Replicon
12-29-2007, 03:20 AM
Hi,
I'm trying to find out how concerned I should be about sleep apnea. I'm finding that I'm tired too often. Especially near the end of the day. Or if a bunch of us go out after work, I find myself spacing out more than I am contributing to the socializing, etc.
There's a really good chance that this is because I'm a bit lazy getting to bed in time (I try to get up at 6, but even when I make it to bed by 11, it's really hard to get up... ugh...)
I'm thinking, I'll devote the coming weeks to being super strict about a 10pm bedtime (which should give me 8 hours), and if even a strict schedule is not enough, I'll go for the sleep study. But where can one draw the line between "Hmm, maybe I just need more hours of sleep" and "Hmmm, I probably have sleep apnea"? I know I snore sometimes, but no one has ever reported me stopping breathing and then gasping (though I never asked, and it's not like they're monitoring me at night).
What are other signs I should look out for?
cheers!
I'm trying to find out how concerned I should be about sleep apnea. I'm finding that I'm tired too often. Especially near the end of the day. Or if a bunch of us go out after work, I find myself spacing out more than I am contributing to the socializing, etc.
There's a really good chance that this is because I'm a bit lazy getting to bed in time (I try to get up at 6, but even when I make it to bed by 11, it's really hard to get up... ugh...)
I'm thinking, I'll devote the coming weeks to being super strict about a 10pm bedtime (which should give me 8 hours), and if even a strict schedule is not enough, I'll go for the sleep study. But where can one draw the line between "Hmm, maybe I just need more hours of sleep" and "Hmmm, I probably have sleep apnea"? I know I snore sometimes, but no one has ever reported me stopping breathing and then gasping (though I never asked, and it's not like they're monitoring me at night).
What are other signs I should look out for?
cheers!
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Replicon
12-29-2007, 03:29 AM
Oh yeah, one more quick question: If you have a CPAP, doesn't it totally dry out your mouth and throat by pushing all that air through it? Especially when you have a cold, and your nose is stuffed at night...
Snoopy61
12-29-2007, 09:07 AM
You can get a built in humidifier with a CPAP- you can adjust the humidity so, no, you don't get a dry throat or mouth. The CPAP is quite compact.
The hallmark sign of Sleep Apnea is daytime sleepiness. Other things: morining headaches, concentration problems, irritability, possible weight gain or loss with no other reason.
Sleep Apnea is so very different than being tired from lack of sleep, busy schedules or busy social lives. Sleep Apnea is a total lack of energy and the need to sleep throughout the day but never, ever feeling like the sleep is restorative.
By the time I had been diagnosed with sleep apnea it had become a quality of life issue. Just being able to shower was an effort and about the only thing I could accomplish that day. I was not able to take care of basic cleaning of my home.
My case may be extreme because this had been going on for 2 years before I realized I needed help - I had other health issues which clouded the issue of fatigue.
If you believe you may have a sleep disorder I recommend seeking the help of your doctor and getting a sleep study.
This link will give you information about sleep apnea.....
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sleep_apnea/sleep_apnea.htm
The hallmark sign of Sleep Apnea is daytime sleepiness. Other things: morining headaches, concentration problems, irritability, possible weight gain or loss with no other reason.
Sleep Apnea is so very different than being tired from lack of sleep, busy schedules or busy social lives. Sleep Apnea is a total lack of energy and the need to sleep throughout the day but never, ever feeling like the sleep is restorative.
By the time I had been diagnosed with sleep apnea it had become a quality of life issue. Just being able to shower was an effort and about the only thing I could accomplish that day. I was not able to take care of basic cleaning of my home.
My case may be extreme because this had been going on for 2 years before I realized I needed help - I had other health issues which clouded the issue of fatigue.
If you believe you may have a sleep disorder I recommend seeking the help of your doctor and getting a sleep study.
This link will give you information about sleep apnea.....
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sleep_apnea/sleep_apnea.htm
Replicon
12-30-2007, 12:06 AM
Thanks for the info! I'm wondering, what does the sleep study consist of? Do you just go to sleep at some clinic, with electrodes and stuff, and they tell you if you have those gaspy wake-ups and stuff?
Whether I'm "always too tired to focus" or "just not getting enough sleep" is a tough thing to figure out myself, as I don't really have a basis for comparison hehe.
Whether I'm "always too tired to focus" or "just not getting enough sleep" is a tough thing to figure out myself, as I don't really have a basis for comparison hehe.
nora01
12-30-2007, 09:59 PM
my husband has sleep apnea and it was me who pushed him to get a sleep study done.
He snored loudly but the main concern I had was that his breathing would stop and then he would cough and start all over again. Basically this causes not good sleep as there is no REM sleep.
Questions to ask your self are:
Am I snoring? (ask some one to tell you)
Do I wake up multiple times during the night
Even if I sleep 5 or 10 hours a night do I not feel rested
There's probably more that you could find on a detailed web site on sleep apnea.
Also, drinking caffeine late in the day or alcohol late at night can disrupt your self.
Good luck & I hope you can get some better sleep soon;)
He snored loudly but the main concern I had was that his breathing would stop and then he would cough and start all over again. Basically this causes not good sleep as there is no REM sleep.
Questions to ask your self are:
Am I snoring? (ask some one to tell you)
Do I wake up multiple times during the night
Even if I sleep 5 or 10 hours a night do I not feel rested
There's probably more that you could find on a detailed web site on sleep apnea.
Also, drinking caffeine late in the day or alcohol late at night can disrupt your self.
Good luck & I hope you can get some better sleep soon;)
Snoopy61
12-31-2007, 08:52 AM
Thanks for the info! I'm wondering, what does the sleep study consist of? Do you just go to sleep at some clinic, with electrodes and stuff, and they tell you if you have those gaspy wake-ups and stuff?
Whether I'm "always too tired to focus" or "just not getting enough sleep" is a tough thing to figure out myself, as I don't really have a basis for comparison hehe.
Yes, you get "hooked-up" with a wide range of monitoring devices at a sleep clinic. If there is evidence of sleep apnea (peroids of not breathing) then the tech will wake you up and hook you up to a CPAP, then back to sleep you go.
Let me guess - your one of those who burns the candle at both ends :D
When in doubt consult with your doctor.
Whether I'm "always too tired to focus" or "just not getting enough sleep" is a tough thing to figure out myself, as I don't really have a basis for comparison hehe.
Yes, you get "hooked-up" with a wide range of monitoring devices at a sleep clinic. If there is evidence of sleep apnea (peroids of not breathing) then the tech will wake you up and hook you up to a CPAP, then back to sleep you go.
Let me guess - your one of those who burns the candle at both ends :D
When in doubt consult with your doctor.
index.html
01-02-2008, 04:39 PM
Replicon,
I think your original plan sounds exactly right. First, be religious about getting enough sleep so that you can rule out sleep deprivation as the cause of your daytime fatigue. Unfortunately, the symptoms of sleep deprivation and the symptoms of sleep apnea are quite similiar. Make sure that you get multiple nights in a row of 8 hours of GOOD sleep. If your symptoms persist, then a sleep study would be appropriate.
Good luck!
I think your original plan sounds exactly right. First, be religious about getting enough sleep so that you can rule out sleep deprivation as the cause of your daytime fatigue. Unfortunately, the symptoms of sleep deprivation and the symptoms of sleep apnea are quite similiar. Make sure that you get multiple nights in a row of 8 hours of GOOD sleep. If your symptoms persist, then a sleep study would be appropriate.
Good luck!
Replicon
01-03-2008, 11:42 AM
Let me guess - your one of those who burns the candle at both ends :D
Yup, I'm pretty slammed! If I had a candle with fuses sticking out all over the place, I'd light them all. =) But I'm working on that. I've been going to bed before 10:20 for a couple of days now, and still getting up at 6. I want to still drive it down to just below 10:00, so I can say I got 8 hours. Thanks to the writer strike, this is much easier to do than it used to be hehe. I hope it goes on for many months. I'm still kicking a cold, so it's not yet fully optimal, but it should get there in the next few days.
Yup, I'm pretty slammed! If I had a candle with fuses sticking out all over the place, I'd light them all. =) But I'm working on that. I've been going to bed before 10:20 for a couple of days now, and still getting up at 6. I want to still drive it down to just below 10:00, so I can say I got 8 hours. Thanks to the writer strike, this is much easier to do than it used to be hehe. I hope it goes on for many months. I'm still kicking a cold, so it's not yet fully optimal, but it should get there in the next few days.