I Think I Have Sleep Apnea — What Do I Do Next?

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Bill (LoneWolf) Nickerson

Do your loved ones want you to sleep in the attic?

Have you heard the funny comments behind your back? You know, the ones about your snoring and other weird noises you make when you’re sleeping?

Perhaps they aren’t being made behind your back. Maybe they’re to your face. Someone wants you to sleep in the other room… or the attic!

Either way, comments about your snoring really aren’t that funny… they’re serious.

Snoring May Be A Sign of Sleep Apnea

That’s right. Sleep apnea. And that’s no joke.

The repercussions of sleep apnea are quite severe, and in some cases they are life threatening. So you need to take action.

But What Action?

Excellent question. The first thing to do is research a little bit about sleep apnea. You can find articles here at Toxic Habits – Sleep Apnea that talk about the symptoms, risk factors, dangers and treatments. Read through those articles and see if you fit the profile.

The next step is to talk to your doctor. Start with your family doctor.

There are still some general practitioners who don’t recognize the importance of diagnosing and treating sleep disorders like apnea. But thankfully that is changing. Your doctor will likely refer you to a sleep clinic that can test you for apnea or other sleeping issues.

If they don’t refer you to a clinic, ask them to. If they still don’t, start looking for a new doctor or contact a sleep clinic in your area directly.

But It’s Only Snoring!

Right. “Only” snoring. It’s like the latest commercial for allergy medications… “It’s just allergies!”

The fact is, you don’t know if it’s only snoring until you’ve done a sleep study. Snoring is not always an indication of sleep apnea, but it could be. And it could be a precursor to apnea as well.

Go take a quick look at the dangers of sleep deprivation infographic again. Do you really want to live with all that? For the rest of your life?

How Does A Sleep Clinic Work?

I know the idea of getting wired up and sleeping in strange place with people watching you can creep you out. You probably think you won’t sleep anyway.

But the technicians at the clinic make things very comfortable. It isn’t as bad as you imagine. Granted, it’s not the same as sleeping at home. One of the clinics I was tested at felt more like a hotel than a clinic.

And Then What Happens?

My, my… you’re full of questions today!

The next step depends on what is discovered during your sleep study. If you do have apnea or another sleeping disorder, treatments will be proposed. You and your doctor will have to iron out what course of action you will take from there.

For some, it may be as simple as losing weight (although that is not enough in most cases). CPAP or surgery may be required.

And perhaps it’s only snoring after all. But at least you’ll know!

Bed in the Attic image by Seeman at mourgeFile.

Sleep Apnea with Dr. Sweet [Humourous]

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Bill (LoneWolf) Nickerson

Who says sleep apnea has to be a dry, boring subject. Not Dr. Sweet — that’s for sure!

While this video is a light-hearted look at a serious problem, it does cover the bases about sleep apnea pretty well.

The video is produced by ResMed who make and sell CPAP equipment.

Sweet Dreams!

Wait a minute… Sweet Dreams? Dr. Sweet? Am I sensing a connection here?

Do I Have Sleep Apnea?

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Bill (LoneWolf) Nickerson

You wake suddenly in the night. Vaguely, you recall hearing a snorting sound or sharp snore. Then you quickly drift back into a restless sleep.

You may have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that affects people regardless of age, gender or size. It is often (but not always) accompanied by loud snoring and snorting. If you have it, your body fails to breathe several times a night for several seconds. Then you wake up for a brief period (you’ll probably not remember) and fall back to sleep again.

This pattern repeats throughout the night. In some patients it happens over 60 times an hour.

You can sleep for 8, 9 or more hours and wake up feeling groggy and tired. You are not alert during the day no matter how much you sleep.

Should You Care?

If you think that you might have sleep apnea then you need to see your doctor and arrange a visit to a sleep clinic. Do not fall for the temptation to put this off. It can have serious consequences.

A sleep study can measure how your body responds during sleep and will help the doctors diagnose your condition. You may have sleep apnea (you stop breathing during sleep) or possibly sleep hyponea (you breathing is restricted during sleep).

Your doctor will then discuss possible treatments.

Untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious health consequences. The lack of oxygen and proper sleep are both devastating on your body. Some of the implications are:

headaches
fatigue
moodiness and irritability
depression
increased blood pressure
heart disease
stroke
memory loss
impotence or sexual dysfunction

The fallout can be deadly. Automobile accidents are often caused by apnea related fatigue.

It can also affect your career and social life.

What To Do

The first thing to do is get a proper diagnosis. Your doctor may not want to recommend a sleep study. Do not settle for that. Push to get a study done at a sleep clinic.

You can also modify your lifestyle. People who are overweight often find that losing weight will reduce or eliminate sleep apnea, but this isn’t true in all cases. It’s still beneficial to lose weight though, so give it a try.

Reduction of alcohol and tobacco use can often help as well.

Setting up proper sleep routines (i.e. regular sleep and wake times, a settling down period before bed, etc.) will also help.

But while you are working on these you should also be following the treatment recommended by your sleep doctor. This could be using CPAP (a machine the pressurizes your airways to keep them open), surgery or dental devices (to hold the jaw and/or tongue in place to keep the airway open).

There are many different factors that cause or aggravate sleep apnea. There are different treatment options. But it is critical that you get a proper diagnosis and find the treatment that works best for you.

Then you can rest easy.

Sleep Apnea – The Important Facts

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Bill (LoneWolf) Nickerson

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder and there are things that you need to know about it.

Affects of Sleep Apnea

First of all, if you have sleep apnea then you will stop breathing for short periods during your sleep. This affects your ability to stay in deep REM sleep. Left untreated, it can lead to some serious health risks including hypertension (high blood pressure), heart problems (including strokes) and mental and affective disorders due to lack of proper rest.

The lack of alertness can also lead to mistakes and accidents. You may also gain weight due to a lack of physical activity.

Types of Sleep Apnea

There are two kinds sleep apnea. The difference between the two is the mechanism that stops your breathing. It is entirely possible to have both kinds of apnea at the same time.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The most common type of apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This form of the disorder results from the collapse of your airway during sleep. When your airway closes off your lungs cannot pull in enough oxygen and your body kicks in to wake you up. You may or may not notice this waking period as you might not come fully awake, but your sleep is disrupted.

You may snore as your airways begin to constrict and then stop breathing for a few seconds. Often, you will have a sharp snore or snort as your body starts breathing again.

Central Sleep Apnea

The less common form of apnea is Central Sleep Apnea (CSA). In this case the problem is due to your diaphragm not receiving the proper signals to trigger a breath.

CSA is pretty silent, as you do not have the snoring and/or snorting that often accompanies OSA. However, the health risks are pretty much the same. This form of the disorder is harder to diagnose without a proper sleep study. Thankfully, it is also rarer.

Symptoms

Sleep apnea symptoms can be difficult for you to diagnose since you will not be fully awake at the time that your breathing stops. However, there may be some clues that lead you to get checked out.

First of all, a spouse or partner may notice the disrupted sleeping pattern. In my case, my wife was the one who noticed that my snoring had turned less regular and that I would often pause in my breathing at night. If you have someone who tells you that you seem to stop breathing in your sleep then you need to get some professional help. See your doctor and get a referral to a good sleep clinic.

Other clues include chronic sore throats (the effects of snoring and apnea are hard on the throat), morning headaches and general tiredness. Dry mouth is often reported as are frequent urination during the night, mood swings, depression and even impotence. Research is also finding that untreated apnea can increase the risk of hypertension and heart disease.

Possible Causes

There is no clear consensus on the causes of sleep apnea. But there are some factors that seem to be relevant.

Obesity and age have long been considered front runners in the cause department, but we’re seeing an increase in the amount of patients diagnosed with sleep apnea who are younger (including children) and/or slim. However, evidence does support losing weight as a way of reducing the severity of apnea and some even have it disappear.

Sex also seems to be a factor as men are more likely to have it than women. However, risk increases for post menopausal women.

Research also shows that alcohol and smoking have a negative affect on sleep apnea.

Deal With It

If you suspect that you have sleep apnea then the first thing you need to do is have your doctor check it out. There are other diseases which have similar symptoms and you need to know what is causing your problems. If you do have sleep apnea then you will not be getting the proper amount of quality sleep. You may be spending a lot of time sleeping, but you never get into the restful REM sleep that you need.

I was able to fall asleep within 5 seconds of lying down in bed and sleep for 10 or more hours. Yet I was constantly tired and my head was in a fog. This is a dangerous state to find yourself in.

There are several different treatments that you can choose to combat this disorder. Different people respond differently to the various treatments, but most people will have success with CPAP treatments. Surgery and dental devices are also used with mixed results.

Losing weight, building muscle, oral exercises, and herbal remedies are also effective in some cases. Quitting or reducing your alcohol intake and smoking can also help. Your doctors will be able to discuss with you the pros and cons of different treatments.