Sleep apnea victims, got a question... - Sleep Disorders Message Board

SadFreek · 05-02-2005, 01:55 AM

I think the victim term fits well... lol

Just have a quick question. When you took something for sleep, did you wake up even more tired in the morning even though you slept?

I am having this problem...it sucks.

analog2000 · 05-02-2005, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SadFreek

When you took something for sleep, did you wake up even more tired in the morning even though you slept?

Do you mean sleeping pills? How are you treating your apnea? If your apnea is un-treated, meaning that you do not use CPAP, taking sleeping pills is probably a bad idea. Obstructive sleep apnea (the most common type) happens when the soft tissue in your throat relaxes during sleep and blocks your airway. Taking sleeping pills, which are often muscle relaxants and/or sedatives, can increase the amount or chances of this blockage.

So you are actually putting yourself at greater risk by taking such sleep aids, and yes, this would cause your sleep to be even more disturbed, and therefore you would be more tired in the morning. Taking something for sleep is not going to help your sleep apnea, most likely it will only make it worse.

Good luck.

SadFreek · 05-02-2005, 03:26 PM

Well, I shoulda gone a little bit of detail. I am very very sleepy during the day. I awake usually fine, but an hour or two later, I want to go back to sleep or nap.

I asked my doctor for a sleep study, but all she did was blame it on anxiety and wanted to shove anti-depressants down my throat.

Any time I take anything, benadryl, restiril, or muscle relaxants, I wake up even more tired the next day. I was wondering if that is normal for sleep apnea. Thanks for your info!!

MissAmethyst2U · 05-03-2005, 11:43 AM

I totally can relate...I suffer with severe panic and anxiety probs and I can awake in the monring just fine but an hr later I feel like I NEED sleep and I just cant stay awake. I would want to sleep all day and then stay up at night and I had ativan that I occasionally took for anxiety and if I took it at night and woke up I would feel worse! I told the docs abotu this and they too blamed anxiety...Well guess what my new PCP listens to me (not to mention I am normally right when I think something is wrong) and she ssent me for a sleep study and I was shocked to hear I stop breathing at LEAST 20 times an hr! Hmmm now I wonder why I felt tired all the time...Tonight will be my first time sleeping with a CPAP at home and I am lookign forward to it. I have had two sleep studies the first going fine the second my anxiety got the best of me so I went to the lab today to take a nap and to just overall get used to the CPAP and I did GREAT and felt good when I left there...I would diff push your doc about a poss sleep study if you really think that is what is needed....I wish you the best...

analog2000 · 05-03-2005, 03:19 PM

I have sleep apnea and depression. For years I (and my doctors) thought that my overwhelming fatigue was from the depression. All the doctors told me that if I could just get the right med combo and a little bit of willpower the fatigue would lift.

Finally, a new psychiatrist suggested a sleep study, and it changed my life! Yes, I do have depression, but it was being made a thousand times worse by sleep apnea! I don't know if your problems are caused solely by anxiety, but if you have any doubts, insist on the sleep study. If nothing else, you will then know for sure.

Good luck.