I might have Sleep Apnea

[Piebald]

It would make sense. My Grandmother says she can hear my snoring from outside, and I am sleepy all day.

I am making the appointment to start testing tomorrow (I am not sure what that entails, but I know they give me some equipment to take home . . .)

Does anyone have experience with this that they would like to share?

[Sir Yap Alot]

I had a roommate one time that rocked the apartment when he snored. If anything can drive a person to commit a violent crime, it is listening to someone snore all night long when you're trying to sleep.

I would actually try to fall asleep with my fingers stuck in my ears.
luckily I moved out when I did or I would be writing this blog from the prison library.

[Piebald]

Man that is a cool avatar

[learning]

I hope that if you do have it, that you'll get equipment that will help you breathe, or at least wake you up if you have stopped breathing. Good thing you are catching it now. I know of a lady who uses some breathing thing at night, and the Dr. said she would have died in her sleep if she didn't have it.

[Piebald]

I have not waken up with lack of breath (except only very rarely), I guess in my case it is shallowness of breath rather than no breath at all

[Jedidiah]

It would make sense. My Grandmother says she can hear my snoring from outside, and I am sleepy all day.

I am making the appointment to start testing tomorrow (I am not sure what that entails, but I know they give me some equipment to take home . . .)

Does anyone have experience with this that they would like to share?
I am in my 6th year with sleep apnea. If your testing will allow you to do any part of the stuff at home that is great. For me the testing involved spending the night "sleeping" at the hospital sleep center. Actually I went through two nights because I also suffer with sever problems going to sleep. Aside from being wired up to every sort of monitoring device imaginable - and not going to sleep - the test amounts to just sleeping.

I ended up sleeping with a mask that covers my nose and keeps a small positive pressure on my breathing system. This keeps the passage ways open while you sleep. I did not suffer from sleepiness during the day but felt physically exausted. It all seemed to begin on one particular day.

Actually one rarely - I guess I should say I rarely woke up out of breath. But the lack of oxygen does bring one out of deep sleep and prevents a good nights rest. Untreated all sorts of bad stuff can happen, but you will learn about that direct from the experts.

beeman

[Piebald]

Thank you for sharing your experiences, Beeman! :smile:

[Solly]

My youngest son had it, due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids. He used to gag in his sleep, which the /Doctor told us puts undue pressure on heart and lungs, esp for a young child. Once the troublesome glands had gone, he sleeps like a ...well, a boy his age [4], with hardly a sound. Have you got problem adenoids/tonsils/sinuses Hammy?

[Piebald]

No, not that I know of ... At least, I've never been alerted to a problem by my physician

[guacamole]

Fouth year of sleep apnea myself. Basically what "Beeman" said above.

The fundamental diagnosis isn't that you will necessarily wake up gasping- most people with apnea just simply don't wake up at all, not in the sense that we would usually think of as "waking up"-- it's that the gasping for breath prevents them from getting truly deep sleep.

I remember a distinct period when I was diagnosed that I went from never having dreams at night to zombies and drowning all over again. Then again, some people still get REM sleep, they only have moderate apnea. Two of my older brothers have also been diagnosed with apnea.

[Piebald]

I will say, though, that I have been having trouble with "vocalizing" during sleep. I will be falling asleep, and I will go "Uhhhhh" as I exhale, and it wakes me up. Or sometimes just a brief "Huh." It's loud enough to bring me from sleep. It is better somedays and worse others. People have reported that I will go "uhhhhhh" every time I exhale all night (but not loudly.)

I do not recall being roused from sleep gasping for breath, nor waking up even briefly ... not in the last week or so, though. I know it has happened before.

[guacamole]

I will say, though, that I have been having trouble with "vocalizing" during sleep. I will be falling asleep, and I will go "Uhhhhh" as I exhale, and it wakes me up. Or sometimes just a brief "Huh." It's loud enough to bring me from sleep. It is better somedays and worse others. People have reported that I will go "uhhhhhh" every time I exhale all night (but not loudly.)

I do not recall being roused from sleep gasping for breath, nor waking up even briefly ... not in the last week or so, though. I know it has happened before.

The way I figure, if you are able to make noise and wake yourself up, snoring or otherwise, its a good idea to have it checked out.


Some of the diagnostic questions I recall my doctor asking me:

Ever wake up and feel like taking a leak because, you're awake anyway and you might as well?

Do you fall asleep frequently while sitting? Things like Watching TV? Driving? Reading? In meetings at work?

Do you feel like you could sleep anytime anywhere?

Do you dream?

Do you feel rested in the morning?

Do you have higher blood pressure than normal for a man your age and weight?

Do you snore loudly?

Does anyone ever hear you stop breathing while you are sleeping?

etc.

Let us know how the test goes. I'll pray for ya.

fwiw
guac.

[Piebald]

I think I'll take the Guacamole quiz!

Ever wake up and feel like taking a leak because, you're awake anyway and you might as well?

No, but I do wake up at least 2-3 times a night to toss and turn. There are also nights when I wake up several times for no apparent reason. This thin sleep happens even if I was sleepy when I went to bed.

Do you fall asleep frequently while sitting? Things like Watching TV? Driving? Reading? In meetings at work?

If I have nothing to do, definitely. I am always falling asleep in class and I get _VERY_ drowsy while driving.

Do you feel like you could sleep anytime anywhere?

Yes.

Do you dream?

"Thin" dreams, very forgettable.

Do you feel rested in the morning?

No

Do you have higher blood pressure than normal for a man your age and weight?

I had my blood pressure done yesterday, it was "low-normal"

Do you snore loudly?

So loudly my neighbors can hear it. Literally.

Does anyone ever hear you stop breathing while you are sleeping?

I don't sleep with anyone nearby, so I don't know.

Thanks for the info, Guac! :smile:

[guacamole]

I think I'll take the Guacamole quiz!

Ever wake up and feel like taking a leak because, you're awake anyway and you might as well?

No, but I do wake up at least 2-3 times a night to toss and turn. There are also nights when I wake up several times for no apparent reason. This thin sleep happens even if I was sleepy when I went to bed.


hmmm....


Do you fall asleep frequently while sitting? Things like Watching TV? Driving? Reading? In meetings at work?

If I have nothing to do, definitely. I am always falling asleep in class and I get _VERY_ drowsy while driving.

Do you feel like you could sleep anytime anywhere?

Yes.


I used to fall asleep in greek class once a week in college. I could never figure out why until I was diagnosed with apnea. I culd also never get an "A" in that class...




Do you dream?

"Thin" dreams, very forgettable.

Do you feel rested in the morning?

No

Do you have higher blood pressure than normal for a man your age and weight?

I had my blood pressure done yesterday, it was "low-normal"


That's odd... hrm....



Do you snore loudly?

So loudly my neighbors can hear it. Literally.

Does anyone ever hear you stop breathing while you are sleeping?

I don't sleep with anyone nearby, so I don't know.

Thanks for the info, Guac! :smile:
[/QUOTE]

Like I said, keep us apraised...

still praying,
guac.

[David Hayward]

The BBC has just shown a programme on sleep problems, and has a supporting website : http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/

David

[Piebald]

Thanks, Mr. Hayward!

[IBreakCellPhone]

Count me in as one with moderate sleep apnea.

Instead of the mask, I sleep with an oral appliance. It consists of two trays, one for my top teeth and one for my bottom teeth. It grips my teeth and pulls my jaw forward. This keeps my tongue from touching the back of my throat and stopping my breathing during the night.

In the mornings, my jaw is "stuck" forward, though. I hang my head over the side of my bed and read my Bible while I perch my jaw on the edge of the bed, putting my jaw back in place.

Here's the tests I went through. They stuck a pulse-oxymeter on my hand for two nights--well, I did it when I took it home. Then, I had a full blown sleep study. It was difficult to sleep, because when they did a sleep study for me, they did a full one, so instead of just measuring my breathing, they had me hooked up to an EKG, EEG, pulse oxymetry, EMG (electromyogram on my legs, measures leg twitching/cramps), breath meters.. Let's see, I think that was it.

I had two electrodes on each of my legs, four on my chest, six on my head, one on my chin, this weird thing on my nose (it measured my breathing), and the pulse/oxymeter on my finger. I turn over from right to left during the night, and hardly ever left to right. I didn't feel like I slept well, and I am surprised I only got tangled up enough where they had to come rescue me once!

[Jedidiah]

Instead of the mask, I sleep with an oral appliance. It consists of two trays, one for my top teeth and one for my bottom teeth. It grips my teeth and pulls my jaw forward. This keeps my tongue from touching the back of my throat and stopping my breathing during the night.

In the mornings, my jaw is "stuck" forward, though. I hang my head over the side of my bed and read my Bible while I perch my jaw on the edge of the bed, putting my jaw back in place.I think I resent my CPAP machine less after reading your experience?


:smile:

beeman

[Piebald]

Okay, they FINALLY called me to tell me that I DO indeed have moderate sleep apnea.

Unfortunately, because I just switched Insurances, it will be a couple weeks before it shows up on their computers.. which means I can't even get into the next phase of my treatment. Who knows how long it'll be till the machine gets here.

[Piebald]

Today I finally got my machine.. actually it's just the test machine, but at least it's something.

It took almost six months just to get treated.. man.

[Jedidiah]

Today I finally got my machine.. actually it's just the test machine, but at least it's something.You said moderate apnea, what is the setting you are using?

Jedidiah

[Piebald]

I'm not sure what setting it is . . . the screen says 318.1, I don't know if that means anything, though.

[guacamole]

How are you finding it?

I found it hard to sleep on the machine at first but eventually I grew accustomed to it. Now I have a horrible night if I am without it. My machine broke down over vacation and I was without it for 3 days. I was a cranky beast for 72 hours.

If you find it difficult... stick with it...

fwiw
guac.

[rmwilliamsjr]

i searched and found this old thread.

i took the sleep test overnight about 4 weeks ago.
i have very severe sleep apnea. the whole reason for going into the doctor was depression, so i found out i haven't slept in months if not years. 100 apneas per hours.

well. with the new cpap machine set on 16 i sleep all night long, dont even toss or snore. perhaps my wife will let me back in the bedroom!?!?

anyhow.
if you have any suggestions of sleep apnea see your doctor, get a sleep test and if needed use the machine.

i am not quite recovered, but i think clearer, have more energy and am on a positive rather than a negative feedback curve.

sleep apnea is a big deal, don't be like i was and try to ignore the problem
us stupid males just won't ask for help....

[guacamole]

i searched and found this old thread.

i took the sleep test overnight about 4 weeks ago.
i have very severe sleep apnea. the whole reason for going into the doctor was depression, so i found out i haven't slept in months if not years. 100 apneas per hours.

well. with the new cpap machine set on 16 i sleep all night long, dont even toss or snore. perhaps my wife will let me back in the bedroom!?!?

anyhow.
if you have any suggestions of sleep apnea see your doctor, get a sleep test and if needed use the machine.

i am not quite recovered, but i think clearer, have more energy and am on a positive rather than a negative feedback curve.

sleep apnea is a big deal, don't be like i was and try to ignore the problem
us stupid males just won't ask for help....

Sweet! So. What's it like dreaming again?

[rmwilliamsjr]

Sweet! So. What's it like dreaming again?
amazing.
i actually dreamed at the sleep study and was so impressed that i went to the doctors office that day to see if i could rent a machine for the time period it would take for the insurance and sleep study report to work through the system.

i am truely amazed at how important deep sleep is.
without dreaming we slowly lose touch with reality. i had depression and paranoia, fear of large spaces inside buildings and fear of using the telephone. all but the phone troubles have disappeared and the phone fear is greatly diminished....


dreaming is essential to remaining human, i can see why the sleep deprivation works in prisons and Navy Seal training *grin*

[rmwilliamsjr]

amazing.
i actually dreamed at the sleep study and was so impressed that i went to the doctors office that day to see if i could rent a machine for the time period it would take for the insurance and sleep study report to work through the system.

i am truely amazed at how important deep sleep is.
without dreaming we slowly lose touch with reality. i had depression and paranoia, fear of large spaces inside buildings and fear of using the telephone. all but the phone troubles have disappeared and the phone fear is greatly diminished....


dreaming is essential to remaining human, i can see why the sleep deprivation works in prisons and Navy Seal training *grin*
it's been 2 months or a bit more since i got the CPAP machine.
i've become just a little evangelical about it, taking the opportunity to tell people if they say anything about getting up tired in the morning. i'm pretty much back to normal and slugging away at weight loss, diabetes, high blood pressure as well as the sleep apnea.

[Teallaura]

...
i am truely amazed at how important deep sleep is.
without dreaming we slowly lose touch with reality. i had depression and paranoia, fear of large spaces inside buildings and fear of using the telephone. all but the phone troubles have disappeared and the phone fear is greatly diminished....

...

I wonder if dreaming isn't a bit like defragging for the mind... :cs:

Anyway, glad you're doing better!

[Menaechmus]

It would make sense. My Grandmother says she can hear my snoring from outside, and I am sleepy all day.

I am making the appointment to start testing tomorrow (I am not sure what that entails, but I know they give me some equipment to take home . . .)

Does anyone have experience with this that they would like to share?


My dad has it and he had to get a machine for it. Its like a mask you put on your face so it helps you breath beter. which helps you sleep beter. When he got it he was like "wow im so rested"

[Pilgrim]

I have apnea as well. I did my tests over night in the hospital hooked up like some freak science experiment. It was incredily hard to get to sleep all wired up like that. I was aftraid I wasn't going to be able to fall asleep at all.

Like most of the population that has apnea, mine was related to weight. I didn't like the cpap and it was way too noisy to have it in a shared room with my wife. So, I took the harder route, I went on a diet and lost enough weight to resolve the issue.

For most people it is related to weight. When you lay down the weight around your neck and jaw causes your muscle and tissue to sag creating the snoring and obstructing your airway.

I'm still working on losing more weight because recently i've started snoring again and feeling tired. It's a never ending battle isn't it?

[rmwilliamsjr]

I have apnea as well. I did my tests over night in the hospital hooked up like some freak science experiment. It was incredily hard to get to sleep all wired up like that. I was aftraid I wasn't going to be able to fall asleep at all.

Like most of the population that has apnea, mine was related to weight. I didn't like the cpap and it was way too noisy to have it in a shared room with my wife. So, I took the harder route, I went on a diet and lost enough weight to resolve the issue.

For most people it is related to weight. When you lay down the weight around your neck and jaw causes your muscle and tissue to sag creating the snoring and obstructing your airway.

I'm still working on losing more weight because recently i've started snoring again and feeling tired. It's a never ending battle isn't it?
it will take me a year or more of dieting and exercise to loose enough weight to stop the apnea. the cpap machine gives me the opportunity to escape the sleep deprivation symptoms so i can work on the rest of the metabolic syndrome X.