If you have trouble with sleep (falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night or too early) for greater than 2 weeks, please get tested for sleep apnea. I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and use my CPAP religiously even if I take a nap. A couple of years ago, I was getting enough sleep “time wise” but was not feeling rested at all. I saw my doctor and he sent me for a sleep study in a sleep lab. I understand that now, some studies are done right in your home. People usually assume that only overweight people get sleep apnea. This is not true. Yes your weight increases your risk of sleep apnea but I know extremely thin people who also have been diagnosed with it.
Sleep apnea increase your risk for stroke and a heart attack. I truly believe when you hear stories of people “dying in their sleep”, it was most likely due to sleep apnea. The test was not hard at all. Your report to the sleep lab about 830PM and are usually done and out at 7AM the following day. The staff is great and answer all of your questions. It was almost 30 minutes to get “set up” for my study. Sticky patches with sensors are placed on your scalp (yes in your hair!), face, chest, limbs, and fingers. While you sleep, they record your brain activity, eye movements, heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, and the amount of oxygen in your blood. Belts are placed around your chest to measure chest movements. The staff watch you on a camera all night along with the monitors. I did need help getting unhooked to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night but it was no big deal. You do sleep in a private room. It was three or four days later when the doctor’s office called and told me to go back to the sleep center for a follow up study. It was the same routine again and I even had the same sleep tech. After getting the sensors placed again, I was taken back to my room and was set up with a CPAP. The tech explained everything and showed me how to adjust the mask for comfort. At first, it was a little uncomfortable having air pushed into my nose but you quickly adjust. I did feel changes of pressure in the air being pushed into my nose during the night and asked the tech about it. He said they adjust the pressures during different stages of sleep to find the right settings for you.
A few days after that, I met with my sleep physician to go over my testing. I was shocked. She said I stopped breathing sixteen times per hour and I only had a mild case. No wonder I was tired. I never reached deep sleep at all. She showed me my charts and graphs about oxygen saturation, brain waves and heart function and then showed me what they should look like. I am not going to lie, it freaked me out. Why? I now could see in front of my eyes that if I continued down this path, I would have a stroke or was at a great risk for dying in my sleep. She sent me home with a prescription for a CPAP and gave me medical supply companies to contact.
The medical supply company comes out to your house and shows you step by step how to use the equipment. I started off with a mask that covered my nose and mouth. It did take me awhile and many sleepless nights to figure out which mask was best for me. I was determined to find the right mask for me because I was not giving up on this treatment. I do know many people who never followed through with their treatment and stopped using their CPAP. Today, I don’t even feel the air being pushed into my nose. I actually have to check with my hand to make sure the machine is on and blowing air because I can’t feel it through my nose. It is amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for you.
It really is only a slight inconvenience using a CPAP now and this is only during two instances. When you travel on an airplane, you need to pack up your machine and take it with you. It is not a bag you can “check” with the airline since you can never risk getting it lost. You have to carry it on the plane with you. It actually looks like a computer bag. Luckily, the CPAP does not count as a carry on since it is a necessary medical device. One thing I am particular about is wrapping each piece of equipment in large plastic bags. The TSA makes you open the carrying case, lie it flat and run it through the x-ray machine. The TSA officer usually picks up a piece of my tubing and checks it with the dirty gloves they have probably been wearing all day. (UGH!) I place my equipment in large plastic bags so I don’t end of breathing in the germs on their gloves later that night.
The other inconvenience is during a power outage. Since the CPAP runs on electricity that creates a problem for me. You can buy a backup battery for your CPAP but they are pretty expensive. The battery only lasts eight to ten hours. I usually go to a hotel nearby that runs on a backup generator. Other than that, I highly recommend getting tested if you have the slightest sleep disturbance. It literally is a life saver.
Of course the CPAP is not the only treatment for sleep apnea. If you are ever diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor will discuss the different options. I found that the CPAP worked best for me.
For more information, please go to:
The National Sleep Foundation sleepfoundation.org/
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine at www.aasmnet.org/
Sleep apnea increase your risk for stroke and a heart attack. I truly believe when you hear stories of people “dying in their sleep”, it was most likely due to sleep apnea. The test was not hard at all. Your report to the sleep lab about 830PM and are usually done and out at 7AM the following day. The staff is great and answer all of your questions. It was almost 30 minutes to get “set up” for my study. Sticky patches with sensors are placed on your scalp (yes in your hair!), face, chest, limbs, and fingers. While you sleep, they record your brain activity, eye movements, heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, and the amount of oxygen in your blood. Belts are placed around your chest to measure chest movements. The staff watch you on a camera all night along with the monitors. I did need help getting unhooked to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night but it was no big deal. You do sleep in a private room. It was three or four days later when the doctor’s office called and told me to go back to the sleep center for a follow up study. It was the same routine again and I even had the same sleep tech. After getting the sensors placed again, I was taken back to my room and was set up with a CPAP. The tech explained everything and showed me how to adjust the mask for comfort. At first, it was a little uncomfortable having air pushed into my nose but you quickly adjust. I did feel changes of pressure in the air being pushed into my nose during the night and asked the tech about it. He said they adjust the pressures during different stages of sleep to find the right settings for you.
A few days after that, I met with my sleep physician to go over my testing. I was shocked. She said I stopped breathing sixteen times per hour and I only had a mild case. No wonder I was tired. I never reached deep sleep at all. She showed me my charts and graphs about oxygen saturation, brain waves and heart function and then showed me what they should look like. I am not going to lie, it freaked me out. Why? I now could see in front of my eyes that if I continued down this path, I would have a stroke or was at a great risk for dying in my sleep. She sent me home with a prescription for a CPAP and gave me medical supply companies to contact.
The medical supply company comes out to your house and shows you step by step how to use the equipment. I started off with a mask that covered my nose and mouth. It did take me awhile and many sleepless nights to figure out which mask was best for me. I was determined to find the right mask for me because I was not giving up on this treatment. I do know many people who never followed through with their treatment and stopped using their CPAP. Today, I don’t even feel the air being pushed into my nose. I actually have to check with my hand to make sure the machine is on and blowing air because I can’t feel it through my nose. It is amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for you.
It really is only a slight inconvenience using a CPAP now and this is only during two instances. When you travel on an airplane, you need to pack up your machine and take it with you. It is not a bag you can “check” with the airline since you can never risk getting it lost. You have to carry it on the plane with you. It actually looks like a computer bag. Luckily, the CPAP does not count as a carry on since it is a necessary medical device. One thing I am particular about is wrapping each piece of equipment in large plastic bags. The TSA makes you open the carrying case, lie it flat and run it through the x-ray machine. The TSA officer usually picks up a piece of my tubing and checks it with the dirty gloves they have probably been wearing all day. (UGH!) I place my equipment in large plastic bags so I don’t end of breathing in the germs on their gloves later that night.
The other inconvenience is during a power outage. Since the CPAP runs on electricity that creates a problem for me. You can buy a backup battery for your CPAP but they are pretty expensive. The battery only lasts eight to ten hours. I usually go to a hotel nearby that runs on a backup generator. Other than that, I highly recommend getting tested if you have the slightest sleep disturbance. It literally is a life saver.
Of course the CPAP is not the only treatment for sleep apnea. If you are ever diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor will discuss the different options. I found that the CPAP worked best for me.
For more information, please go to:
The National Sleep Foundation sleepfoundation.org/
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine at www.aasmnet.org/