Sleep Apnia

[Bruce Tuncks]

I'm going in for the test soon and I'd like some advice....  has anybody here ever suffered from sleep apnia? It is also called snoring I think.

[red750]

From the Mayo Clinic:

 

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night's sleep, you might have sleep apnea.

 

The main types of sleep apnea are:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax and block the flow of air into the lungs
Central sleep apnea (CSA), which occurs when the brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing

Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, also known as complex sleep apnea, which happens when someone has OSA — diagnosed with a sleep study — that converts to CSA when receiving therapy for OSA

If you think you might have sleep apnea, see your health care provider. Treatment can ease your symptoms and might help prevent heart problems and other complications.

 

I had it for a while when I slept on my back, but not on my side. My son also had it when he was obese. He had a CPAP machine which I borrowed for a while. You may stop breathing for several seconds, and if you don't restart, obviously, you will die. It also causes your blood oxygen level to drop significantly.

 

CPAP stands for ‘continuous positive airway pressure’. You wear a mask while sleeping to force air into your lungs.

 

 

 

[spacesailor]

SHHH.

The wife .

But she refuses to admit it .

spacesailor

 

[old man emu]

2 hours ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

I'm going in for the test soon and I'd like some advice....  

What they will do is fit you up with electrodes like an ECG and put a breathing mask on you. Then you go to sleep and while you are sleeping they will collect a lot of information about how often you stop breathing and for how long. From that data they will work out how much air pressure is needed to keep your airway open while you are sleeping. After that they will either rent you or sell you a CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure) device which you wear at night to keep your airway open. That will reduce the time that you are not breathing, and also reduce your snoring.

 

I have been using a CPAP device since 2017 and I won't go to sleep at night without it. I will take an afternoon nap without it, but those naps are only for about 20 minutes. I've felt much better since I began using it. I sleep like a log - meaning that I wake up in the same position in the morning that I was in when I closed my eyes. I am regularly getting 7-1/2 hours' continuous sleep each night.

 

First the CONs:

It takes some getting used to wearing the mask. It is a distraction as you begin to go to sleep, but pretty soon you'll drop off very quickly. I'm usually asleep in about two minutes.

Buying a CPAP machine is a bit expensive, a bit over $1200 or so.

You have to buy replacement masks and cleaning wipes.

It doesn't eliminate that need to pee in the early hours of the morning

 

The Pros:

You will have refreshing sleep.

You won't get tired in the afternoon 

Your sinuses will be unblocked.

If you share your bed, you won't be disturbing your partner with your snoring.

 

Getting a CPAP machine is like once you've had Black, you'll never go back.

 

Good luck!

[pmccarthy]

I have it and have used a machine for about ten years. CASA made me take the test and I am glad they did. I love the machine, it allows me to sleep soundly and quietly and I am sure it has extended my life.

[Bruce Tuncks]

Thanks guys. I am really worried about the mask making it harder to go to sleep. What type is the best?  I notice all styles, from full-face masks to only nose ones.

[Bruce Tuncks]

And, ome, what is black?  Is it a black woman?

[facthunter]

Don't ask. Nev

[old man emu]

8 hours ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

And, ome, what is black?  Is it a black woman?

My answer:

6 hours ago, facthunter said:

Don't ask. Nev

 

As for masks, I have one that covers my mouth and nose because I tend to breathe through my mouth, or at least I used to before the CPAP. I use masks with a foam rubber seal, not the silicone ones. 

 

When they are setting you up, they will let you try the full face one, or the nose only to see what you like. 

 

Honestly, you'll wish that you'd been put on CPAP years ago. 

 

I really think that using a CPAP slows down the development of dementia because your brain is oxygen-starved when you stop breathing due to apnoea. 

[Marty_d]

I've been meaning to go in for a test.  Heard nothing but good things about them by those who use them.

[facthunter]

Breathing through your mouth gives less oxygen. Practice deeper breathing. Nev

[facthunter]

I have one of those things you clip on a finger Oxy 98 Pulse 65. You need Oxygen 93 min.   Nev

[old man emu]

2 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Practice deeper breathing.

A bit hard to actively control your body when you are unconscious because you are asleep.

[facthunter]

You are better off IF you do it always. Consciously when you can. Aided at night if required. Some people need Oxygen at altitude.   Nev

[red750]

Checked my blood oxygen on my smartwatch. 96%. BP 119/79  57 b.p.m.

[facthunter]

It's sleep apnoea we are referring to.. You could have lung conditions that inhibit oxygen absorption., We are generally lazy breathers in any case.   Nev

[facthunter]

I can't see how you measure Blood pressure without putting on a band and incrementally reducing it's tightness.  Your pulse is a bit low for a non athlete. Are you on a beta blocker?   Nev

Edited May 20 by facthunter

[spacesailor]

Reds pulse is faster than mine , at 47 bpm.

spacesailor

[pmccarthy]

I use a nose mask. There are two types. One puts little bungs in each nostril, it is uncomfortable. The other has pillows as they call them a over your lower nose and is very comfortable. 

[old man emu]

12 minutes ago, pmccarthy said:

I use a nose mask.

Choosing the type of mask needs trying the different types, What you end up using is a matter of personal choice. For example, what PMCC likes is not what I like, but we both get benefit from using what we do.

[red750]

Not on beta blockers. I do have a pacemaker, after I collapsed with bradycardia, pulse 30 bpm, in 2011. Just took another reading, BP 120/80, pulse 62 bpm. 

[old man emu]

On 19/05/2024 at 5:00 PM, Bruce Tuncks said:

I'm going in for the test soon

Have you had the test yet?

[facthunter]

No but he's been studying till late at night. Nev

[willedoo]

I topped 115 bpm today. It's normally 90-95 but the raised level is normal considering recent blood loss and anaemia. Less blood volume and low haemoglobin causes the heart to speed up to try to push more O2 around

[Bruce Tuncks]

I was carted off on account of having bpm over 100. They called it fibrillation and they worked at getting the figure well below 100. It's about 60 now, which I think is still a bit fast.

At our exercise group, there is a "defibrillator machine" which I can't get them to do a session on. They say that the thing talks and tells you what to do. I say"how do you know when to use it? to which they reply " the other guy is unconscious..  how obvious is that?"

So I dunno. But they did ( in Horsham) talk about using one on me, and I never went out to it. Maybe the Horsham machine is different, I dunno again

And, OME, I have not yet had the test results back properly, so I don't know what sort of mask to try out. I did notice there is a medicine  you can take, and I wonder if that may be better ? It has similar end results to the CPAP machine, but of course does not use "natural " methods.