Snoring/sleep apnea thread

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

I’d do what Sammy says and buy a used one.

That depends on your age. It is considered a "durable medical device" and therefore paid for by Medicare. I've had mine on lease for 3 years and haven't paid a cent for it (other that FICA taxes for 50 years).

[dar636]

Tried to do the sleep study, but hey - couldn't sleep!! I got P.O'd at the Doc when they refused to just write a f'ng prescription for the CPAP machine, since that is the only outcome of the study... Not a scam or anything.

[Cajundaddy]

Disclaimer: Not a Doc but if you are at risk of sleep apnea, go see one.

Whenever someone tells me they are snoring or suffer insomnia, my 1st question is always "how is your personal fitness and do you walk/exercise every day?". Most are not in great shape and exercise very little, which is a prime cause of sleep disorders.

My advice is to go see a Doc and ask them directly if getting really fit by eating better and exercising daily will help. If you can drop 20 and get back to your fighting weight, do it and you will invariably feel better, sleep better, and avoid a lot of future medical issues as you age. It is a very simple prescription and costs nothing but a good pair of walking shoes.

[vash]

what about sleeping propped up on more pillows? or one of those beds that motor up?

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Cajundaddy

My advice is to go see a Doc and ask them directly if getting really fit by eating better and exercising daily will help. If you can drop 20 and get back to your fighting weight, do it and you will invariably feel better, sleep better, and avoid a lot of future medical issues as you age. It is a very simple prescription and costs nothing but a good pair of walking shoes.

I have been talking to my Doc.

Yes I need to drop some weight and cut out the drinking.

Loaded a sleep monitor on my phone and I snored 10% of the 6-7 hours I slept last night.

I may need to join a gym to help get into shape, I love to walk and do the stairs but until I get my knee replacement using my legs for exercise is limited.

[targa911S]

Mike can you tell me/us more about Inspire

[Cajundaddy]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have been talking to my Doc.

Yes I need to drop some weight and cut out the drinking.

Loaded a sleep monitor on my phone and I snored 10% of the 6-7 hours I slept last night.

I may need to join a gym to help get into shape, I love to walk and do the stairs but until I get my knee replacement using my legs for exercise is limited.

Yep, I jacked my knee racing motorcycles and it is hard to stay fit if it hurts to move around. I did swimming and PT until my knee was back to 100% and that made a huge difference. The 1st two weeks were a grind but after that I looked forward to 30 min a day in the pool. I slept like a baby.

These days walking is my exercise of choice and I try to get 3 miles in daily. The dogs love it and now they insist we go rain or shine.

[A930Rocket]

That’s true. My insurance didn’t cover squat, so bought mine online. Still it was ~$700 or so with everything and the humidifier. I never use that part anymore.

I did look at Craigslist and saw several for much less, but my germ phobia said no.

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

That depends on your age. It is considered a "durable medical device" and therefore paid for by Medicare. I've had mine on lease for 3 years and haven't paid a cent for it (other that FICA taxes for 50 years).

[PD41]

The Cpac machine changed my life. Was a bad snorer, wife slept in the spare bedroom even.
Doc sent me for a sleep test, UCLA sleep center. Got all geared up, went to sleep.

They woke me up a few hours later and said "You have severe sleep apnea"
Said I would stop breathing 20 seconds then gasp 3+ times a hour.

Got the Cpac boy what a change. I was so stressed and tied for a few years. Waking up tired, 6 cups of coffee to get going, got hooked on Copenhagen chew, started drinking beers at lunch to calm down then after work.

Used to be a stress case, pissed off, beefing with my wife and daughters.
Now totally a mellow person, calm, life changer.

Apnea will kill you, causes brain damage (lack of blood to brain), hypertension, higher blood pressure, tension, stress, anger, tired, and more.

Seems to be more common if your over 40, overweight, drinking makes it worse and apnea more often.

My insurance covered everything, if you can't afford the test you could have somebody watch you sleep.

Get the test if you think you have it, good luck.

[PD41]

Apnea explained in this video;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6lxO6W2-m8

Shaq has apnea. Good video showing the test process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JkiWvWn2aU

[wdfifteen]

When I went to my doc to get the results of the sleep test before the doc came in the nurse came in with a video player and played that Shaq video. I got more and more depressed as the video ran. I went through the interview with the doc and the whole process of getting the CPAP machine in a trance. I kept thinking, "This can't be happening to me." The CPAP sat for a month before I tried it, and it took another couple of months before I figured out how to use it without knocking the mask off in the middle of the night.
I thought about how unsexy it must be for my wife to go to bed every night with a guy with an "appliance" belted to his face. But, I have the best wife in the world and I shouldn't forget that. She told me it was like going to bed with a fighter pilot.

[PD41]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

When I went to my doc to get the results of the sleep test before the doc came in the nurse came in with a video player and played that Shaq video. I got more and more depressed as the video ran. I went through the interview with the doc and the whole process of getting the CPAP machine in a trance. I kept thinking, "This can't be happening to me." The CPAP sat for a month before I tried it, and it took another couple of months before I figured out how to use it without knocking the mask off in the middle of the night.
I thought about how unsexy it must be for my wife to go to bed every night with a guy with an "appliance" belted to his face. But, I have the best wife in the world and I shouldn't forget that. She told me it was like going to bed with a fighter pilot.

But how are your results ?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by PD41

But how are your results ?

I would say very good. I've been using the full mask CPAP for 4 1/2 years and it has changed my life. I have more energy and I've been less irritable. I wake up faster in the morning and don't get up feeling tired.

It has been a learning experience. It was hard to find a way to sleep on my side with the mask on. They make special pillows that I tried and didn't like. Now I have a soft feather pillow and just mush it around until my head is supported and the mask isn't being moved by the pillow. The mask can come loose during the night and the machine senses the lower air pressure pumps more air. The air rushing onto your face can dry out your mouth. That sucks. I use Sleepyhead software to monitor how much sleep I'm getting and whether I am experiencing leaks during the night.
Medicare will pay for a new mask every month and new pipe and reservoir a less regular basis. I was not changing the mask every month because it looked fine, but I found out an older one will leak more than a new one.

[ted]

I was having sleep apneas that would leave my shoulder and back muscles sore after sleeping from the clenching during apneas when trying to breath again.

This got worse with facial pain so bad I could not open my mouth to yawn or even far enough to eat a french fry, and then it was too painful to eat a soft french fry.
Long story short all that went away when I got on the C-pap.

I think the C stand for celibate because no one is getting lucky with the mask on.

I use a 3 inch wedge cushion to elevate my head too.
Seems to keep the vertigo away too.

Thankfully all this came up after I retired as an air traffic controller as I would not have been able to easily pass a class 2 physical and may have been disqualified from controlling.

[notfarnow]

I didn't know I had bad sleep apnea until I got a steady GF again a couple years ago. Heck,I didn't even know I snored. If I go through that list of symptoms I have ALL of them.

I am going to go through i nsurance and get the full sexy CPAP space mask, which will surely improve my love life.

In the interem, I DID buy one of those Nitronic pillows that sense when you start snoring and inflates to move your head. It seems to actually make a difference... I start snoring, my head gets shifted by the pillow and I stop. I still don't think I'm getting proper REM sleep though

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by notfarnow

. I still don't think I'm getting proper REM sleep though

A good fitbit will show you how much REM sleep you are getting.

[sammyg2]

I got a new CPAP machine a little while ago, thing is awesome compared to my old one.

Now if I could just get a mask to fit.
I'm using a mirage quattro size large, but I have to cinch it down pretty tight to prevent air leaks. It's too small for my noggin.
It goes from the bridge of my nose down to cover my lower lip. but not much more. Maybe to the line just above my chin.

QUESTION TIME: does anyone know of a decent full-faced mask that is large enough to fit?