Sleep Apnea

Off Topic
1

Anyone here have it? I am thinking that I may have it and am considering getting a sleep study done. I fall asleep at a fairly normal time, around 11 pm usually, but no matter how much sleep I get 5 hours or 12 I always feel tired as hell when I wake up. Usually between 2-4 I absolutely need a nap. I typically don’t notice myself waking up at night, and if I do I have no problem falling back asleep.

I have thought about ordering those jaw pieces that hold your jaw slightly forward while you sleep but have read they can really mess up dental work if not fitted perfectly. Has anyone here had success with treating sleep apnea without CPAP device or something similar?

2

I had really bad sleep apnea and have improved it since by use of a CPAP and some surgery.

Get a sleep study and talk to a doctor - during the time I was getting studies done so insurance would pay for crap I dropped a bit of weight quick as I could and it helped a little. But this isn’t really a problem that has a quick fix (though CPAP really isn’t that bad once you get used to it).

3

My sister went to the clinic and they suggested the machine. She’s had it for two months now and what a differance. Pain in the ass but what an improvement. Now her hubby has to get one lol.

4

Yea I have it. I got one of the dental appliances though. They recommended it over the CPAP because
i’m young(22) and I wouldn’t like using the CPAP. I can see why though, I wouldn’t want to bring a girl home and her be like WTF is that machine?! lol. Anyway, it’s been giving me improvements, i’m still on adjustments and haven’t finished it yet. If I were you, i’d probably get a sleep study done, although they’re a pain in the ass. You got wires fuckin all over the place and sleeping with that shit on is very uncomfortable.

5

Came in hoping to see something about the Chevelle song, was disappointed.

6

I use a CPAP. It was bad at first, but now I’ve got it worked out. I fall asleep without it on every night, then when I start to snore my wife wakes up and smacks me and says, “Put your damn mask on!” That way I’m already really tired when I put it on.

7

[quote]schanz_05 wrote:
Anyone here have it? I am thinking that I may have it and am considering getting a sleep study done. I fall asleep at a fairly normal time, around 11 pm usually, but no matter how much sleep I get 5 hours or 12 I always feel tired as hell when I wake up. Usually between 2-4 I absolutely need a nap. I typically don’t notice myself waking up at night, and if I do I have no problem falling back asleep.

I have thought about ordering those jaw pieces that hold your jaw slightly forward while you sleep but have read they can really mess up dental work if not fitted perfectly. Has anyone here had success with treating sleep apnea without CPAP device or something similar?[/quote]

Sleep studies cost money.

You can save a lot by doing a pulseoxymetrie first or find a doctor who does them.

All that that would mean is that you get a clip on your finger that measures oxygen saturations and your pulse and makes a recording while you sleep.

If you have sleep apnoe you will have several severe oxygen desaturations that any halfway decent pulseoxymeter should pick up.

You should also have elevated blood pressure, the pressure would actually be lower in the evening than in the mornings, which is the exact reverse of how things should be, that depends on the severity though.

There are several self evaluation tests on the internet, but objective data is where its at IMO.

If one or several of these things are that way though you should get a sleep study done and talk with a specialist.

Unless of course you enjoy obesity, diabetes or adult diapers, because sleep apoea is a very good way to get there.

edited

8

I had a sleep study done last year and found I was experiencing approximately 100 apneas/hr. While in school I could sleep 12 hours, completely miss 4 alarms going off 10 minutes within each other and still feel like ass (headache, brain fog) for an hour after waking, not to mention dozing off while in class, meetings or driving. Aside from hooking me up to brain scans, blood pressure cuffs, finger clip, etc. I also had to fill out a bunch of written tests (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) which basically says “On a scale of 1-10, how easy to you doze off lying down, driving, eating, shooting people, having sex, etc.”

Getting a CPAP definitely helped; although I am 20 lbs lighter now than when I had the study done and have been told I snore less when I don’t wear the mask now. A doctor suggested I consider a tonsillectomy, but was told the chances of improvement were slim.

I’m not sure how it works in the USA but in Ontario the sleep study was covered by OHIP, as was most of the CPAP (runs over $1000 where I bought it).

9

CPAP was the best thing that ever happened to me. I used to think sleep apnea was just a “trendy” little ailment that chick folks wanted to have. That is until I woke up gasping for breath several times and my wife told me that I stop breathing at night and gasp a lot. I only wake up a few times. Anyway, I had the sleep study and got the machine. Quality of sleep much better now and I don’t get sleepy all during the day.

10

You didn’t mention it, but something I saw in person today makes me want to post this.

I was working at the hospital today and talking with a doctor I know pretty well. He mentioned a middle-aged patient of his died last night. Somewhat overweight but otherwise in good health. Reason…he (somehow) got lorazepam from a walk-in clinic, the doc didn’t properly check his medical history (had sleep apnea), guy doubled the dose and wound up dead.

Don’t take any sedatives, especially benzodiazepines, if you have sleep apnea.

11

I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP. I was diagnosed around 22 years old after my Search n Rescue team kept bitching about my snoring keeping everyone else up when we were at weekend trainings. I’ve been using cpap for the last 6 years and once in a great while have to go without, either due to being in BFE without power, or during power outages. Every time I go without, I feel like hammered shit the next couple of days.

For the OP, I recommend getting a sleep study. Yes, they cost money, but guess what? A good share of insurances won’t accept the night time pulse oximetry alone as a diagnostic parameter. The pulse-ox is subject to artificial desats due to movement, falling, etc. There are some “home” sleep study units in the works that also measure airflow and respiratory effort, but depending on who you ask they are accurate or not.

What comfort you gain by being at home and not having all the electrodes, you lose in data that can detect not just sleep apnea, but REM behavior disorder, bruxism (Jaw grinding), periodic limb movement disorder, and a crapload of other things that might actually be the cause of your poor sleep.

Yes, you get electrodes stuck on your head, temples, and jaw, plus elastic bands around your chest and abdomen, but if you’re already that tired, you’ll find that you can, and will, sleep through anything. I’ve had three sleep studies in total and never really had too much of an issue.

BTW, sleep apnea can cause low testosterone in addition to making stroke or heart attack much more likely. If that’s not a good enough reason to get checked, what is?

To the guy who said “they” recommend oral appliances more than CPAP, well…they’re better than nothing, but they aren’t better than CPAP. Who is “they”, anyway? If you’re more worried about the occasional girl coming over and freaking, hide the damn machine! 'Course, your snoring and gasping for air is probably more disturbing than the machine would have been.

Hopefully all that helps. I’m not an expert, merely a guy with sleep apnea who also happens to be a polysomnography tech. Feel free to PM with any questions.