Sleep Apnea?

[JESW]

Anyone have any experience with this? Dh went in for a sleep study last Tuesday to check to see if he has this and we are waiting for test results. He has been having a very hard time lately and we are wondering if it is because of that. He is very tired during the day, can fall asleep sitting up, forgets about things he did during the day, etc.

Would love to hear anyone's experience - thanks!

Jill

 

[HsvTeacher]

Anyone have any experience with this? Dh went in for a sleep study last Tuesday to check to see if he has this and we are waiting for test results. He has been having a very hard time lately and we are wondering if it is because of that. He is very tired during the day, can fall asleep sitting up, forgets about things he did during the day, etc.

Would love to hear anyone's experience - thanks!

Jill

My DH has sleep apnea, and his symptoms were the same as you're describing. The main problem he was having was he was falling asleep all the time. He even fell asleep while waiting on a traffic light to change from red to green. He also snored horribly and would stop breathing during the night.

I finally had to videotape him one night to convince him that he needed to see the doctor. He did the sleep study to confirm that it was sleep apnea, and he wears a bi-pap machine at night. We both get a great night's sleep now.

 

[Meriweather]

My DH also has this.
It does sound like that is what yours has.

The CPap machine was a life saver ....for both of us.
I thing he has had it for about 10 years now.

 

[Angelhalo]

DH has sleep apnea. He had all the same symptoms as your DH OP. He went for the study and now he has a cpap machine. I was very worried at first. Would it be huge? Would it be loud? Would he be comfortable?

He's had it for about 6 months now and our lives are so much better. He wakes feeling rested, and so do I due to lack of snoring. The machine is not loud at all and I even find it kind of soothing. He is perfectly comfortable and the device is small. It's not a huge scary mask, it's just too little pluggy things that go in his nose and a strap to hold it on.

It has truly made a great difference in our lives. It has a great carrying case to take it on trips. We bought one that also runs on batteries that way we can even take it on camping trips and we don't need an outlet. The folks in tents around us don't have to be worried about hearing his snoring all night.

 

[JESW]

Thank you for all your replies. We don't have the test results yet but in a way I am hoping it is this so we can move toward making it better. Last night was just horrible as he tossed and turned all night and woke up feeling so lousy so he has been back to bed for a couple of hours. It concerns him (and me!) when he can't remember things he did during the day.

He is also very congested most of the time so I wonder if he should also see an ear/nose/throat dr?

Jill

 

[Angelhalo]

Thank you for all your replies. We don't have the test results yet but in a way I am hoping it is this so we can move toward making it better. Last night was just horrible as he tossed and turned all night and woke up feeling so lousy so he has been back to bed for a couple of hours. It concerns him (and me!) when he can't remember things he did during the day.

He is also very congested most of the time so I wonder if he should also see an ear/nose/throat dr?

Jill

DH was also extremely congsted ALL the time and the Cpap has helped that too!

 

[disneyfan67]

Anyone have any experience with this? Dh went in for a sleep study last Tuesday to check to see if he has this and we are waiting for test results. He has been having a very hard time lately and we are wondering if it is because of that. He is very tired during the day, can fall asleep sitting up, forgets about things he did during the day, etc.

Would love to hear anyone's experience - thanks!

Jill

I have sleep apnea and for years it went untreated. Worse yet, when I did see a doctor, I didn't follow all the instructions and didn't like the cpap machine. I didn't like the idea of wearing the mask assembly and as a man, I didn't think my snoring and restlessness at night was a big deal. I was wrong and when someone I knew died from health conditions due to untreated sleep apnea, I started using the machine faithfully. It was the greatest thing I could have ever done, sleep wise for my health. I sleep great at night and it's worth any inconvenience that hose/mask assembly may cause. I wake up feeling pretty good and I'm not as tired as I used to be.

People don't realize that sleep apnea is a very serious condition and if left untreated it can kill. The damage it does to your heart along with other parts of your body is tremendous. Get your husband treated and don't take no for an answer when it comes to him making the changes needed. Men are stubborn and we resist change, so it's important you help him and make sure he follows the program.


Once he gets used to the cpap, he will notice the benefits.

 

[cruisnfamily]

I have sleep apnea and for years it went untreated. Worse yet, when I did see a doctor, I didn't follow all the instructions and didn't like the cpap machine. I didn't like the idea of wearing the mask assembly and as a man, I didn't think my snoring and restlessness at night was a big deal. I was wrong and when someone I knew died from health conditions due to untreated sleep apnea, I started using the machine faithfully. It was the greatest thing I could have ever done, sleep wise for my health. I sleep great at night and it's worth any inconvenience that hose/mask assembly may cause. I wake up feeling pretty good and I'm not as tired as I used to be.

People don't realize that sleep apnea is a very serious condition and if left untreated it can kill. The damage it does to your heart along with other parts of your body is tremendous. Get your husband treated and don't take no for an answer when it comes to him making the changes needed. Men are stubborn and we resist change, so it's important you help him and make sure he follows the program.


Once he gets used to the cpap, he will notice the benefits.

What did they die of?

 

[kellydizfan]

I am going for the sleep test Monday Night at our local hospital. I snore terribly, wake myself up, I have had someone I shared a room with tell me I had Sleep Apnea but never did anything about it until now. I am always tired, sleep sitting up - almost looks like I am awake but snoring - if it makes any sense. I was told I may need to go back a 2nd time, most cases it doesn't happen but I had to schedule twice. I will go in at 9 p.m. lights out by 11 and then they let you sleep until 6 a.m. I was told they need a good 6 hours of sleep - I normally do not sleep that long - I am lucky if I get 4-5 hours a night without waking up and unable to fall back asleep. I am writing this and yawning at 1:30 in the afternoon on a beautiful chilly Sunday afternoon. I wish I could just skip it and get the machine without the hassle of being hooked up but I know I need to go thru it.

 

[metalis4ever]

Anyone have any experience with this? Dh went in for a sleep study last Tuesday to check to see if he has this and we are waiting for test results. He has been having a very hard time lately and we are wondering if it is because of that. He is very tired during the day, can fall asleep sitting up, forgets about things he did during the day, etc.

Would love to hear anyone's experience - thanks!

Jill

I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea in 2009, but thankfully there was an easy fix. I had my tonsils removed and the sleep apnea went away, bonus I haven't gotten sick since and I used to get sick 2-3 times a year!!!

I was experiencing the same symptoms, I went from being sharp as a tack at work and very efficient to very sloppy and slow. I was conscious of it but couldn't do anything about it, I found myself crashing at all hours of the day and becoming short of breath walking. I was gagging at night and snoring to the point that I had to sleep on the couch so that my DW could have a solid night sleep.

So if your DH still has his tonsils in have an Ear Nose and Throat specialist take a look at them and have them removed. Tonsils are completely useless once we hit our pre-teen years anyway and actually in adulthood can cause harm (i.e. getting sick all the time, sleep apnea, trouble breathing, chronic congestion etc..) For me the surgery was easy and virtually painless, I stopped on the way home from the hospital and picked up a small cheese pizza for myself...I didn't even have to use the liquid pain killer they gave me....However others have been shocked upon hearing this as apparently the surgery can be very painful for adults....IMO the pain is worth avoiding the machine, I honestly can't imagine what it is like to sleep with that thing full time, I had it for 2 weeks prior to the surgery and was ready to go insane....

 

[minkydog]

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2006. But I had symptoms for probably 10 years prior to that. I worked night shift, so I was tired all the time. I thought it was normal to fall asleep in meetings, in movies, at church, at traffic lights. Several times i fell asleep driving and thank goodness I never hit anything. My husband would tell me i "purred" at night, but i had no idea that I was really snoring and gasping. I only had the sleep study because I made a bet with him. Imagine my surprise when 1 hour into the sleep study they came in to the room and stopped the test. They said I had already stopped breathing 70 times and it would be unethical to let me continue without CPAP! So I've been using CPAP ever since.

I have to tell you, since I started using CPAP my life has changed for the better. I no longer fall asleep during the day. I got off the night shift and I do have some issues related to that(I worked nights for over 25 yrs). But I don't fall asleep in movies or driving or anywhere else other than my bed. I wake up rested--now THAT was like a miracle! I would like to say that i hate wearing the mask to bed, but that wouldn't really be true. I get so much benefit from wearing the CPAP that i don't really care if i have to wear headgear every night. My husband is thrilled with the CPAP because it means i don't wake him up with my gasping, coughing, and snoring anymore. ]

I wish your husband the best. Tell him there are plenty of us out there who went through what he's going through. There is treatment available and I hope he will use it.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

DH has sleep apnea. Before he got his CPap machine (and actually started using it), he would fall asleep anywhere - work, home, in the car while driving 80 mph down the interstate ). He was also snoring VERY loudly and the more weight he gained, the louder he would snore.

The CPap was a life saver. He is now much more rested and doesn't fall asleep nearly as often during the day time. When he had his sleep study, the doctor told him he was borderline narcoleptic so he still has to be monitored. Recently he has started light snoring even while wearing his CPap so he needs to go back in and see if his settings need to be changed.

Good luck!

 

[goofyernmost]

What did they die of?

I don't know about that particular case, but Sleep Apnea puts a huge strain on your heart. Over time the heart will actually enlarge trying to get oxygen to the rest of the body when repeated breathing lapses occur. There is also a chance that when you stop breathing it means that the air passage is blocked and if you don't recover immediately you could actually suffocate because of lack of oxygen.

We have covered this subject before on DIS so I won't go into detail but using the CPAP machine completely changed my life and the quality thereof. I don't understand this idea that people don't want something on their face because it feels like they can't breath when actually not having it is the reason they cannot breath.

 

[wvjules]

I think I've had my CPAP for about 6 months now. It was hard to get used to wearing and honestly, the only real difference I've noticed (or DBF has noticed) is that i don't snore as much anymore. My breathing used to scare him and he'd wake me up to tell me to breathe. I don't do that anymore. I still don't wear the mask all night every night. Sometimes it makes it until morning, other times I take it off during the night sometime.

 

[Gary M]

I got a cpap machine in October of 2009. The doctor gave me some instrument to take home with me that checked for sleep apnea. I wore it one night and took it back to the hospital. It showed signs of sleep apnea. I went to the sleep clinic for one night and got fitted for the cpap and have felt much better since. I use the cpap every time I sleep. It has been to WDW and several other places with me. It's easy to travel with and the airline security is very use to them.

I now don't snore while using the machine and it makes very little noise if any.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

I've been using a Cpap for about 6 years now. Even with the small "nasal pillow" that just goes under your nose, it was a hard adjustment because I am EXTREMELY claustrophobic. Actually, the mask helped the claustrophobia! Once I got used to using it, I was able to move up to a larger mask that doesn't shift around as much at night. (They tried the larger mask at my sleep study and I freaked out after about 10 seconds!)
DH worried about noise, but it sounds like a very faint white noise machine.
Good luck!

 

[Swank]

I have had a CPAP for about 4 years, and yes it changed my life. After suffering for about 5 years with symptoms. I now feel like a normal person again. I too was claustrophobic, but after about 2 weeks of getting used to it I now find it comforting. So if your husband goes on it, tell him not to give up... I know a few people who have given up and they are still suffering. Yes you look like Darth Vader while sleeping, but it is worth it.

 

[disneyfan67]

What did they die of?

goofyernmost covered it pretty good, but I'll tell you anyway.

He died in his sleep due to his heart giving out from the stress the sleep apnea caused and he was in his late 40's. Studies have found moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of coronary heart disease or death by 68% in men under the age of 70. 68% is a pretty big number. Here's an article and there's a ton of information on the web about sleep apnea and the affects of it on your health.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/12/news/la-heb-sleep-apnea-20100712

 

[cruisnfamily]

goofyernmost covered it pretty good, but I'll tell you anyway.

He died in his sleep due to his heart giving out from the stress the sleep apnea caused and he was in his late 40's. Studies have found moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of coronary heart disease or death by 68% in men under the age of 70. 68% is a pretty big number. Here's an article and there's a ton of information on the web about sleep apnea and the affects of it on your health.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/12/news/la-heb-sleep-apnea-20100712

JUst had to clarify this in case anybody reads it incorrectly(as I originally did). This is not saying 68% of ALL men in this age group. It's saying 68% of men who have sleep apnea. Still a very big number. My DH has sleep apnea and uses a cpap machine.

 

[Sadie22]

I am going for the sleep test Monday Night at our local hospital. I snore terribly, wake myself up, I have had someone I shared a room with tell me I had Sleep Apnea but never did anything about it until now. I am always tired, sleep sitting up - almost looks like I am awake but snoring - if it makes any sense. I was told I may need to go back a 2nd time, most cases it doesn't happen but I had to schedule twice. I will go in at 9 p.m. lights out by 11 and then they let you sleep until 6 a.m. I was told they need a good 6 hours of sleep - I normally do not sleep that long - I am lucky if I get 4-5 hours a night without waking up and unable to fall back asleep. I am writing this and yawning at 1:30 in the afternoon on a beautiful chilly Sunday afternoon. I wish I could just skip it and get the machine without the hassle of being hooked up but I know I need to go thru it.

I was like you in terms of how much sleep I was getting. I did have to go twice, once to have the number of apneas measured and the second time to have the CPAP titrated. The lab will determine what kind of machine you should have and try different mask styles to get a good seal. I'm diabetic and if I had tried to argue with the sleep specialist about using a CPAP he said he would have spent much more time explaining the risks of not using it to me. I feel so much better now than before I began using my CPAP.