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Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

temertymedicine.utoronto.ca

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Re: Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

#81

Post by petesergeant »

gpt5 wrote: post #2

People should be more aware of the symptoms of sleep apneas - the lack of energy during the day, feeling tired, waking up throughout the night, waking up tired/exhausted, etc. People with untreated sleep apnea have multiple folds higher chances to be depressed, unemployed, and have trouble with basic life functions, in addition to the long term health consequences of depriving your brain from Oxygen. I've suggested 4…

> Treatment with CPAP is highly effective in eliminating these symptoms

… for those who tolerate it. Numbers are all over the place, but roughly people who start it are only 50% likely to still be using it properly after a year.

Re: Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

#82

Post by petesergeant »

patrickdavey wrote: post #23
gpt5 wrote: post #2

People should be more aware of the symptoms of sleep apneas - the lack of energy during the day, feeling tired, waking up throughout the night, waking up tired/exhausted, etc. People with untreated sleep apnea have multiple folds higher chances to be depressed, unemployed, and have trouble with basic life functions, in addition to the long term health consequences of depriving your brain from Oxygen. I've suggested 4…

I've tried a CPAP machine for 6 weeks and felt no different and gave up. I think I was a 6 on the scale. I wish it had worked though! Currently I've just given up and embracing feeling relatively tired all the time. I've tried side sleeping devices (woody knows backpack) mandibular advancement splints etc. So hard to tell (I find anyway) to get to a definitive answer

Three more things to try if you haven’t, on a “can’t hurt” basis: nightly Avamys spray (might need a scrip depending on where you are), magnesium glycinate before bed, little bits of plastic that go inside the nostril and hold them open.

Re: Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

#83

Post by y-curious »

shermantanktop wrote: post #45
gpt5 wrote: post #2

People should be more aware of the symptoms of sleep apneas - the lack of energy during the day, feeling tired, waking up throughout the night, waking up tired/exhausted, etc. People with untreated sleep apnea have multiple folds higher chances to be depressed, unemployed, and have trouble with basic life functions, in addition to the long term health consequences of depriving your brain from Oxygen. I've suggested 4…

Having been down this path, it’s evident to me that the US has built up a sizable medical equipment industry around CPAP machines and their supplies. The sleep doctors who prescribe them don’t have many alternatives, so it’s the normal treatment they hand out. So it’s not a surprise that a casual mention of sleep quality ended with a CPAP machine rented by the month. It’s kind of what happened to me.

I’m always on HN talking about myofunctional therapy (my mom is a practitioner in NYC). Recommend looking into it in addition to losing weight as treatment.

Re: Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

#84

Post by cakealert »

pmcg wrote: post #40
an0malous wrote: post #29

I went through the whole process of seeing an ENT, using the machine for the at-home sleep study so insurance would give me a CPAP, then not being able to sleep with a CPAP, and over the course of a couple years I fixed my sleep apnea by fixing my posture and breathing. If you have forward head posture or are not used to breathing through your nose, you might also benefit from this. I think it’s kind of crazy that we…

I had a similar experience, with a slightly different approach (mouth tape and a nose dilator) but seemingly similar outcome. I like that you did it just through exercises with no mechanical intervention. Inspiring.

Instead of a mouth tape get one of those moldable plastic mouth guard things from amazon. And mold the hole shut.

Re: Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

#85

Post by JSR_FDED »

Aurornis wrote: post #61
gpt5 wrote: post #2

People should be more aware of the symptoms of sleep apneas - the lack of energy during the day, feeling tired, waking up throughout the night, waking up tired/exhausted, etc. People with untreated sleep apnea have multiple folds higher chances to be depressed, unemployed, and have trouble with basic life functions, in addition to the long term health consequences of depriving your brain from Oxygen. I've suggested 4…

This is worth pursuing for anyone with the symptoms. However please do it with a reputable doctor, preferably associated with an established institution. Watch out for some of the specialty clinics and independent practice doctors who treat apnea like a cash cow. Sleep study scoring is theoretically set by strict rules, but in practice there can be differences between operators and clinics. Some clinics use this to t…

A friend went to one of those clinics. “The diagnosis is sleep apnea. What are your symptoms?”

Re: Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

#86

Post by matsemann »

jfengel wrote: post #43
an0malous wrote: post #29

I went through the whole process of seeing an ENT, using the machine for the at-home sleep study so insurance would give me a CPAP, then not being able to sleep with a CPAP, and over the course of a couple years I fixed my sleep apnea by fixing my posture and breathing. If you have forward head posture or are not used to breathing through your nose, you might also benefit from this. I think it’s kind of crazy that we…

Nestor's book didn't feel right. I don't think he's a crank, or that he's entirely wrong, but the idea that we're breathing wrong feels really unlikely. You don't have to be taught to breathe. I'm sure that many of the lessons in the book are applicable and there is much to learn. But a lot of it felt like woo, even though I know full well that the author is a well-respected journalist. I'd really like to hear a soun…

> You don't have to be taught to breathe.

You sure? Haven't read the book / heard of the author. But after I started freediving and training holding my breath (also called static / dynamic apnea lol) and working a lot on related stuff, I realized I was mostly breathing shallow and with my chest, and not deep with my abdomen.

Now I notice it in others. I don't know if it matters in the end. But I breathe a couple of times a minute and then I hear people next to me quickly breathing in and out constantly like a rabbit. Seems stressful?

Re: Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

#87

Post by toast0 »

petesergeant wrote: post #82
patrickdavey wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've tried a CPAP machine for 6 weeks and felt no different and gave up. I think I was a 6 on the scale. I wish it had worked though! Currently I've just given up and embracing feeling relatively tired all the time. I've tried side sleeping devices (woody knows backpack) mandibular advancement splints etc. So hard to tell (I find anyway) to get to a definitive answer

Three more things to try if you haven’t, on a “can’t hurt” basis: nightly Avamys spray (might need a scrip depending on where you are), magnesium glycinate before bed, little bits of plastic that go inside the nostril and hold them open.

Also worth a try... B1 (thiamine) seems to help for me. I don't have objective numbers, but I disturb my spouse with my snoring and breathing troubles far less. I believe I have (undiagnosed) central sleep apnea rathee than OSA though, it's been a long time since I had a sleep study, but I had only one event over a few recorded nights... But some nights it's pretty bad.

Re: Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

#88

Post by unfitted2545 »

matsemann wrote: post #86
jfengel wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nestor's book didn't feel right. I don't think he's a crank, or that he's entirely wrong, but the idea that we're breathing wrong feels really unlikely. You don't have to be taught to breathe. I'm sure that many of the lessons in the book are applicable and there is much to learn. But a lot of it felt like woo, even though I know full well that the author is a well-respected journalist. I'd really like to hear a soun…

> You don't have to be taught to breathe. You sure? Haven't read the book / heard of the author. But after I started freediving and training holding my breath (also called static / dynamic apnea lol) and working a lot on related stuff, I realized I was mostly breathing shallow and with my chest, and not deep with my abdomen. Now I notice it in others. I don't know if it matters in the end. But I breathe a couple of t…

There's also the fact that using digital devices negatively affects our breathing a lot: https://www.npr.org/2024/06/10/1247296780/screen-apnea-why-s...

Considering how much we use them now it could change the default state significantly, and maybe we do have to consciously relearn the best way to breath.

Re: Sleep research led to a new sleep apnea drug

#90

Post by swe123456 »

EdwardDiego wrote: post #3

I don't have sleep apnea, as in, my severe snoring doesn't cause significant drops in blood oxygen levels, but it's still severely impacted my life - when my wife and I married, I spent the first night of our honeymoon awake so that she could sleep. Oh and it's so loud that I'm at risk of damaging my own hearing. And I bounced off CPAP hard, no matter what I tried, I would eventually remove the mask in my sleep, it w…

I found a way to stop removing the mask through smarthome magic: flash my lights if I take off the mask.

Parts:

1. Smarthome coordinator - HomeAssistant/AppDaemon (runs on my desktop)

2. Prescense sensor - e.g. Aqara FP2

3. Smart light - e.g. Phillips Hue

4. Smart Plug/Power Meter - e.g. Kasa ESP25P4

5. Claude Code to write the logic

.....

The alarm goes off if all of the following are true:

1. it's in sleep period (11pm-6am)

2. i am in bed

3. i have been in the bed for at least 3 minutes

4. i have worn the cpap (wattage > 10w for 3 minutes during sleep period)

....

I can't get around this system at all without walking across the house to my desktop, at which point I'd be too awake to be stupid enough to remove the mask.

Bonus CPAP nerdery: Wireless data collection into homeassistant using a Toshiba W04 SD Card/Wifi Transmitter.

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