ajzepp Posted October 1, 2010 Author Posted October 1, 2010 How is everything working out? I finally managed to acquire a replacement CPAP, and the last two nights have been the first two nights of decent sleep I have had in two years or so. After some initial difficulty finding a comfortable spot on the pillow, I slept through the night with no problems. I will have to look into one of those prop pillows, I guess. Hi Dean...things are working out pretty well, for the most part. I'm still overrun by the face farts, but I've learned to just shut down the machine, adjust the mask, and go back to sleep. It's almost like my face changes shape during the night or something...I dunno. but the noises that come out of this thing are pretty obnoxious. I woke up the other night when they started up, and saw my dog looking at me like, "dude, seriously....wtf is going on with your face?" I do love the fact that even if I only get 4 hr of sleep, I feel much, much better than I used to with 6-8 hr of sleep w/out the thing. The other night I had a really weird experience, though...when I went to adjust my mask, prior to turning on the machine, it felt as if I wasn't able to breathe with the mask on. I looked over the straps and the vents and everything on the mask, and it all checked out fine. But once I had it on, it felt like I was suffocating....first time that's ever happened. Last few nights have been great, though. Glad to hear you got a new machine...I definitely know what you mean about the pillow...you'll have to let me know if you find one that works well. I saw that my respiratory therapist had a few at his office, but I forgot to ask him about them. I have a memory foam pilow, and I can typically use that for sleeping on my side, but I suspect that's also part of the reason for the farts. How much sleep do you usually get each night? Do you sleep straight through or do you tend to wake up here and there?
mead107 Posted October 1, 2010 Posted October 1, 2010 Doctor wants me to go get tested. Have to make it soon.
ajzepp Posted October 1, 2010 Author Posted October 1, 2010 Doctor wants me to go get tested. Have to make it soon. Good luck, Mead! Let us know if you decide to enter the club lol
The Dean Posted October 1, 2010 Posted October 1, 2010 Hi Dean...things are working out pretty well, for the most part. I'm still overrun by the face farts, but I've learned to just shut down the machine, adjust the mask, and go back to sleep. It's almost like my face changes shape during the night or something...I dunno. but the noises that come out of this thing are pretty obnoxious. I woke up the other night when they started up, and saw my dog looking at me like, "dude, seriously....wtf is going on with your face?" I do love the fact that even if I only get 4 hr of sleep, I feel much, much better than I used to with 6-8 hr of sleep w/out the thing. The other night I had a really weird experience, though...when I went to adjust my mask, prior to turning on the machine, it felt as if I wasn't able to breathe with the mask on. I looked over the straps and the vents and everything on the mask, and it all checked out fine. But once I had it on, it felt like I was suffocating....first time that's ever happened. Last few nights have been great, though. Glad to hear you got a new machine...I definitely know what you mean about the pillow...you'll have to let me know if you find one that works well. I saw that my respiratory therapist had a few at his office, but I forgot to ask him about them. I have a memory foam pilow, and I can typically use that for sleeping on my side, but I suspect that's also part of the reason for the farts. How much sleep do you usually get each night? Do you sleep straight through or do you tend to wake up here and there? I guarantee this will cross the line of "too much information" . Just a fair warning. Normally I have a pretty amazing bladder. I piss in the morning and then, even though I drink several bottles of water and maybe a beer at lunch, I usually don't have to go again until 6PM or so. I go to Bills games and get tanked in the lot and very rarely have to use the men's room at the stadium. For some reason, when I am not using the CPAP all that changes at night. I go 2 -3-even 4 times during the night. I wake up (because I stop breathing) and have to piss like a racehorse. For the past two nights, I slept through the night (about 7 1/2 hours) without pissing. Actually last night I woke up and made a mask adjustment and went right back to sleep. I typically go to sleep about 1-2 AM and get up between 8-9 AM, unless I have an earlier appointment. I'm a night owl. If I didn't have to work during the day, I'd probably stay up til 4am and sleep til noon. From past experience, I agree that 4-5 good hours with the machine is better than 6-8 without. As far as the face-farts go. See if they can get you a nasal pillow mask to try. No farts!
ajzepp Posted October 2, 2010 Author Posted October 2, 2010 (edited) I guarantee this will cross the line of "too much information" . Just a fair warning. Normally I have a pretty amazing bladder. I piss in the morning and then, even though I drink several bottles of water and maybe a beer at lunch, I usually don't have to go again until 6PM or so. I go to Bills games and get tanked in the lot and very rarely have to use the men's room at the stadium. For some reason, when I am not using the CPAP all that changes at night. I go 2 -3-even 4 times during the night. I wake up (because I stop breathing) and have to piss like a racehorse. For the past two nights, I slept through the night (about 7 1/2 hours) without pissing. Actually last night I woke up and made a mask adjustment and went right back to sleep. I typically go to sleep about 1-2 AM and get up between 8-9 AM, unless I have an earlier appointment. I'm a night owl. If I didn't have to work during the day, I'd probably stay up til 4am and sleep til noon. From past experience, I agree that 4-5 good hours with the machine is better than 6-8 without. As far as the face-farts go. See if they can get you a nasal pillow mask to try. No farts! Dude, I swear on my life that I was going to post about my pee habits, too!!! lmao There has got to be something going on here, cause I have had the exact same experience. Without the cpap, I was getting up 2-3x each night having to pee....with the bi-pap that dosen't happen at all...even when I wake up for a mask issue, I don't usually have to go either. We need to research this, cause I'm sure there is something to it. We'll have to see if Mead's pissing habits change if he ends up joining our cpap club! We're on a pretty similar schedule, too...I work from 12:30p-9p, so I'm typically up until about 3-4am, and then sleeping until about 11am. I'm definitely not a morning person, and I really can't relate at all to those who are lol. EDIT: This makes perfect sense... http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/noct.html Edited October 2, 2010 by ajzepp
The Dean Posted October 2, 2010 Posted October 2, 2010 Dude, I swear on my life that I was going to post about my pee habits, too!!! lmao There has got to be something going on here, cause I have had the exact same experience. Without the cpap, I was getting up 2-3x each night having to pee....with the bi-pap that dosen't happen at all...even when I wake up for a mask issue, I don't usually have to go either. We need to research this, cause I'm sure there is something to it. We'll have to see if Mead's pissing habits change if he ends up joining our cpap club! We're on a pretty similar schedule, too...I work from 12:30p-9p, so I'm typically up until about 3-4am, and then sleeping until about 11am. I'm definitely not a morning person, and I really can't relate at all to those who are lol. EDIT: This makes perfect sense... http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/noct.html That's interesting. I never saw that connection discussed before. Well, except that I talked about it with the sleep disorder professional. He said I would sleep through the night. I explained I had to piss a lot of times and he assured me that would likely stop. I thought he was full of s#it. If you gotta go, you gotta go...right? Well he was right. BTW, I also use this under my mattress: http://www.amazon.com/Mattress-Genie-Lift-System-Queen/dp/B0009MFQ08 It isn't great, but it's OK for a slight lift of the upper part of the bed. You can lift the mattress very high to watch TV and such, too. But it can have a bit too much motion sometimes and the mattress can slowly slide down from time to time. But until I can afford a fully adjustable bed, it'll have to do.
HtownBillsFan Posted October 2, 2010 Posted October 2, 2010 My Father had a stroke because of sleep apnea. Its no joke. 18 inch neck or better, get tested. As Lana and many, many,many other women can attest to, I have had a bit of a snoring issue for a while now. As some of you know, I had a pretty severe back injury back about 7 years ago and it's been a real struggle to get my physical health back ever since. My tolerance for activity is reduced, and subsequently I've gained a fair bit of weight since the incident. One of the common problems associated with weight gain is snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. So anyway, over the past couple of years I've been having more warning signs of impaired sleep pop up, and I finally went for a sleep study last night. For those who don't know, a sleep study is where you are hooked up to all sorts of wires, electrodes,and electronic equipment and your sleep is analyzed in its entirety for one night. As I was getting settled in by the nurse, she looked at me and said, "I'm going to go ahead and measure you for a mask and then leave it here by the bed just in case your oxygen level drops out." Now I was pretty sure I had some apnea going on, but I wasn't THAT worried about my oxygen bottoming out because I typically wake up when I have an episode of apnea. Well, after struggling to get to sleep on my own for a couple of hours, I must have finally dozed off into a deep sleep. The next thing I remember is not just the one nurse, but another fellow dude nurse who came with her. They were preparing the mask she had left next to the bed earlier in the night, and I immediately asked, "wow, how low did it drop?" She looked back and me and said, "well, I had the alarm set on the pulse ox (device that measures the oxygen saturation of your red blood cells) at 59." Having measured the oxygen saturation on hundreds of patients over the years, I knew that what she was saying was that my oxygen saturation, which is usually between 92-100% in a normal, healthy individual, had dropped below 59%. The last time I saw someone with a sat that low, they ended up in the morgue a few hours later. Naturally I freaked out quite a bit, as I never expected that my oxygen was doing that, but I'm just glad that I took the steps to have the sleep study done before I paid a more severe price than some daytime sleepiness and disruptive snoring. Sleep apnea is very serious and can result in severe cardiovascular complications including heart attack and stroke, high blood pressure, and the increased likelihood of falling asleep while driving. I'm posting a couple of resources below in case you guys want to read about it a little more, but I hope you'll all take this condition very seriously. If you (or your wife, girlfriend, etc) think you might have an issue with snoring and or apnea, go talk to your doctor and see if you're a candidate for a sleep study. Most insurance plans will cover it, and it could literally save your life. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE57H0CP20090818 http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep...th-risks?page=2 http://www.sleepapnea.org/
ieatcrayonz Posted October 2, 2010 Posted October 2, 2010 Dude, I swear on my life that I was going to post about my pee habits, too!!! lmao There has got to be something going on here, cause I have had the exact same experience. Without the cpap, I was getting up 2-3x each night having to pee....with the bi-pap that dosen't happen at all...even when I wake up for a mask issue, I don't usually have to go either. We need to research this, cause I'm sure there is something to it. We'll have to see if Mead's pissing habits change if he ends up joining our cpap club! We're on a pretty similar schedule, too...I work from 12:30p-9p, so I'm typically up until about 3-4am, and then sleeping until about 11am. I'm definitely not a morning person, and I really can't relate at all to those who are lol. EDIT: This makes perfect sense... http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/noct.html This would make a good topic for an off season web show but wait until after week 17. The Bills V.S. Jets segment was awesome.
ajzepp Posted October 2, 2010 Author Posted October 2, 2010 This would make a good topic for an off season web show but wait until after week 17. The Bills V.S. Jets segment was awesome. Duly noted. And thanks for the kind words. We worked hard on that.
The Poojer Posted November 23, 2010 Posted November 23, 2010 thanks to Dean for reminding me of this thread...i just got fit for a c-pap, and am looking forward to not being constantly tired
ajzepp Posted November 23, 2010 Author Posted November 23, 2010 thanks to Dean for reminding me of this thread...i just got fit for a c-pap, and am looking forward to not being constantly tired Welcome to the club, brother! CPap is a life changer. I just got my first ever performance bonus at work, and I actually attribute it in large part to my cpap. It's been much easier for me to be productive for an entire 8 hr straight, and the only times when I get sleepy in the daytime is when I happen to doze off before I put the damn thing on lol. It may take a little getting used to, but don't give up...keep with it. You'll eventually adjust. I had to get them to change my settings the first time, cause it was blowing obnoxiously hard. It's been great since the adjustment
Wooderson Posted November 23, 2010 Posted November 23, 2010 I'm 22 and I actually have a CPAP. I never thought I had issues with sleep, I just thought I snored a lot. I finally went to get it tested last year and they said I had "mild sleep apnea" which allowed me to choose whether I wanted one or not. I decided to try it and am definitely glad that I did. My snoring has completely disappeared and I feel much better in the AM when I wake up. I have the nose pillows and they are awesome, 10x better than the mask from my experience. It's especially useful for those that twist and turn while sleeping because it's much smaller than the actual mask.
ajzepp Posted November 23, 2010 Author Posted November 23, 2010 I'm 22 and I actually have a CPAP. I never thought I had issues with sleep, I just thought I snored a lot. I finally went to get it tested last year and they said I had "mild sleep apnea" which allowed me to choose whether I wanted one or not. I decided to try it and am definitely glad that I did. My snoring has completely disappeared and I feel much better in the AM when I wake up. I have the nose pillows and they are awesome, 10x better than the mask from my experience. It's especially useful for those that twist and turn while sleeping because it's much smaller than the actual mask. I'm really hoping to switch over to the nasal pillows at some point, though it likely won't be until I lose about 50lb. Hopefully once I find a way to control my back pain better I can get my fat blobby ass back in the gym. But anyway, I digress.... Glad to hear you've had good results! After nearly five months on cpap, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that, for anyone with mild to severe apnea, there is no good reason not to be using this thing. I have always known that apnea wasn't something to be taken lightly, but the more I've researched this topic the more freaked out I've become. The risks are real, and they are serious. I know exactly what you mean about waking up in the AM. I used to wake up with a headache, feeling like I got run over by a truck...no matter how long I stayed in bed. I now wake up, sometimes after sleeping 5 and 6+ hrs straight (which I haven't done since I was in my early 20s), and by the time I get into the shower I feel almost euphoric at times. I have energy, my mind is clear, I have a good attitude with which to approach the day, etc, etc, etc. I'm also thankful that I don't feel like I'm going to kill myself by falling asleep at the wheel when I drive to and from work anymore. There were times when I seriously was close to exiting stage "up".
reddogblitz Posted November 23, 2010 Posted November 23, 2010 I have one! It works pretty good for me. Unlike the OP, I only had one woman comment about it and that was enough! I went to sleep study etc and got CPAP. Didn't really work for me. couldn't sleep with it. CPAP tech was not very helpful. so went to a different doc and had another study etc. Now I am using the machine and my sleep is better. Not way way way better like some people talk about. My main problem now is that my wife, who is a very light sleeper, still complains that the much quieter sound of the machine is still too loud and once she wakes up, she hears it, and can't go back to sleep. I've done the sleep in the other room thing sometimes. she doesn't seem to like that either. We've been married for 13 years so it's not like I'm missing out on a lot (if any) sex by doing this. TMI I know. Bottom line is if the thing isn't working for you, go to a different clinic. The people at the one I go to now actually work with me and it has made a big difference. Also, if you think sleep apnea and treatment is for wimps, think again. Bruce Smith has sleep apnea too!
The Poojer Posted November 23, 2010 Posted November 23, 2010 I am looking forward to it...i had zero trouble falling asleep with it during the second overnight where they strap one on me...and the results were mind blowing....waking up 41+ times an hour vs. 3.5 times an hour with it on....1 or 2 instances of snoring.... I want to 'be able' to do simple things like get up early to go to the gym, stay up past 8.30 at night...not wake up at 2.30 AM because i fell asleep at 8.30 PM....simple things like that...plus i figure a contraption like that HAS to be a hit with the chicks....... ...oh well...at least i will be able to sleep normally... Welcome to the club, brother! CPap is a life changer. I just got my first ever performance bonus at work, and I actually attribute it in large part to my cpap. It's been much easier for me to be productive for an entire 8 hr straight, and the only times when I get sleepy in the daytime is when I happen to doze off before I put the damn thing on lol. It may take a little getting used to, but don't give up...keep with it. You'll eventually adjust. I had to get them to change my settings the first time, cause it was blowing obnoxiously hard. It's been great since the adjustment i did a dry run with the nose pillows and my initial reaction was i felt like someone was pinching my nose shut...i wish i had given that one a try the night i tested one...the nose cone was fine, but i wear glasses at night and that doesnt allow me to keep my glasses on to watch tv or read....which i know...you shouldn't be doing in bed...but.... so the tech told me to try the one i used during the test and if during the first couple of weeks i want to try the nose pillows to let them know and i can switch without incurring any cost.... I'm really hoping to switch over to the nasal pillows at some point, though it likely won't be until I lose about 50lb. Hopefully once I find a way to control my back pain better I can get my fat blobby ass back in the gym. But anyway, I digress.... Glad to hear you've had good results! After nearly five months on cpap, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that, for anyone with mild to severe apnea, there is no good reason not to be using this thing. I have always known that apnea wasn't something to be taken lightly, but the more I've researched this topic the more freaked out I've become. The risks are real, and they are serious. I know exactly what you mean about waking up in the AM. I used to wake up with a headache, feeling like I got run over by a truck...no matter how long I stayed in bed. I now wake up, sometimes after sleeping 5 and 6+ hrs straight (which I haven't done since I was in my early 20s), and by the time I get into the shower I feel almost euphoric at times. I have energy, my mind is clear, I have a good attitude with which to approach the day, etc, etc, etc. I'm also thankful that I don't feel like I'm going to kill myself by falling asleep at the wheel when I drive to and from work anymore. There were times when I seriously was close to exiting stage "up".
ajzepp Posted November 24, 2010 Author Posted November 24, 2010 We've been married for 13 years so it's not like I'm missing out on a lot (if any) sex by doing this. TMI I know. ...plus i figure a contraption like that HAS to be a hit with the chicks....... ... You guys are on a roll! I completely agree, though...it's a very empowering feelign to have control over your sleep again!
Jim in Anchorage Posted November 24, 2010 Posted November 24, 2010 i did a dry run with the nose pillows and my initial reaction was i felt like someone was pinching my nose shut...i wish i had given that one a try the night i tested one...the nose cone was fine, but i wear glasses at night and that doesnt allow me to keep my glasses on to watch tv or read....which i know...you shouldn't be doing in bed...but....so the tech told me to try the one i used during the test and if during the first couple of weeks i want to try the nose pillows to let them know and i can switch without incurring any cost.... Whats wrong with reading in bed? I do it every night, get maybe 10-15 pages, bang out for the night.
The Poojer Posted November 25, 2010 Posted November 25, 2010 some people say that you shouldn't read or watch tv in bed...apparently bed is only intended for sleeping or sex....in my case...sleeping....(more room on the floor ) Whats wrong with reading in bed? I do it every night, get maybe 10-15 pages, bang out for the night.
ajzepp Posted November 25, 2010 Author Posted November 25, 2010 some people say that you shouldn't read or watch tv in bed...apparently bed is only intended for sleeping or sex....in my case...sleeping....(more room on the floor ) Yeah, that's called "sleep hygiene"...I think there is something to it, but if you're sleeping well otherwise, screw it!
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