor had provided, I knew that with a fuller night's sleep, a correct evaluation could be determined. However, instead of having me sleep first and observe my breathing (which had not been done yet), and THEN have a mask placed on me - if and when I had breathing problems - a mask was placed on me right away before I first went to sleep. And two other masks were put on me throughout the night. None of the masks fit and I did not sleep. The masks were too uncomfortable, the air was seeping out and the tech had to keep coming in to try to adjust them and the masks were flapping and noisy. So I don't believe that the 2nd night would have produced reliable, conclusive results of sleep apnea either.

Yet, the next day, the receptionist of the clinic called and told me that I had major sleep apnea and that they wanted me to be visited by a home visiting center to be fitted for a mask. I said that I wanted to speak with the doctor first but it seemed that was not a reasonable request. Seems that once you first see the doctor, you are sent onto the night testing and then the receptionist calls you to tell you your diagnosis and to tell you to have a home visiting center that they partner with fit you up with CPAP.

Now that I have had 2 overnight visits, I may have an insurance problem covering further testing / evaluation, but it is important to me to find out if I actually do have sleep apnea before I invest the time, energy and lack of comfort sleeping with a mask. So I have decided to go to another Sleep Clinic for evaluation and I would very much appreciate suggestions as to Sleep Clinics, Doctors, etc. where others may have been helped.

Thank you,
Renee