Labor: Real or False??

Ok, so I am already frustrated with this labor business!! Not that I am the only person to feel this way, but I REALLY wish there was some way they could tell you if you are having false labor or real labor. Let me explain......
In the middle of the night last night I started having pretty consistant contractions. They got to about 8 mins apart for at least an hour. So, I called the dr to find out what to do. The on call dr called me back and said that if you are between 5-10 mins apart and for at least an hour to go to the hospital and get checked. So, we did - at 1 AM!!! When I got there, the nurse hooked me up to an external monitor to monitor the baby's heart and my contractions. She checked me internally and I was 1 cm dialated. She had me walk around the floor for 2 hours before checking me again to see if I was going to progress. Those 2 hours seemed like forever, but by the end, my contractions were closer together as well as stronger. She hooked me back up to the monitor for 20 mins before checking me again. This time the monitor showed my contractions more consistant at 4 mins apart and more intense (just as I was feeling). BUT when she did my internal check, I was still between 1-2 cm.... which compared to Monday's 0, this was good. However, as far as progression for labor at the moment, it was not fast enough. SO, the nurse sent me home and said she was really confident that I would be back either this afternoon or evening. She said that SHE believed that I was in labor (not active labor) but that my early labor was going to take a while.
This afternoon I went to my OB to get checked again. The news was a little different this time around. She did say that I was dialated to almost 2 cm, but again that isn't fast enough to consider me in active labor. I was still having a lot of cramping and pressure, but my contractions were no longer consistant. She sent me home with some sleeping pills to take if needed because the pain sometimes causes me to not be able to fall asleep. She said that she really couldn't tell us if this is false labor or still the real thing. Ugh, again, I know I am not the first woman to say this.... but WHY can't there be a way to tell. I don't like this not knowing stage. My dr said that all of these internal checks could also cause me to have close intense contractions tonight, so I guess it will be a while before we REALLY know what is going on. She said to go to the hospital when my contractions reach 5 mins apart for at least an hour. BUT, again, doesn't mean it is the real thing - I could be contracting because of all the internal checks. This just seems like a vicious (and torturous) cycle. Now that it is getting late and reaching about the time that my contractions started last night, I am wondering more and more what is going to happen.
Ok, I am done venting now. Thanks for listening :-) Will post again when I know more.