How do you know if you have Sleep Apnea?

[Sydney Lynn Pinckley 20]

I hardly get sleep at night and I'm getting up a lot at night. I've had these problems for years but have never done a sleep study. When I was younger I was suppose to have a sleep study but my mother actually refused to take me. So how was everyone else diagnosed with Sleep Apnea?

[brandnewbie 42]

You have to have an overnight test done. They hook you up to a bunch of censors and you return the machine the next day for them to view the results. It's small, but with the wiring not exactly the most comfortable nights sleep.. your doctor can order one. They sometimes will recommend a CPAP or mouthpiece if snoring is an issue for you even if apnea comes back negative. I had pauses noted in mine but not enough for concern. If you are pre surgery doc will most likely insist you have one

[DonRodolfo 1,416]

I hardly get sleep at night and I'm getting up a lot at night. I've had these problems for years but have never done a sleep study. When I was younger I was suppose to have a sleep study but my mother actually refused to take me. So how was everyone else diagnosed with Sleep Apnea?

2007ish I went to my doctor complaining of bad quality sleep and low energy during the day. He referred me to a sleep center where they did a sleep test that confirmed I had it. If you have it and sleep with a properly adjusted CPAP machine, you'll be amazed at how you feel the next morning when you wake.

[mrs.petethecat 62]

My sleep apnea diagnosis came after a very scary time. I had trouble staying awake all the time. I went to work and fell asleep there, (Very embarrassing!) As soon as I got up in the morning the only thing I could think of was when I could go back to bed. When I came home from work I went to sleep. This continued for several weeks. I seriously thought I was dying. One day on my way to work I drove off the road, thankfully the bump of going up on the curb woke me and I recovered control quickly. After that, my husband drove me back and forth to work every day. I fell asleep in the car on the way and on the way home. Like I said, I thought I was dying. Then I finally got in to see my doctor who sent me to a specialist, The sleep doctor set me up for a sleep study. All this took about 8 weeks. Finally I got my diagnosis and my CPAP machine. I had some trouble getting used to it but did not give up. Make sure you get a mask that is comfortable for you. Anyway, it changed my life. Used to sleep until noon or later when I did not have to get up. Always felt tired even after that. The doctor explained that I was never getting into a deep sleep, so never rested truly. Now I get up in the morning whether or not I need to and I am no longer continually tired. Just telling you this because if you have sleep apnea you need treatment, whether it is a CPAP or BiPAP machine. It is not something to ignore, I would have had it treated sooner if I had known about the condition. I had never heard of it. Best wishes to you!

[swimmom 124]

You need to get a sleep study done to determine if/how badly you have it. I got my sleep study done as part of the pre-op for surgery, and I discovered that I actually had SEVERE sleep apnea - I got started on a cpap machine and still use it every night - I even travel with it. Makes a HUGE difference in quality of sleep! What amazed me is that if you have moderate sleep apnea, you are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack in your sleep! My friend's husband recently had a heart attack, and the doctor told him he had severe sleep apnea and needed to get treated - the doctor felt that the sleep apnea was a GREATER risk factor than obesity for having another heart attack!! Not many people know much about sleep apnea, but they are discovering that it can be pretty dangerous for your health long term if you are not treated!

[magpie30 187]

I agree with the other posters. The only way to get diagnosed is to have a sleep study done. Go see you PCP and talk to them about referring you and they can help you get it all set up.

[Sydney Lynn Pinckley 20]

Well I have my first apt with my surgeon next Wed!! Im excited and I will talk with my dr about it . And he will more than likely send me to a sleep study.