About a year ago, someone figured out that I have sleep apnea. It is considered complex, meaning there are two causes. One is an obstruction (from being overweight, oh joy) and the other cause is called 'central' as in central nervous system. That is most likely caused by being on pain meds. When I went in for my first sleep test, I had 87 events per hour. I think, over 20 is considered bad so mine is really bad.
In the past year I've been going to a sleep specialist about once a month trying to get me to be able to sleep with a cpap machine that blows air into your nose/mouth to keep you breathing. It's noisy, it leaks air and is fairly uncomfortable. We've tried around six different masks, oxygen, no oxygen, different pressures, etc. This morning I woke up around 9:30 (I usually sleep until the dogs wake me up), later than usual. To my surprise, I still had the mask on. For the first time ever, I slept the entire night with the cpap running. It's a miracle!
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CPAP made a huge difference for me. I went for the usual 2 night test in 2002. Half way through the first night they started the second night tests.
ReplyDeleteI guess I was pretty bad. I got the machine and slept right through the first night.
I HATE the mask. My mouth gets so dry it is sore sometimes. The mask leaks. It is noisy. I have to wear a chin strap and mouthpiece.
I have only slept without it (tried to) 3 nights since the summer of 02.
I Hate it but I can't live without it.
Glen
Hi Glen. I know what you mean about the dry mouth. I hated the masks also until this last mask. It's still not quite there. Still leaks. Right now we're trying just oxygen, no cpap. I don't think that's going to work for me but it sure is easier to sleep with. If I have to do cpap, I'm thinking of trying this mask next http://www.nomask.com/. Have you ever tried anything like that?
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