Sleeping disorders?

[Scott Shepherd]

I'm not affiliated with any of this, but I have friends and family using (or have tried to use) CPAP machines with no luck, so this one caught my eye when I saw it posted on some tech website....

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a...ro-cpap#/story

I hope it works, it will change a lot of people's lives.

[Phil Thien]

I'm not affiliated with any of this, but I have friends and family using (or have tried to use) CPAP machines with no luck, so this one caught my eye when I saw it posted on some tech website....

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a...ro-cpap#/story

I hope it works, it will change a lot of people's lives.

That looks promising.

I saw a story once indicating that the sleep apnea causes a vicious cycle where people don't get enough sleep and so they eat more which causes weight gain and more sleep apnea. The report indicated that for many people, stopping the sleep apnea results in weight loss but the apparatus (CPAP I guess) didn't work well for a lot of people.

If that gizmo you linked works, it could be a real game changer.

[Scott Shepherd]

That looks promising.

I saw a story once indicating that the sleep apnea causes a vicious cycle where people don't get enough sleep and so they eat more which causes weight gain and more sleep apnea. The report indicated that for many people, stopping the sleep apnea results in weight loss but the apparatus (CPAP I guess) didn't work well for a lot of people.

If that gizmo you linked works, it could be a real game changer.

Yeah, that's a really clever gadget. What I didn't realize until today, was that they are disposable, I guess. You buy a "45 day supply" of them, and it says the cycle is 8 hours long, so I'm guessing you get a new one every day. If that's the case, I'm sure someone will figure out how to prolong that so they last days and weeks at a time.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Larry - -

All is very easy - just go see a Doc. You have been living with this condition for a long time, so you are not going to cash out in the next 48 hours if you don't go right away. Alarmist rhetoric helps not. A calm, reasoned, action plan is the ticket.

But - there is no reason to be screwing around and avoiding it.

We need you here, brudda. Man up and get it done. Garage door open season is coming soon, and we want to see this year's kill rate.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I don't have a sleeping disorder, but I do have a waking disorder.

...but seriously, and I am not being mean here- lose some weight. My wife, who teaches nursing and is in the process of getting her PhD (Pretty hard Degree), harps on this a lot. It does not mean that you are "fat" nescessarily, but I will take myself as an example. If I gain just 5 pounds over my normal weight, I start to snore more and I have similar problems at night- waking up short of breath. If I lose down to my "fighting weight," no issues. One of my fat storage areas appears to be around my neck, and with all those bulging neck muscles there isn't much room for fat. (nyuck, nyuck)

Fortunately you're a dude, so you don't take it personally. I would never give a woman this advice. I would tell her to go see a professional because telling a woman to lose weight is like juggling cats.

[Brian Elfert]

I have sleep apnea. I was modestly overweight by 10 to 20 pounds, but even when I lost a lot of weight last fall it didn't help my sleep.

This thread did inspire to make a follow-up appointment with my sleep doctor.

[Phil Thien]

I don't have a sleeping disorder, but I do have a waking disorder.

...but seriously, and I am not being mean here- lose some weight. My wife, who teaches nursing and is in the process of getting her PhD (Pretty hard Degree), harps on this a lot. It does not mean that you are "fat" nescessarily, but I will take myself as an example. If I gain just 5 pounds over my normal weight, I start to snore more and I have similar problems at night- waking up short of breath. If I lose down to my "fighting weight," no issues. One of my fat storage areas appears to be around my neck, and with all those bulging neck muscles there isn't much room for fat. (nyuck, nyuck)

Fortunately you're a dude, so you don't take it personally. I would never give a woman this advice. I would tell her to go see a professional because telling a woman to lose weight is like juggling cats.

The problem is, losing weight at our ages isn't so easy, and keeping it off is even harder.

I don't disagree with the advice, mind you.

But juggling those cats may (in the long run) be easier.

[Pat Barry]

As I mentioned earlier, sleep apnea is not something one can typically self diagnose. OP mentions waking several times in the night and not sleeping well. Its a big jump to stopping breathing. That diagnosis is done in a sleep center. He may well have other issues. For example, I have tingling in my legs and twitching of leg muscles that wake me up. Thats not sleep apnea. Don't jump to conclusions

These four yes-or-no "STOP" questions can help you determine your risk for sleep apnea:

• S: Do you snore loudly (louder than talking or loud enough to be heard through closed doors)?
• T: Do you often feel tired, fatigued, or sleepy during the day?
• O: Has anyone observed you not breathing during sleep?
• P: Do you have or have you been treated for high blood pressure?

You have a high risk of sleep apnea if you answered "yes" to two or more of these questions. You are strongly encouraged to discuss these results with your medical provider.

[Larry Edgerton]

Pat, I am not imagining the stopping breathing. Its creepy, and has just been the last little while. I notice it mostly at the point when I am not quite asleep, just nodding off. I wake up feeling like I am drowning and about ready to pass out.

I wasn't really expecting to self diagnose Pat, but there are some fairly intelligent people on this forum and I wanted a sounding board of experiences and knowledge. That's all, a conversation. .

The possibility of a link to my already malfunctioning brain is an interesting thought, scary, but interesting.

[Rick Moyer]

Just to add to the discussion: have you ever been tested for allergies? I have not been tested for sleep apnea (yet, I plan to) but I think allergies can cause similar symptoms as apnea. I frequently cannot breathe thru one or both nostrils, especially when laying down. Allergy meds have helped quite a bit, however. But, this leads to frequent sleepy episodes during the day if I don't allow enough "sleep time". Just something else to consider. I am also overweight, unfortunately, which does not help.

[Larry Frank]

I am not a doctor but stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Seriously, please see a doctor...the people on this forum are no substitute for one. They do not know your specific medical issues.

[Stephen Tashiro]

That diagnosis is done in a sleep center.

I assume that a thorough diagnosis would require being observed at a sleep center. However, there is a "cheap" test given to people who have been prescribed oxygen at night. The same companies that rent oxygen tanks and machines also administer a simple test where the patient wears an oxygen metering and recording device overnight. There are certain standards that the result must meet in order for Medicare to pay for the oxygen. Perhaps if you approach the problem as asking for an oxygen prescription instead of investigating a sleep disorder, you could at least get the cheap test, which might confirm sleep apnea.

[Phil Thien]

As I mentioned earlier, sleep apnea is not something one can typically self diagnose. OP mentions waking several times in the night and not sleeping well. Its a big jump to stopping breathing. That diagnosis is done in a sleep center. He may well have other issues. For example, I have tingling in my legs and twitching of leg muscles that wake me up. Thats not sleep apnea. Don't jump to conclusions

These four yes-or-no "STOP" questions can help you determine your risk for sleep apnea:

• S: Do you snore loudly (louder than talking or loud enough to be heard through closed doors)?
• T: Do you often feel tired, fatigued, or sleepy during the day?
• O: Has anyone observed you not breathing during sleep?
• P: Do you have or have you been treated for high blood pressure?

You have a high risk of sleep apnea if you answered "yes" to two or more of these questions. You are strongly encouraged to discuss these results with your medical provider.

Isn't "O" enough all by itself? I'd think if people tell you that you stop breathing while you're asleep, that you would need to go in right away?

[Von Bickley]

Larry,

When it is all said and done, you just need to talk to your primary care Physician.

[Scott Shepherd]

For those with it, correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember someone telling me that it really messes with medications you take as well. Something about the way your body absorbs the medicines and the disruptions that keep happening to your body cause your medications to work differently. I thought they said many people, when treated, ended up reducing their doses of medicine because it worked better when they slept all night.