Sleep study

[Miz B 6]

I was under 40 BMI and needed sleep apnea to be approved. I didn't think there was a chance I had sleep apnea- I wake up a lot at night and I am always tired, but I feel like I've always been like that, even when I was little. I don't snore either.

Had my sleep study and sure enough I have sleep apnea

It's so sad that I basically had to pray I had something wrong with me in order to qualify. Insurance basically says "oh you are heavy, but not heavy enough. So either gain weight to be even heavier OR we will wait until something bad happens and you develop a life threatening issue before we help you."

You would think they would help those of us who are seeking help BEFORE those things happen to us.

Yes indeed! Your primary care doc should have been watching trends in your labs and asking you about your sleep and other things as your weight increased. Most obese people do have sleep apnea, especially if they are older. The sad fact is that most docs don't have the time to be as proactive as they should be. When you have ten minutes to see a patient, it's hard to help prevent problems because you have to treat the current ones. Most people don't realize they have sleep apnea. They just go around wondering why they don't have energy while their bodies are starved for oxygen, kidney health is affected, and blood pressure goes up. Then they are told that ALL their problems are related to weight, which is indirectly true, but most of us end up morbidly obese without having had any medical professional do anything but shame us. Ideally, primary care docs should have nurses who follow trends in their patient populations and intervene with education and help. It is truly sad when you hear someone say, "My doctor never told me that my high blood pressure would cause congestive heart failure.", or "I wish I had been referred to a nutritionist who could have helped me avoid this. I didn't know what I was doing would result in this." A nurse who can have short informal education sessions with patients as a part of their regular visit is enormously helpful. Physicians don't have the time to discuss everything, so if triglycerides, fasting glucose, and weight are all trending upward, then the nurse can talk to the patient about how very soon they might get a diagnosis of diabetes, as well as using some motivational interviewing techniques to nudge them toward losing weight. I wish I could say that I didn't know all these things as my weight steadily increased, but I did. However, if I had been referred to a nutritionist by my doc, I probably would have gone to the appointment and maybe I might have taken action earlier. When patients have medical professionals who are familiar with health behavioral psychology, or even have one on staff, outcomes are really amazing.

[pjackson0523 158]

Is it a CPAP or an APAP? If the latter you can set it to a lower "constant pressure" knowing it will ramp up automatically when needed. I find this much easier than trying to sleep with a higher constant pressure set close to my max need (which is pretty high).

Other things I find that help:

1. Humidifier - nothing worse than drying out

2. Heated tube from humidifier to face mask - some (like Resmed S6) have a "climate controlled" tube with a heating element that runs directly off the power if the unit itself. I keep mine on 26 degrees C all year round and my tech says that is pretty common for users to do. Others don't have that capability but making a "cover" for the tube from a warm fabric can really help.

3. I go through periods of having problems with sinus headaches and Eustachian tube problems, usually (I think) due to higher pressures. The APAP really helped for this

4. Keeping your mouth shut while asleep is really important - you might need a chin strap. It improves the airflow dramatically and you immediately feel better after sleep.

6. Be sure to check your mask and tube are fitting together well - even a small leak can reduce your access to air and make it hard to sleep well. Check your mask is the correct fit for you. My partner is often more aware of leaks than I am.

I hope this helps. I was lucky and didn't struggle too much to get used to my APAP machine - it transformed my life! My brother also. Our father died young of undiagnosed sleep apnoea, so we are both v conscious of sticking with our machines and trouble shooting problems. I wish you all the best with it.

I did finally make it all night for one night. I had to switch to a full mask because I couldn't sleep with my mouth closed. BUT, then last night, couldn't even go a full hour, mainly because of a constant cough I'm experiencing at the moment. Will just keep trying.

[pjackson0523 158]

Is it a CPAP or an APAP? If the latter you can set it to a lower "constant pressure" knowing it will ramp up automatically when needed. I find this much easier than trying to sleep with a higher constant pressure set close to my max need (which is pretty high).

Other things I find that help:

1. Humidifier - nothing worse than drying out

2. Heated tube from humidifier to face mask - some (like Resmed S6) have a "climate controlled" tube with a heating element that runs directly off the power if the unit itself. I keep mine on 26 degrees C all year round and my tech says that is pretty common for users to do. Others don't have that capability but making a "cover" for the tube from a warm fabric can really help.

3. I go through periods of having problems with sinus headaches and Eustachian tube problems, usually (I think) due to higher pressures. The APAP really helped for this

4. Keeping your mouth shut while asleep is really important - you might need a chin strap. It improves the airflow dramatically and you immediately feel better after sleep.

6. Be sure to check your mask and tube are fitting together well - even a small leak can reduce your access to air and make it hard to sleep well. Check your mask is the correct fit for you. My partner is often more aware of leaks than I am.

I hope this helps. I was lucky and didn't struggle too much to get used to my APAP machine - it transformed my life! My brother also. Our father died young of undiagnosed sleep apnoea, so we are both v conscious of sticking with our machines and trouble shooting problems. I wish you all the best with it.

I did finally make it all night for one night. I had to switch to a full mask because I couldn't sleep with my mouth closed. BUT, then last night, couldn't even go a full hour, mainly because of a constant cough I'm experiencing at the moment. Will just keep trying.

[Sydney Susan 333]

I did finally make it all night for one night. I had to switch to a full mask because I couldn't sleep with my mouth closed. BUT, then last night, couldn't even go a full hour, mainly because of a constant cough I'm experiencing at the moment. Will just keep trying.

Coughing is really tough and sometimes you just have to give up on those nights. Hopefully they are few and far between.

I've never tried a full faced mask, but if that works for you...

My brother just told me tonight that he's finally got around to buying a RESMED S6 after years of something that has so many non-working parts we were all starting to think he should just abandon the whole thing. But he said he hates the swanky new mask and has had to work out a way to make his old mask work with the new tubing... he's quite an inventive chap so he has. Now he's happy.

Most people seem to take a few weeks to feel comfortable with their cpap machine. Now I'm there I find it quite soothing at bedtime... esp as I know it means I'll be waking up in the morning!

[Sydney Susan 333]

I did finally make it all night for one night. I had to switch to a full mask because I couldn't sleep with my mouth closed. BUT, then last night, couldn't even go a full hour, mainly because of a constant cough I'm experiencing at the moment. Will just keep trying.

Coughing is really tough and sometimes you just have to give up on those nights. Hopefully they are few and far between.

I've never tried a full faced mask, but if that works for you...

My brother just told me tonight that he's finally got around to buying a RESMED S6 after years of something that has so many non-working parts we were all starting to think he should just abandon the whole thing. But he said he hates the swanky new mask and has had to work out a way to make his old mask work with the new tubing... he's quite an inventive chap so he has. Now he's happy.

Most people seem to take a few weeks to feel comfortable with their cpap machine. Now I'm there I find it quite soothing at bedtime... esp as I know it means I'll be waking up in the morning!

[LittleLou 31]

I'm not sure what machine I have, but I would recommend it. It has the setting where it starts off at a low pressure and then increases after 20 minutes to the pressure I need for the night. It also has a built in humidifier that I can set as well. The humidifier is what i had to tinker with the most. At first I had it too low and woke up with a sore throat and a horrible Migraine. I increased the humidity and have had a good nights sleep ever since.

[Nesa 51]

I was wondering (I have bad allergies right now) do y'all think this will interfere with my sleep study on Thursday?