Sleep apnea & CPAP

I kind of always suspected it - I am the poster boy for an at-risk person for sleep apnea - but never took it really seriously. Well, finally had it checked and it's more severe than I expected, so I'll do something about it. My symptoms are not extreme, but always being tired sucks and it may also add to the depression, so definitely worth a try to get treatment. That would be one of the CPAP machines which do frighten me a ittle bit... Of course, there are forums for that also, but I wanted to check if anybody here has experience - and wants to talk about it. Just looked into the machines and mask types, and that looks a bit overwhelming at first sight.

Thanks,

Stefan

I have a friend who owns one. He told me that he never knew what a restful night's sleep was until he used it. I also heard that it sounds a little darth vader-y and it takes a couple of nights to get used to (with respect to sleep position and sleeping with the damn thing on). I can ask him more about it; what would you like to know specifically?

Thanks, James. I don't know enough about it, yet, to have specific questions, I was just hoping for general experiences as a start. I understand that it takes a while to get used to it - and some never do - but for many it really seems to make a difference.

Stefan

Might be worth it to have it fitted by a professional.

I will pm you soon , I have a mild sleep apnea and I am In the middle of treatment , it's not fun to say the least

It does take some time and effort to get used to a Cpap, but the benefits are so worth it. My blood pressure has dropped significantly along with my blood sugar. So much so that my medications are being reduced. I don't how much of this is due to the Cpap, but my numbers started to improve, shortly after I began using it.

I didn't feel dramatically different, when I started using the Cpap, but I noticed little changes. I ride a bike for exercise. I don't do well on hills, but I began to notice that I was getting up hills a little easier, so I went a bit faster and over time got stronger. The intensity of my rides went up, which helped with weight loss, so I could go even faster. It's a nice cycle to be in.

Jay

Husband has been using a CPAP for years. I notice a big difference in his personality and mental acuity when it's time to tighten straps or replace soft goods. He prefers the "nose pillows" mask--soft plastic cones that press against your nostrils to provide the pressurized air--rather than the bigger mask that covers your whole nose. The last couple replacement masks we've purchased through Amazon. They've been much cheaper that way, even taking insurance into account when buying them locally. So if you get your first set fitted professionally, replacement parts are available at a pretty reasonable rate. The machine itself lasts a long time, but the headgear will wear and keep you from getting a good seal.

From the point of view of someone sleeping in the same bed as a CPAP user, it's WONDERFUL. The noise is very minimal, and NO MORE SNORING. And no more thrashing and kicking. He's a much more restful sleeper, so I get a much, much better night's sleep.

I don't think he would say that he feels a huge difference, but I can sure see a difference. I was worried that he was starting to turn into a foggy-brained old man before he started using the CPAP--it was just sleep deprivation.

My ex-wife had one and my experience was identical to Lucretia's. I never heard of the alternative mask though, she always used the facemask.

Before going with CPAP, do you know why you have sleep apnea? Mine was caused by a deviated septum which was fixed with surgery. Another thing you can do is to lose weight if you are overweight as this is supposed to help.

Makes all the difference. I have about three years experience and I no longer feel sleeping in the afternoon and have more energy. I highly recommend this if it is indicated. It takes some getting used to but you will and you won't want to sleep without it. My understanding, that aside from those benefits, it can be dangerous not to use one if you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. My ex described that I would stop breathing altogether for a whole minute then gasp. The sleep study showed that I was "waking" dozens of times each night interfering with deep rem sleep. My girlfriend refused to spend the night if I didn't use it. The only down side I have heard of is that it produces a small stream of air and if your partner happens to be in that stream they feel this gentle air blowing on them....
Seth

PS: I use the little nose pillow style rather than the mask and once you get used to having an octopus grabbing onto your face, you are good to go. Sleeping on your back is easy; side sleeping takes a little arranging of the tubes. Also, it is not the kind of thing you use to impress women on you match.com profile.

I have been on a cpap for 15 years and it saved my life . Put it on the day I got it and have never gone without since. A long time science fiction fan, it goes on and I drift off on another deep space adventure. Get professional help fitting and expect good results.
All my best, Bill

Thanks everyone, very helpful comments. Besides lowering the immediate health risks the main thing I hope for is feeling less tired. There are stretches of time when all I do is work or sleep, and I am missing out on a lot of other things - like woodworking... I know my weight and general bad fitness also add to that, so I have started working on the weight side again also, down a good 15 pounds since December - only 150 more to go I had a septum correction and even had widened the air pathway by breaking and adjusting my nasal bone, so this is very likely not the main reason for the apnea.

The way this works out here is that in a few weeks I am supposed to get a CPAP on loan for a couple of weeks to do more continuous measurement. Based on those results I will get my own and hopefully support with choosing and fitting everything. That may be close to April, I hope I will make it until then I had suspected that I had a light apnea, but the count was 47 sleep disturbences per hour, enough to get me concerned...

Stefan