insomnia sleep apnoa
Posted , 6 users are following.
i have been having sleep problems for 6 months now. have difficulty in dropping off and staying asleep. i usually drop off and my body jerks me awake. i have gone a whole night not sleeping only for my wife to say i was snoring? is that possible?. anyway docs say i could have sleep apnoa, i been booked in 3 times in last six months for tests only for them to cancel each time. could my sleep apnoa be causing my insomnia/anxiety at bed time? thanks for reading
0 likes, 14 replies
nandrews milkyjoe
Posted
As a sufferer from sleep apnoea I would say, yes. I'm not sure tho' how you could think you aren't going to sleep and not aware of your snoring, when your wife is aware! I suspect that you do sleep and the breathing issues associated with apnoea wake you up. But maybe you are just not aware of your time asleep.
?I would push for the sleep clinic to make and keep your next appointment. It is important for the problem to be assessed and if necessary dealt with.
?Nigel
milkyjoe nandrews
Posted
thanks for your reply, i have been referred to a sleep clinic but they keep canceling the appointments. yeah my wife says im asleep all the time, but im convinced im awake all night. my mood is so low right now. docs prescribed mirtazapine for my sleepless nights but i dont even feel tired on them.
lily65668 milkyjoe
Posted
It's quite common to think you haven't slept at all when in fact you have. I've had exactly the same experience as you - feeling I'd been awake all night, then been told I was snoring. When we get anxious about sleeping, our mind plays tricks on us, making out it's worse than it is.
I'm pretty sure I have sleep apnoea too, though it wasn't till I changed GP after a recent house move that I managed to get a referral to a sleep clinic, for which I'm still on waiting list. My old (female) GP was adamant that women couldn't get it, whereas the new one says that's absolute nonsense!
As Nigel says, keep pushing for your appointment at the sleep clinic.
milkyjoe lily65668
Posted
lily65668 milkyjoe
Posted
Yes, it will be the apnoea that's making you feel tired during the day. I have the same problem.
craig84609 milkyjoe
Posted
I have a problem with strong muscle spasms as well. It wakes me up also. I have confirmed sleep apnea. You don't need to have an expensive lab test for apnea. They offer a take home test that can tell if you have it. If I had to do this again I would get the take home test. Way cheaper. If you have it then going on a CPAP could help, but in my case it doesn't. I seem to fight with it and then take the mask off at night. However, I sleep well enough on my side so I usually get enough sleep. If you have severe apnea then a CPAP is needed. Mine is moderate.
nandrews craig84609
Posted
I have been using a CPAP for about 4 weeks and I am getting used to it.
?I was originally quite scared of it, fearing that I would be maybe struggling for breath. But I think trying it, during the day, when you aren't trying to sleep. Maybe whillst watching TV or listening to music you can wear it and get comfortable and above all trust it. Of course if it is actually restricting your breathing then it needs adjusting or even fixing. As it should have enough bypass to allow you to breath should the power fail.
?I have a Phillips DreamStation Auto with a ResMed AirFit full mask.
Nigel
lily65668 nandrews
Posted
Thanks for that tip, Nigel. I've been a bit worried as to how I'd cope with a CPAP, if it comes to it. If I do have to have one, I'll make a point of breaking myself in with it during the day before trying it at night.
However, I'm also a bit concerned about mouth and airway dryness. I suffer from an autoimmune condition which causes mouth dryness, especially during the night, and has also started attacking my lungs in the past year, causing asthma. I'm therefore worried about having to exhale harder to overcome the pressure from the machine.
I've been researching the BIPAP system. This is the one that works with your breathing, reducing the pressure as you breathe out. I know I won't get one of those on prescription, but if it comes to it I might consider buying one myself. Even if I could get on with a CPAP I'd still have to buy one after a few months, as our State health insurance will only reimburse a CPAP during the waiting period for laser surgery to the soft palate (which is fully reimbursed). I'm not going near that. I know two people who've had it. Both said it was incredibly painful. One said it made no difference, the other said it made both his snoring and his apnoea worse!
Just hoping that my sleep apnoea doesn't turn out to be so bad I need any kind of machine. I still want to go to the sleep lab though, as I'd prefer to know exactly what is going on when I'm asleep.
nandrews lily65668
Posted
In my case (in the UK) I was offered, that if the CPAP did cause a dry mouth then they could add on (to the prescription) a humidifier (which works inline with the CPAP output). That will no doubt require daily maintenance over and above that already required for the CPAP itself. So I will likely decline that as I don't experience dryness that often.
?I believe the machine I have does help the outward breath by reducing the pressure. I feel that it is constantly sensitive to my situation and is adjusting the pressure up and down to assist when required and definately not being an obstruction when it's not needed.
?Nigel
?P.S. I have my next clinic tomorrow, when they will adjust the CPAP after looking at the data it has collected.
lily65668 nandrews
Posted
That's interesting, Nigel. I'm sure the humidifier add-on would be available here (Belgium) too.
bst1208 milkyjoe
Posted
nandrews bst1208
Posted
Well yes I did say early on in this thread "As a sufferer from sleep apnoea I would say, yes.... ?". But thanks for your information.
?400 times is a lot! I was told that I had 46 episodes on average and that was on their highest level!
?I think I cough (or splutter) when I get these episodes and I have felt a slight sore throat sometimes. I am guess this is due to the repeated coughing at times during the night.
?No adverse effects form the CPAP, tho' I have to say nothing positive either. But if it is helping to manage the episodes and help me breath then it must be doing some good.
?Nigel
lily65668 bst1208
Posted
Bst, do you have acid reflux (GERD in the US) as well? That would cause an irritated, red throat, and the pain of stomach acid out of place in the oesophagus is often felt as a soreness in the middle of the chest. The middle of the back is another area where pain can be felt.
There is a well-documented association between the two conditions, though I understand there is a lot of disagreement as to which is cause and which effect. Just google the two together and you'll find plenty of stuff. Have you been investigated for GERD as well? There are medications you can take, but I largely keep mine under control by raising the head of my mattress and being careful about what I eat late in the evening.
bst1208 lily65668
Posted