I was tested and found out I have this problem. I can't wear the mask due to mu restlessness while asleep which makes the mask fall off of my face. So I can't get the help I need and now they say I could fall asleep and never wake up. Interesting way to go to sleep, never knowing what happened.
The mask is the only way I'm told that will do the job right. There are a couple of other things on the market but my ENT Dr. says they do not work and doesn't recommend any of them.
Well that pretty much sucks. What type of sleep apnea do you have? I am sure you have probably researched the hell out of this but here are some simple recommendation from Mayoclinic.org: Try to sleep on your side. Most forms of sleep apnea are milder when you sleep on your side. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. Alcohol worsens obstructive and complex sleep apnea. Avoid sedative medications. Drugs that relax you or make you sleepy can also worsen sleep apnea.
I've looked into this and found the only thing Dr. recommend is the mask. I do not drink that much, a glass of wine with dinner on occasion. I toss and turn while asleep which throws off the mask and also means I can't sleep on my side. I must take heart meds and they do help me go to sleep so I can't stop taking them or another problem will happen.
Here are a couple more ideas from WebMD.com. Sleep on your side. Try this: Sew a pocket in the middle of the back of your pajama top, put a tennis ball into the pocket, and stitch it shut. This will help keep you from sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your side may eliminate mild sleep apnea. Raise the head of your bed4 in. (10 cm) to 6 in. (15 cm) by putting bricks under the legs of the bed. You can also use a special pillow (called a cervical pillow) when you sleep. A cervical pillow can help your head stay in a position that reduces sleep apnea. Using regular pillows to raise your head and upper body won't work
Thanks for the information, I'll try the pillow idea. There seems to be many designs of those pillows and the costs are pretty high on some of them. Without trying them I'll never guess the one I need just by looking at them, bummer. I'll see what my medical supply store will do to help me decide about which one I need and perhaps bring it back if it doesn't work. If I wouldn't have taken the sleep apnea test I'd never have known I have a problem, I shouldn't have gone in for the test. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
At least with a car you do have warning signs that show you where there's a problem. With sleep apnea there isn't any symptoms that you have that lets you know you have anything wrong. I still don't know why my Dr. wanted me tested to begin with but that was what he wanted. So I must rely upon a test that I have no control over telling me I have this problem. While asleep the test is run and only the technicians can see the problem in their readouts during the night. That would make me suspicious about this test and I only took it for what my doctor wanted.
But there are many types of pillows, I don't relish the thought of trying out things that may or may not work. Just how do I tell if a pillow works for I'm asleep when using it so wouldn't know if I stopped breathing or not. That's what the sleep apnea is about , stopping breathing while your asleep. Can you tell me how you would evaluate the pillows or for that fact anything that says it helps while your asleep without a proper monitor hooked up to you? Thanks
I had my tonsils and adenoids removed surgically 8 years ago for just that problem. That solved it for me. Recently, Science Daily has an article on a new treatment for sleep apnea...maybe you should do a search there for it, it seemed very effective. The sleep apnea will contribute to your heart problems so it may be wise to address it. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Ah! Here it is: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150416192555.htm Maybe it is time for you to take up the Didge, cosmic. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Thank you for trying to help. I appreciate your time and effort finding such things as this to help me. I will see if I can find an instrument to use but will whistle while I'm searching.
There are monitors you can wear (like those workout monitors) that are supposed to do a fair job of spotting most sleep apneas - they might be useful for evaluating the pillows etc. I have something like sleep apnea from long ago surgical repair of some bones in my face - my wife noticed it, and it scared her (I would stop breathing, then choke partially awake). It affected me when I slept on my back. But I sleep on my stomach mostly, and found that a combination of pillowing my chest and head up so my face was actually toward the mattress a bit down the side of the pillow hill (sleeping sort of face down), plus using a plastic mouthpiece that held my lower jaw forward and promoted mouth breathing a bit, prevented the choking, and as a side benefit ended my snoring. Even better, it seems to have taught my jaw to stay farther forward on its own - if I stay face down or side I can go a night or two without choking even without it. I'd noticed the benefit of holding my lower jaw forward a long time ago, but several attempts over the years at various methods of keeping it that way while asleep had not worked well - so I wanted the mouthpiece as soon as I heard of it. Your mileage may vary. Some people have trouble maintaining a position - I've been told to tape a couple of tennis balls inside the back of a shirt or pajama top, to keep from rolling unto my back. But I don't, anyway. The mouthpiece still works when I'm on my back, but not as well. I've seen ads for similar mouthpieces, various brands etc, don't know enough to recommend anything for anyone else. Mine worked for me, according to my wife anyway. It was not expensive - sixty or seventy dollars for a pair, been using one for three years now and holding the other in reserve. They don't last forever - this one is pretty chewed. Good luck.
