Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries • Hacker News Board

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#31

Post by Someone1234 » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 5:59 PM UTC

SaintGhurka wrote: post #23

If your doctor tells you to do a sleep study, do it. If, as a result, they tell you to get a CPAP, get it. Those things are life-changing. I felt like an old man at 50 years old. My back was so stiff I couldn't put on my socks. When I got out of bed in the morning I felt so fragile, like my joints were all inflamed - especially my Achilles' tendons. I was too tired to do anything beyond 6 pm. Now, 51, I feel totally…

Agreed. But a CPAP is only as a good as your usage, too many people "have" one but don't use it.

A lot of it is comfort. So try switching from a full-face to nose pillow-style mask. Or alternative headgear. Or even talk to your doctor about lowering the pressure if it is the noise (better to have less effective treatment, than none at all).

PS - A lot of, frankly, older doctors are still not prescribing Auto-CPAPs for people who may be suitable. If you're currently set on a fixed pressure, and your machine is a common Auto-CPAP (variable pressure) maybe seek a second opinion from a different (younger?) doctor. Auto-CPAPs are medically certified for many Sleep Apnea suffers, doctors just haven't adapted or haven't been re-trained, so they're chronically under-prescribed. Auto-CPAP improves your comfort, not your treatment, which improves adherence.

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#32

Post by Wistar » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 6:00 PM UTC

johnmorrow wrote: post #21

the-dude wrote: post #9

Fitful : Occurring in or characterized by intermittent bursts, as of activity; irregular. https://www.wordnik.com/words/fitful I am not a native speaker and had to look it up.

Native speaker and you saved me the effort!

Yeah, "fitful" is a word that sounds good but isn't.

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#33

Post by quercus » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 6:00 PM UTC

There was a period in my life (almost a decade ago) when I was sleeping poorly due to unhealthy work habits and excess caffeine. I was in my 20s and early 30s during this time and felt invincible, but the effects on my body were profound. The damage became so tangible I had no choice but to make a change, and have for the last 5+ years been sleeping normally. I miss those days of nonstop work, I was more productive then, but it would have killed me if I had continued.

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#34

Post by hinkley » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 6:02 PM UTC

kzrdude wrote: post #5

I didnt sleep enough for all my teens and student years, and ended up with an autoimmune disease. Taking sleep and other health seriously has been a big part of getting myself back in working shape.

    The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said:

    “Man.
    Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
    Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
    And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;
    the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;
    he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#35

Post by bonoboTP » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 6:03 PM UTC

jkereako wrote: post #22

For folks who want to learn more about sleep, I highly recommend this three-part Podcast interview with Dr. Matthew Walker: https://peterattiamd.com/matthewwalker1/ The single best thing that improved my quality of sleep was a ten-minute meditation before bed. I have anxiety (albeit officially undiagnosed) and meditation helps me stay calm. It also helps me stay asleep. Without it, I wake up in the middle of the nigh…

I've heard good things about weighted blankets for anxiety.

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#36

Post by throw1234651234 » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 6:07 PM UTC

zoopdewoop wrote: post #30

tstrimple wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If your doctor tells you to do a sleep study, do it. All I got in return is a $500 inconclusive.

Why did you even comment this? He's saying the upside is worth it. I also got an inconclusive, but my dad has apnea and a sleep study basically changed his life. The possibility of that is clearly worth 500$

Because to some people $500 is a lot and doctor visits are often useless. "See a doctor" is default advice, but it can be very expensive advice.

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#37

Post by Someone1234 » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 6:08 PM UTC

tstrimple wrote: post #26

SaintGhurka wrote: post #23

If your doctor tells you to do a sleep study, do it. If, as a result, they tell you to get a CPAP, get it. Those things are life-changing. I felt like an old man at 50 years old. My back was so stiff I couldn't put on my socks. When I got out of bed in the morning I felt so fragile, like my joints were all inflamed - especially my Achilles' tendons. I was too tired to do anything beyond 6 pm. Now, 51, I feel totally…

> If your doctor tells you to do a sleep study, do it. All I got in return is a $500 inconclusive.

They're slowly moving to "at home" sleep studies, so hopefully the cost will come down. Essentially they just loan you a bunch of monitors on a chest belt, teach you how to put it on, and you return it the next day for your consultation.

Here's a video showing how to install the monitor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHvydhYu85o

It is still a "developing area" but I think it will be the norm eventually. It *should reduce the cost (but YMMV, as US healthcare costs don't conform to normal logic).

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#38

Post by hinkley » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 6:09 PM UTC

fideloper wrote: post #6

Confirmed: having young kids is bad for your health.

So are puppies.

We were more of a cat family and I was too young to remember when we got our dogs. I did not understand that romcom trope of buying a man a puppy to see how he'd fare as a father.

Then we got a puppy. Ho. Lee. Shit.

New puppies make it about half again as long as a baby before they wake you up, and take much less time to settle down to 6+ hours of peace and quiet (where you can go to bed early and your partner can do the late shift), but man are you a zombie for a while.

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#39

Post by Broken_Hippo » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 6:10 PM UTC

tstrimple wrote: post #26

SaintGhurka wrote: post #23

If your doctor tells you to do a sleep study, do it. If, as a result, they tell you to get a CPAP, get it. Those things are life-changing. I felt like an old man at 50 years old. My back was so stiff I couldn't put on my socks. When I got out of bed in the morning I felt so fragile, like my joints were all inflamed - especially my Achilles' tendons. I was too tired to do anything beyond 6 pm. Now, 51, I feel totally…

> If your doctor tells you to do a sleep study, do it. All I got in return is a $500 inconclusive.

Cervical cancer screenings save women's lives: Cervical cancer is an insane beast that often has no symptoms when it is the most treatable. Many, many women get abnormal or inconclusive results once or twice during their lives. It can be a variety of causes, even! This doesn't change the fact that they save lives or seriously increase some people's quality of life.

The sleep studies are similar. Someone getting an inconclusive result doesn't negate all the folks that have been helped by it - and honestly, doesn't rule it out. The money bit is just a shameful side effect of the health care system where you live and I'm guessing it is part of the sting of an inconclusive result.

Re: Fitful nightly sleep linked to chronic inflammation, hardened arteries

#40

Post by SaintGhurka » Fri, Jun 05, 2020, 6:10 PM UTC

tstrimple wrote: post #26

SaintGhurka wrote: post #23

If your doctor tells you to do a sleep study, do it. If, as a result, they tell you to get a CPAP, get it. Those things are life-changing. I felt like an old man at 50 years old. My back was so stiff I couldn't put on my socks. When I got out of bed in the morning I felt so fragile, like my joints were all inflamed - especially my Achilles' tendons. I was too tired to do anything beyond 6 pm. Now, 51, I feel totally…

> If your doctor tells you to do a sleep study, do it. All I got in return is a $500 inconclusive.

That really sucks. When did you do the test - and was it in a clinic or at home?

I do encourage you to keep trying if you have reason to think you have sleep apnea. Maybe get a home O2 monitor to help you decide if it's worth spending the money on another sleep study.