I had my initial appointment at a pulmonary doctor today becuase I snore terribly and sleep terribly. He feels it is most likely sleep apnea and will schedule me for a sleep study. Has anyone had one? Can you actually sleep at all when you are all hooked up to leads and in a strange place? Has any of you been put on the CPAP machine? If it willl help me to get a full nights sleep I am so ready! Of course the key is to lose this weight.
I did a sleep study. I actually slept better than anywhere else. It was quiet, dark and I felt safe because I had nurses and people watching over me all night (I have problems with feeling safe at night). I had to do a daytime study too but if sleep apnea is suspected I doubt you will do that one. I had to stay all day after I had slept there.
I've had two. The first one, I didn't think I slept hardly at all, but apparently I slept more than enough for them to diagnose the sleep apnea and sleep abnormality (I spend next to no time in restorative sleep, because I wake up just as I start to reach the deep levels of sleep).
Try both styles of mask, if you can. I found the nose pillow style best for me, and while I thought I would never get used to it, I did. If you can manage to start using your CPAP a couple days before you have anything important to do (if you're working, a friday night for example) that's ideal. It took me about three days to get used to it enough to sleep with it (but I was determined, I was told if I got fed up with it, and decided to sleep part of the night without it, it would be harder and take longer to get used to).
I got so used to it, that when my sleep apnea resolved (after I lost about 40 lbs), it was hard to sleep without it (the woosh of the machine acted like white noise, and without it, I heard very little sound).
My husband had a sleep study done, and he tells me he slept fine. Especially without the dogs (and me) in the bed. Turns out he does have very severe sleep apnea (he stops breathing 50-60 times per hour). He has had a cpap machine for two years now. And let me tell you....
It is a miracle machine. Right before we got the machine, he had spent 2 years doing nothing but sleep and go to work. He was severely depressed, and our sex life was non-existent (overshare, I know). I wondered what had happened to the wonderful, energetic, funny man I married. It was like I was a single parent... and like I lost my best friend! TWO NIGHTS with the cpap, and he woke me up at 4am to have sex (again with the oversharing!). Once he could sleep, our lives turned around. The recovery was about a month, and he complains sometimes about sleeping with the mask on... but I am so grateful we found a solution to his problem... before it was too late.
I did one, and my experience wasn't good. My best advice is to take as much sleeping medicine as they'll let you. I'm a terribly light sleeper, so maybe it will be different for you.
I guess things are a little different here because I had to rent the machine and take it home and hook myself up at bed time...so I really have no advice on the sleep study thing, but about the treatment for the apnea.... my only advice would be... if you dont have a problem with the mask then use that option. I had the surgery and I will say that if my only options were the surgery or the apnea then I MIGHT choose the surgery. It was a pretty miserable procedure. My Dr never gave me an option and her being the Dr I of course didnt question her, but boy was it a miserable, miserable, did I say miserable procedure.
I agree that the CPAP is a miracle machine--my dad had been suffering from severe sleep apnea for years (I begged him and begged him to get it checked out, he wouldn't until he started falling at work). He had his sleep study maybe a month ago, got put on the CPAP immediately, and the difference is AMAZING! I have my dad back instead of the zombie the family had been living with for the last few years.
He said the sleep study wasn't bad at all--but he was so sleep-deprived at that point from the years of having the condition that I'm not sure anything would have kept him from sleeping! It's definitely good that you're getting yourself checked out, and you can expect your quality of life to go WAY up once you get treated.
I hadn't had a good nights sleep in 20 years. It got to the point where I would fall asleep while I was driving. I had CHRONIC insomnia. But I was a very light snorer if I snored at all.
My doc talked me into going into a Sleep Study and yes they hooked me up with a million wires on my. I think the ONLY thing that didn't have a wire attached was the tip of my nose! LOL!
I told them I cannot sleep in ideal situations that there is NO WAY I am gonna sleep with all that stuff on me.
So I went in. I had to be ther at 9pm and I could go home at 6am. I knew it was going to be the LONGEST night of my life!
Well I was up half the night just as I thought but I did doze a few times but not much and after a VERY long time it was 6am and I could go home. I asked the attendant if I had slept and she said I did. She said thay you don't have to sleep very long for them to get the info they need.
Well I got the diagnoses and sure enough it said I had sleep apnea but a mild case. I stopped breathing 10-15 times and hour. They also said I had restless leg syndrome.
Evidently everytime I would fall asleep BEFORE I got to the REM stage (the restful stage) I would stop breathing and would momentarily wake up!
So they told me to come back in to the study and this time they were going to try a CPAP machine on me and evidentlt they need to adjust it while you are wearing it and while you are alsleep so they know what setting to adjust the CPAP machine.
So I was doubtful but I came in. They put that machine on me and I went imediately to sleep. Next thing I know it was 6am.
Now I didn't wanna sleep for the rest of my life with that contraption on my face but my doc says just take it home and try it so I did!
OMG GOOD Lord that machine has changed my life. For the first time I can remember I can sleep 8 straight hours. I have even slept 10 before!
It has literally changed my life! I have so much energy now and I no longer fall asleep during the day.
I started reading a lot about sleep apnea and I have read the it can cause weight gain, high BP and eventually heart problems. I have high BP and obviously weight gain. I wonder if my obeseness was helped by apnea?
I have traveled and not taken my machine and I could not sleep a wink. I now take it everywhere I am going to spend the night.
GOD I am SOOOO glad I took that sleep study because now I can sleep and it is just in time for me to lose this weight that I am losing right now. I am POSTIVE that getting a good nights sleep is helping me lose weight! Not to mention the nergy to work out EVERY day!
OK sorry so long but I am passionate about this sunject!
And you know what else is weird??? Is HOW MANY friends I have who have sleep apnea and use a CPAP that I never knew that did until I started talking about mine!
We even call each other affectionately "Hoseheads" LOL!
Hoseheads!! I Love it!! I am looking forward to getting the test done and finally sleeping. I dread bed time because I know that I am going to be up. I have not slept more then an hour at a time in years so I am excited! And once this weight is off I hope I will be cured. Thank you so much for all of your stories. I am a little nervous I won't sleep in the study but maybe knowing why I am doing it will help.
I am a little nervous I won't sleep in the study but maybe knowing why I am doing it will help.
You don't have to sleep very long for them to get a good picture of what's going on. I didn't even think I slept at all between 9pm and midnight but the attendant said I dozed and they got a lot of info just from that and I think I finally fell asleep like 3 or 4am till 6pm and it was enough for them to see what was wrong. Expect a VERY long night but it is WELL worth it if they can fix what's wrong (sleep study can tell a lot of other things besides apnea) and you can start getting a good nights sleep.
GOD I hadn't had a good nights sleep in SO long I forgot what it felt like!
If I don't set the alarm on my cell phone I can sleep SOLID from 12 midnight to 9am very easy.
What is so weird is I used to get up and I would be so groggy it would take me a while to wake up but know I literally spring out of bed wide awake it is awesome!.
I have a cpap, go for a study every five years, so I've had 2 now. I DO sleep much better. It isn't perfect. When you are choosing masks, (or nose prongs) take a pillow and lie down in your usualy position to adjust it. I swear they are not made for people who sleep on their sides.
My other complaint is that it wasn't a magic solution to my weight problem. I thought I was over eating to stay awake, and that I would stop with the machine, but it didn't happen, and I am still fat.
I have to accept that there is no magic bullet. (still a bit mad about it!)
So yes, it will help with your weight loss, and give you more energy, but we still have to do the hard stuff, (like watch our diet and exercise) to lose weight.
go figure!
I didn't think about it being hard to get comfortable for side sleepers. That is me! I curl up on my side! Is there a special kind of pillow you should use or is the one you noramlly use alright? What kind of mask do you prefer? So many questions...
Anyone had a sleep study before?
