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Bad sleep 'dramatically' alters body

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Bad sleep 'dramatically' alters body

#71

Post by jacques_chester »

npsimons wrote: post #61
michaelbuckbee wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All extremely good advice, but the whole process of getting a CPAP machine drives me bonkers (at least in the US). A CPAP machine is a couple hundred dollars [1] (certainly less than a thousand) and everyone I've ever spoken to about one has either instantly, the first night of using one had a tremendous dramatic improvement in their sleep or it was sort of 'meh'. Given the costs and extremely minor risks (we're talk…

Agree with most everything, but when I bought a CPAP machine many years ago, I don't recall needing a prescription (I could be forgetting). I was deemed "borderline" by my sleep study, so my insurance wouldn't pay for it. I went ahead and bought a portable one online for a couple hundred, and it worked like a charm. Funny thing is the place I bought it from sent me the "nurse's manual" with instructions on setting pr…

I managed to luck out in finding the "full" manual for my device through some googling. Basically you hold down some unrelated buttons and voila, you can adjust pressure yourself. As I've lost weight I've periodically lowered it.

Re: Bad sleep 'dramatically' alters body

#72

Post by johnm »

For those who've tried cpap machines and struggled with the masks, try the so-called "nasal pillows". They are a lot easier to get a good, consistent seal; are much smaller and so don't trigger that "omfg their's an alien on my face" freak out in the middle of the night; and they allow for more variety of sleeping positions.

Re: Bad sleep 'dramatically' alters body

#74

Post by tome »

felipe wrote: post #60
tome wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you summarize exactly what a sleep study involves?

Basically you sleep in a hotel-like room but with a bunch of wiring hooked-up to your head and body. It's painless, except for the discomfort of sleeping with all those wires. The "output" of the test is an index called AHI, which indicates your level of apnea. AHI > 5 means you might need a CPAP or some other kind of apnea treatment.

Thanks!

Re: Bad sleep 'dramatically' alters body

#75

Post by webnrrd2k »

glaugh wrote: post #32
jfb wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good stuff. My dad had apnea so bad he had to have his nose and sinuses redrilled. I'm looking forward to the study.

Not saying this is a cure-all for everyone, but it's a good first thing to try: My dad was diagnosed with sleep apnea. He was tired during the day and got bad migraines. They recommended a fancy apparatus but he instead sewed a golf ball into a small pocket on the back of his pjs. Like most folks, he only snored and suffocated himself when asleep on his back. So this way when he rolled from his side onto his back he…

I did basically the same thing, but took three tennis balls, put them in a tube sock, and safety-pinned it to the back of a T-shirt. I found loose T-shirts didn't work quite as well as one that's a little tight.

Re: Bad sleep 'dramatically' alters body

#76

Post by webnrrd2k »

michaelbuckbee wrote: post #49
jacques_chester wrote: post #9

Here's a little PSA: If you have: * High blood pressure * Depressive or angry episodes * Wake up tired no matter how long you've slept * Loud snoring Take a sleep study. You may have obstructive sleep apnea. I got it badly enough that sleeping for 14-15 hours daily did nothing for me. I didn't realise it at the time but I was on track to die, tired, at about 50. Today I sleep with a little CPAP machine that keeps my…

All extremely good advice, but the whole process of getting a CPAP machine drives me bonkers (at least in the US). A CPAP machine is a couple hundred dollars [1] (certainly less than a thousand) and everyone I've ever spoken to about one has either instantly, the first night of using one had a tremendous dramatic improvement in their sleep or it was sort of 'meh'. Given the costs and extremely minor risks (we're talk…

It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure that the first HMO I got treated at used an auto-titrating CPAP initially, just to see if I was a candidate for a sleep study. The machine can sense when you stop breathing, and adjust the pressure accordingly.

It's not always as easy as just strapping on a CPAP and seeing if it works. There are at least two major kinds of sleep apnea: Obstructive (which is the most common) and Central (where your nervous system "forgets" to breathe). Using a CPAP with central sleep apnea can cause serious problems.

There are several different things that can cause poor sleep. So just giving them a machine may miss some important things.

Also, CPAP machines can really screw with your blood chemistry.

I used a CPAP for a three or four years. Overall I had better quality sleep, but there were lots of difficulties and some very long stretches where I think I was much worse off for using the machine.

Depending on the type of sleep apnea a CPAP can make it worse.

Oh, you can sometimes find CPAP machines at swap meets and craigslist, if you look around. I've ended up with three of them, and should probably sell one or two. I know it's still a pain to get a mask, though.

Re: Bad sleep 'dramatically' alters body

#77

Post by webnrrd2k »

npsimons wrote: post #61
michaelbuckbee wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All extremely good advice, but the whole process of getting a CPAP machine drives me bonkers (at least in the US). A CPAP machine is a couple hundred dollars [1] (certainly less than a thousand) and everyone I've ever spoken to about one has either instantly, the first night of using one had a tremendous dramatic improvement in their sleep or it was sort of 'meh'. Given the costs and extremely minor risks (we're talk…

Agree with most everything, but when I bought a CPAP machine many years ago, I don't recall needing a prescription (I could be forgetting). I was deemed "borderline" by my sleep study, so my insurance wouldn't pay for it. I went ahead and bought a portable one online for a couple hundred, and it worked like a charm. Funny thing is the place I bought it from sent me the "nurse's manual" with instructions on setting pr…

You used to be able to buy them online without a prescription, but it's changed now. You can easily buy them through craigslist, though.
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