Mr. Detail
05-10-2004, 11:16 AM
I have had two sleep studies done now and both times the results were the same. They tell me I have "mild" sleep apnea and CPAP is really not necessary. I am 6'4" and only
170 pounds soaking wet, so my weight is not an issue.
I fall asleep fine but constantly seem to wake up and roll over throughout the night. I do not believe I have a complete, uninterrupted night of sleep, hence the tired feeling when I wake up. Does anyone have any experiences like this? They also told me to stitch a pocket in the back of pajamas for a tennis ball so I will stay off my back.
170 pounds soaking wet, so my weight is not an issue.
I fall asleep fine but constantly seem to wake up and roll over throughout the night. I do not believe I have a complete, uninterrupted night of sleep, hence the tired feeling when I wake up. Does anyone have any experiences like this? They also told me to stitch a pocket in the back of pajamas for a tennis ball so I will stay off my back.
Sponsor
pjlc
05-14-2004, 01:42 AM
I am sorry to hear this!
Ah yes, those sympyoms are very similar to mine. Basically, it is inefficient sleep. Like you, I too wake up about every 20min to 1/2 hour. My sleep studies also all turned out negative, however it turns out that those studies were focused on breathing problems, etc. I am going to a third one soon, which will be given with an emphasis on neurology, who focuses more on what I think is going on.
The point is, check to see what your sleep studies focused on, and make sure they encompass as wide a range as possible.
I have not found a solution yet, so the only thing I can do is sleep much more. That is, "sleep" 9 hours per night, and then takea 1 hour _max_ nap in the afternoon, every day. Those naps make all the difference. Give sleeping more a try. 7 hours per night in itself is pretty little, not to mention that you are not actually getting restorative sleep.
Also, maybe you want to try taking Melatonin? Perhaps start with 1mg for a few days, maybe 30min to an hour before bed, and then work up in 1/2mg doses every few days until you find something that causes you to sleep a bit better, and then finetune the dosage--but not so high a dosage that you get night sweats, more too much dreaming, etc, which happens when too much Melatonin causes hormonal imbalance. More is not better:) For some people, 10mg is too much, for others, 2.
Despite being subscribed 10 different sleeping meds, Melatonin is the only one that works at all, most nights. 1.3mg is what works for me.
I'm sorry I could not help you more. But, bottom line is, one has to sleep as much as the body needs, otherwise other things start breaking down; and it can take years to build back up. Listen to your system:)
Do you have sleep apnea? If you have breathing problems (sleep apnea, etc), then laying on your back will indeed make it worse. But, maybe a breathing machine would be better? They're costly, but insurances may cover it. Who knows? Maybe the tennis ball will work.
Good luck!
pjlc
Ah yes, those sympyoms are very similar to mine. Basically, it is inefficient sleep. Like you, I too wake up about every 20min to 1/2 hour. My sleep studies also all turned out negative, however it turns out that those studies were focused on breathing problems, etc. I am going to a third one soon, which will be given with an emphasis on neurology, who focuses more on what I think is going on.
The point is, check to see what your sleep studies focused on, and make sure they encompass as wide a range as possible.
I have not found a solution yet, so the only thing I can do is sleep much more. That is, "sleep" 9 hours per night, and then takea 1 hour _max_ nap in the afternoon, every day. Those naps make all the difference. Give sleeping more a try. 7 hours per night in itself is pretty little, not to mention that you are not actually getting restorative sleep.
Also, maybe you want to try taking Melatonin? Perhaps start with 1mg for a few days, maybe 30min to an hour before bed, and then work up in 1/2mg doses every few days until you find something that causes you to sleep a bit better, and then finetune the dosage--but not so high a dosage that you get night sweats, more too much dreaming, etc, which happens when too much Melatonin causes hormonal imbalance. More is not better:) For some people, 10mg is too much, for others, 2.
Despite being subscribed 10 different sleeping meds, Melatonin is the only one that works at all, most nights. 1.3mg is what works for me.
I'm sorry I could not help you more. But, bottom line is, one has to sleep as much as the body needs, otherwise other things start breaking down; and it can take years to build back up. Listen to your system:)
Do you have sleep apnea? If you have breathing problems (sleep apnea, etc), then laying on your back will indeed make it worse. But, maybe a breathing machine would be better? They're costly, but insurances may cover it. Who knows? Maybe the tennis ball will work.
Good luck!
pjlc
bebettersoon
05-19-2004, 07:47 PM
Heck I sleep 10-12 hours a night and wake up exhausted and stay that way for the whole day. I did a sleep study at a clinic on Monday and only got 7 hours o sleep because they kick you out at 6 a.m. With only 7 hours sleep I had a nasty headache and felt ill most of the day! I had to 'nap' for 3 hours in the afternoon to make up the difference. I know I woke up at least 7 times and dreamnt twice during the study. Looking forward to seeing the results.
danmc15
06-04-2004, 01:32 PM
What did your leg movements look like? I was told that I had positional sleep apnea, and to try the tennis ball trick also, but when I reviewed my sleep study results a year later, it really popped out how I would awake every time that my legs moved, which was an average of over 32 times/hour. So I'm now trying different meds to combat the PLMD.
jeh rpsgt
06-04-2004, 11:37 PM
I have had two sleep studies done now and both times the results were the same. They tell me I have "mild" sleep apnea and CPAP is really not necessary. I am 6'4" and only
170 pounds soaking wet, so my weight is not an issue.
I fall asleep fine but constantly seem to wake up and roll over throughout the night. I do not believe I have a complete, uninterrupted night of sleep, hence the tired feeling when I wake up. Does anyone have any experiences like this? They also told me to stitch a pocket in the back of pajamas for a tennis ball so I will stay off my back.
Mild sleep apnea can still make you tired. And it's not always fixed by turning on your side. I'm just curious...what was your apnea/hypopnea index, meaning how many events per hour did you have? Also, did you sleep on your side in your studies, and were there any events while lateral? You should be more persistant with your doctor (either referring doc or interpereting doc) to figure out the problem. Have you done a sleep diary? If not, it's typically a 2 week documentation of each day's naps, caffiene intake, misc. events that may effect your sleep, bed time, how long it took to fall asleep, how many times you woke up/why/duration of time, and wake time. It's a very helpful tool, almost as helpful as the sleep study itself. If you want, you can always request a copy of your sleep study report from the lab it was done in. It's always interesting to see the data yourself, and maybe things you weren't told about.
170 pounds soaking wet, so my weight is not an issue.
I fall asleep fine but constantly seem to wake up and roll over throughout the night. I do not believe I have a complete, uninterrupted night of sleep, hence the tired feeling when I wake up. Does anyone have any experiences like this? They also told me to stitch a pocket in the back of pajamas for a tennis ball so I will stay off my back.
Mild sleep apnea can still make you tired. And it's not always fixed by turning on your side. I'm just curious...what was your apnea/hypopnea index, meaning how many events per hour did you have? Also, did you sleep on your side in your studies, and were there any events while lateral? You should be more persistant with your doctor (either referring doc or interpereting doc) to figure out the problem. Have you done a sleep diary? If not, it's typically a 2 week documentation of each day's naps, caffiene intake, misc. events that may effect your sleep, bed time, how long it took to fall asleep, how many times you woke up/why/duration of time, and wake time. It's a very helpful tool, almost as helpful as the sleep study itself. If you want, you can always request a copy of your sleep study report from the lab it was done in. It's always interesting to see the data yourself, and maybe things you weren't told about.

