Sleep apnea

Anyone here have it ?
I did a sleep study a few weeks back. They just called with the results. I stopped breathing 46 times an hour.
Looks like I'm getting a CPAP machine. That should really turn my wife on.

Not sure if the machine will...but your new energy level and overall better health will turn her on for sure!

I have a friend that has pretty bad apnea...once he got on the CPAP he noticed he felt more energy overall...glad you're getting it addressed!

I did the sleep study at the urging of my wife who said I would stop breathing often...sometimes I would be woke up from her nudging me saying "breathe!". I put on the device and did half the night sleeping on my back...and half sleeping on my side. (they reccomended different positions).

While I was waiting for results I got a call from the front office basically saying "Which would you prefer...a CPAP device or the dental guard". Wait...what? I told her nobody discussed the results with me and insisted on talking to the Doctor. They made me an appt. to go over the results and it turns out when I was sleeping on my side, I was under the threshold for needing one...on my back I was just barely into needing one. So I passed on it for now and make an effort to sleep on my side.

Wango...did they not offer you a dental guard option? Maybe your case is more severe than a guard would help? The dental guard route still would have been expensive...they have to make a mold and it was gonna cost about $3k.

Cheers!

No talk of a dental guard. They have yet to contact me though on CPAP options.
30 times per hour is considered severe sleep apnea. I blew that number out of the water.

I can thank my son for getting me to address it. He bought me a smartwatch, and it showed an alarming number of times I would awake during the night. The nurse told me that the watch is really detecting movement. I guess when you stop breathing, and your reflexes kick in, you move. You need all them wires hooked up to you to get anything accurate.

My family is glad I addressed it. I am too. I look forward to a proper sleep, and the benefits that come with it.

You have a severe case for sure...but the good news is you're taking care of it and will be healthier for sure!

I imagine there are so many people out there that are single or have no way of knowing they stop breathing in their sleep. It's just something you don't realize.

Do you still have your tonsils and adenoids Wango? Some folks have had those removed to help with airway obstruction in the throat...generally people that are severely overweight I think though.

I had my tonsils and adenoids taken out, as a kid.

My brother-in-law uses CPAP. My Sister still loves him

This is an interesting thread that may help me somehow. Keep us posted on your "path" and outcomes.

My sleeping is not perfect. My wrist device agrees. But, my Wife's is perfect -- so, I can't ask her how I breath, for example.

I'll keep you posted Allen.

I have sleep apnea. I have been on a CPAP for 10 years. I sleep way better, but I hate putting it on unless I am already very tired.

Breathe-right strips help me use the machine too, but that is just one more thing I have to peel off my face in the morning

Always the first thing that comes to mind with a problem like this, from personal experience (with no tonsils) when closing in on class III (BMI 40). But we know from a relatively recent pic of WT wearing his 1995 Van Halen "Balance" concert-T that his weight isn't likely a contributor.

Before I lost the bulk of my weight (2008/09) I often experienced poor sleep with some breathing difficulty, tossing and turning and excessively snoring. Next morning I'd often have a sore throat or what felt like a swollen windpipe (scary sometimes). Even went so far as to considering separate bedrooms (just not us, plus I like to wake up knowing we're both ok).

Staying as slim as possible from healthy diet and exercise (not excessive, just consistent) fixes all sorts of issues, besides putting a spring in your step when popping out of bed in the morning. Also one should try sleeping buff. I hate clothing when I'm sleeping, especially anything around my neck.

Truth be told, I could stand to lose 20 to 25 lbs. I was pleased to find out today, the gym I go to has finally reopened. Have to wear a mask between stations, proof of vaccine etc. Book appointments online (hour and 15 min. max) But I have not been since Covid hit, so any progress is welcome.

Fought it all my life. Worst surgery I ever had (23) was the pallet revision. I was stopping 180-200 times an hour. It wasn't my weight, I was 11% body fat when I had the surgery. I didn't eat solid food for 5 weeks. I was skin and bones by the time I was done with recovery.

What surgery did you require Timothy ? 180 to 200 times per hour, that is scary.

Got my CPAP machine today.

My only encounter with sleep apnea (or something darned similar) was on a mountain at 5,500m altitude. My tentmate said he kept waking himself up after his breathing stopped. I was terrified I was going to find myself next to a dead man in the morning. I asked the expedition organizer if we could immediately start walking him down to a lower altitude. Another expedition had lost a member from altitude sickness, earlier. They tried to run him down the mountain, but couldn't save him. I was told to wait for daybreak.

I sat him up and tried to keep him awake the entire night. My thought was that he might be tired in the morning, but at least he would be alive. I was so scared that if he fell asleep that he wouldn't awaken. He survived and went back to base camp at a lower altitude and did not attempt to make the summit. What a scary night.

You are a good friend Herman

Well first night was not pleasant. It took forever to fall asleep, 4 hours. I am buying the heated hose today. The cool air was distracting and gave me a headache, right between my eyes.
I could not get a perfect seal with the mask. (I had to go with a full mask) I may have to trim, or shave off the goatee. I do not want to do a clean shave, unless it is unavoidable.
I did notice that I was inhaling way more oxygen than I do on my own. My lungs were filled more than usual. I only got 4 and a half hours of sleep. I could not sleep in, our furnace is being replaced today. They gave a window of 8 am till noon.
I had 8 events per hour, not perfect, but much better than 46. Buying a nice new pillow today as well, to help with sleeping on my back.
According to my smartwatch, I had the most REM sleep I have ever had, since I got the watch at Christmas.

The machine has a built in modem, and my results are monitored by the sleep clinic. Also it has a phone app, website, where you can see your results. It rates your sleep out of 100, I scored a 75 last night. I do feel rested.

Going to try and get a better mask seal, one the machine likes. It gives a happy or sad face. I am stuck on sad face.
So tonight, trim goatee, heated hose and new pillow.

We spend 1/3 of our lives in bed. Glad to see that you have taken the effort to improve your sleep and that it is already showing positive results.

I don't have sleep apnea but this thread has still been an enlightening read for me since I do believe that a popular perception which still persists is that sleep apnea is primarily caused by obesity but that is not the case by any means.

Doing a quick web search, excess weight is still at the top of the list. Even if it's not always the case, I would think that losing any excess weight should at least help improve the situation.

Ah, I see then. Obesity is not the only cause but it's a risk factor.

From the Mayo Clinic

Sleep Apnea symptoms and causes

That is awesome. I had to take my machine into the sleep doctor's office every 2-4 weeks so he could hook into it and DL the data.

That way he could see if I was actually using it. Apparently it can tell if it is just on, or actually receiving back-pressure.

Yeah, it's monitored Big Brother style. But it is very helpful.

Last night was not great. Heated hose was a definite plus. However I had 32 incidents per hour.
The machine says I am not getting a good seal with the mask. I want to avoid shaving of my goatee, but I may not have a choice.
I have an appointment tomorrow at 3:30 to see if they can help me get a better seal, or if another style of mask is possible.

Shaved off the mustache, still failed the seal test. I have this feeling if I go all in and shave it all off, it will fail anyway.

33.9 incidents per hour last night.
At least I have an appointment today to review things. I may need a different style of mask.

Ask for the Alien Facehugger model.

LOL! Well played sir!

Well, the nasal only mask did not work for me. Beard had to go. The full face mask passed with flying colors. Look like I am going clean shaven from here on. At least I have a crap ton of razor blades from Dollar Shave Club.