So some of you might know that I did a home sleep study, and they found that I have sleep apnea. To be specific, they said I stop breathing on average about 11 times an hour, and 22 times if I sleep on my back. This should tell you that my sleep apnea is a cause of only one thing. Gravity. So Now, I must overcome gravity. To do this, I’m being tested on a CPAP machine. Yeap, this is the dreaded Darth Vaderish machine. So, just like Tiggerprr was mentioning in this post, I too have to wear it.
Yeah. I’m not thinking so. So tonight I tried to sleep with it on, and just about had a panic attack because I couldn’t breath. My nose was stuffed up, and I just couldn’t breath at all, so panic ensued. For those of you not in the know (which is probably all of you, I’ve never told anyone this), my number two fear in my life is to suffocate. Yeah, so you can imagine how this must have been. I felt like I was going to die. Oh and if you’re curious to know what my number one fear is, that’s easy, it’s Clowns. seriously.
So, really, it’s all crazy. I will probably return the machine since it’s being rented right now and just say, “No thanks.”
Do you or someone you know have sleep apnea? How do you/they handle it?
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My mom has it and they asked her to wear the mask and she said no because she is claustrophobic. It doesn’t look like something that would be comfortable to sleep with.
My brother in law has that as well and uses the machine. Apparently it’s made a HUGE difference for him.
I don’t think I have it but I do have trouble breathing when I go to bed sometimes. I think it has something to do with my nose. I haven’t gone to a doctor about it (like I haven’t seen a doctor for any of my possible health problems) but I am planning to get everything checked out after I finish my course.
That thing you had to wear sounds horrible. I wouldn’t be able to wear it either.
I think you should give it a little longer. I understand your fear but really if this is something that can help you and prevent you from NOT BREATHING I think you should give it a fair shot you know? Maybe just try it in small doses or something? Hang in there!
And clowns suck. But not as much as gnomes.
I have shared beds with men who have had sleep apnea and I have wanted to smother each other them. Srsly. So before you give up on the machine, maybe you should ask Meesh what she thinks!!!
I don’t see what the big deal about stopping breathing is when you sleep. You obviously wake up each day, so it can’t be that bad. As long as you can breathe when you are awake, I think you’re fine.
My dad has it REALLY BAD. Let’s just say that since I was a kid (eons ago!) his snoring can keep everyone in the house awake, even on different floors. I thought it was just bad, bad snoring but he and I shared a hotel room when we drove all my fuzzy kids to L.A. to ship them to HK. He freaked me out. Sleeping in the same room with him (or not sleeping due to his snoring) was bad enough, but he would stop breathing long enough for me to start freaking out and getting out of bed to go shake him. I told him about it and he went to a sleep study and was diagnosed with apnea. They gave him the mask and he basically decided to ignore the doctors advice. He doesn’t use it, he just continues to stop breathing. As his loving daughter, I wish he would keep trying with the mask until he gets used to it and/or finds relief from a good nights sleep. I want him to be healthy and I do not want him to suffer the consequences of ignoring his illness(es)…but he does what he wants to do anyway.
My point is maybe to consider the effect of NOT treating a medical condition on your loved ones. Namely, Meesh may have an opinion on the subject…just food for thought.
Who did your home sleep test? Did your insurance pay for it? WHat insurance company? I was told no insurance would cover it, and you would have to go to a sleep lab… About the CPAP, Ask about a Respironics C-flex or possibly an Auto-Titrating CPAP. They are supposed to make it MUCH more comfortable. And you should try different mask styles. Dont give up, Sleep Apnea can be fatal.
@melanie no, it’s not very comfortable, no matter what anyone says.
@breigh that’s good. it’s nice if it helps you sleep, but if you wake up even more tired, there’s something wrong. :P
@colin sleep apnea isn’t something that you would know you have. problems breathing is something probably a lot different and you should get it checked out!
@ocb yeah, it’s only in the testing right now. I have to find the right pressure. I’m turning in the testing machine today. we’ll see what the sleep doctor says is the “right” pressure for me.
@monique lol yeah, I’m sure you’ve had to kill them. hehe. the snoring can get bad, and at least the cpap machine is not that loud. hehe. and meesh has sleep apnea too. it’s a “mild” case, she only stops breathing about 15 times an hour.
@cybrpunk LOL yeah, breathing while awake is a good thing.
@muse actually, we heard of someone who had just stopped breathing and never started back up. Something about her body was just too tired and couldn’t wake up to start breathing again. Pretty scary. But yeah, Meesh has even said that she never noticed that i stopped breathing, so she feels bad about that.
@LP my insurance has their own sleep lab. they’re pretty big. it’s GHC. Respironix C-flex is exactly what I have actually. And I get 4 masks a year, so i get to test them out.
I have a friend who uses the machine. She said she panicked at first as well. But then she got used to it. And the first night she slept all night with it she thinks is the first night she’s ever gotten a complete night of sleep. She said she felt fantastic and couldn’t believe the difference. Maybe you should try it a few times before you give up?
I don’t have sleep apnea but I do have a fear of suffocating. Whether it’s in the water, or being buried alive, or a pillow on my face. Kind of morbid, huh?
I don’t know if I have sleep apnea or not, but lately, I wake up every 1 or 2 hours. Real annoying.
Do not return the machine; there are several types of masks that can be worn. You just need to find the one that works best for you. My friend has had one for years frequently fuss at him not wanting to wear it. When he gets the stuffy nose problem, he sleeps on a wedged pillow that helps relieve the feeling of suffocation.
I want to remind you as I do him frequently about not using the machine. Every night you do not use the machine, you put extra stress on your heart and it will take years off your life.
Do you also have problems falling asleep; weaving all over the road when you drive? A friend of mine suffers from a combination of sleep apnea and insomnia; driving a car is very dangerous for him. He tried the usual sleep aids other people use; drinking coffee and taking pills to stay awake only worked to an extent. When the caffeine and pills stop doing their job, falling asleep at the wheel was more probable.
He has been pulled over by the police for weaving while driving to fight to stay awake many times. One evening he fell asleep behind the wheel ran completely off the road before he awoke. Running off the road was a wake-up call for him. He now wears a nap alarm over his ear while driving. The nap alarm is designed to make the alarm sound when your head is tilted as it does when you are nodding off. It is a very inexpensive device that can literally save your life; it saved mine many times. You can purchase the nap alarm at http://www.sossafety4u.com/product/NZ-1