Sleep Apnea

[shafnutz05]

Sooo I am finally going to the doctor's on Wednesday to get this sleep apnea deal taken care of once and for all. I have been a horrible snorer since I was a teenager...now, my wife says I stop breathing routinely and wake myself up. It's pretty bad when I am sober, so you can imagine how bad it is if I have a few drinks. Has anyone ever had a procedure done/went to the doctor for this problem?? Any input would be provided....I know that operations are the usual course, but any kind of surgery on my face is always a little nervewracking.

[JarkkoVision]

Just get it fixed!

My friend has sleep apnea. He's hooked up to a machine when he sleeps. Reminds me of Darth Vader. Will you be seduced by the dark side?

[SolidSnake]

I get sleep paralysis thats not fun.

[shafnutz05]

Just get it fixed!

My friend has sleep apnea. He's hooked up to a machine when he sleeps. Reminds me of Darth Vader. Will you be seduced by the dark side?

haha yeah, I have heard of the machines too...I really don't want to have to sleep on a freaking machine for the rest of my life. Would rather they just open up my adenoids, or whatever it is they do.

[ShipHockey7]

I had sleep apnea, and I got the surgery. It sucked.

I had a lot done though I had both of my tonsils removed, my adenoids taken out, my uvula removed and they shaved back my pallette, I was in some pretty rough pain in the week or two after it.

That being said, you're going to feel like a whole nother person after you're healed up. I used to never be able to wake up before like 10-11AM but now its no problem.

They gave me the option of the machine but it constently blows air up your nose and it got me sick when I tried it in a sleep study.

Good luck with the surgery and let us know how it goes!

[shafnutz05]

I get sleep paralysis thats not fun.

I have read about this...the thought of it terrifies me. I have had something similar to that before, but I can "break out" of it pretty quickly.

[shafnutz05]

Ship, thanks a lot for the info...I appreciate it. Yea, I get a fair amount of sleep but it never feels like I am getting enough.

[JarkkoVision]

I wonder if I have sleep apnea. I never feel like I get enough sleep. I snore. My ex told me that she thought I stopped breathing on a couple occasions and it scared her.

[AlexPKeaton]

How do you know if you have sleep apnea?

[shafnutz05]

How do you know if you have sleep apnea?

Dunno...think u have to get a sleep test. I am pretty sure I do...my wife said last night I stopped breathing for a good 10 seconds then woke up coughing, then went back to bed. She just happened to be awake when it happened. The problem is, you can't really remember how many times you wake up and fall back asleep....for all I know, it could be dozens of times.

[shmenguin]

i chomp my teeth big time. according to the fiance, it's like i slam my jaws together as hard as i can. and according to the dentist, i have very little enamel left on my teeth. guess i had been doing it for years before i knew about it. i'd probably go through a surgery if it would stop it, but sadly this is more of a mental problem.

[AlexPKeaton]

How do you know if you have sleep apnea?

Dunno...think u have to get a sleep test. I am pretty sure I do...my wife said last night I stopped breathing for a good 10 seconds then woke up coughing, then went back to bed. She just happened to be awake when it happened. The problem is, you can't really remember how many times you wake up and fall back asleep....for all I know, it could be dozens of times.

Oh I see. I have started to develop a bad snoring habit and was curious if I had an issue. But nothing can wake me up once I'm asleep and I fall asleep instantly.

[SolidSnake]

I get sleep paralysis thats not fun.

I have read about this...the thought of it terrifies me. I have had something similar to that before, but I can "break out" of it pretty quickly.

Yea whats weird too is they said that people that think they are abucted by aliens are experiencing sleep paralysis.

[Digitalgypsy66]

My brother and father both sleep with the apnea machine. They both felt like new human beings after getting the machine(s).

My doctor and I were talking about family history and apnea, and he said that most obese people have at least some sleep apnea -- so losing weight might help you out. I don't have it, but then again my wife can sleep through a hurricane (true story!).

[shafnutz05]

Oh I see. I have started to develop a bad snoring habit and was curious if I had an issue. But nothing can wake me up once I'm asleep and I fall asleep instantly.

From night till morning, I don't remember waking up once (except the very rare going to the bathroom during the early morning hours). You could be waking up 30 times over the course of the night, but it is for such short a time that you don't remember. However, it still interrupts your normal sleep cycles and keeps you out of REM sleep, which is crucial.

[ShipHockey7]

Before I got my surgery I would be sleeping and I wouldn't breathe for anywhere from 10-35 seconds straight, definitely got the girlfriend quite worried a few times

[Physical_Graffiti]

I get sleep paralysis thats not fun.

I've had that a couple times. It's crazy.

[JarkkoVision]

I usually go to sleep between 11 and 12 and I will wake up around 3 and 4 almost every night. It's weird. I don't know what to think about it.

[mac5155]

im almost sure i have it. even when i am in a light sleep (i.e. Econ class ) i start to snore loudly.

My uncle went and had the test done and said he had to sleep on a rock hard bed that was smaller than a twin mattress, and he had to go to sleep at like 7 PM. i think the test would suck just as bad as the surgery.

[shafnutz05]

im almost sure i have it. even when i am in a light sleep (i.e. Econ class ) i start to snore loudly.

My uncle went and had the test done and said he had to sleep on a rock hard bed that was smaller than a twin mattress, and he had to go to sleep at like 7 PM. i think the test would suck just as bad as the surgery.

Yeah, I really don't want to have to sleep in a freaking hospital overnight, but I guess I will have to

[eddysnake]

when I shattered my nose they opened up something to help with sleep and breathing, it seems to have worked, although I lost a lot of my sense of smell and the recovery was not fun, but that was probably more from the shattered nose than anything...

[Pitts]

My doc wanted me to do the sleep test a few years back and I never went for it. I do not ever go to bed before 1-2 am, so having to try to sleep at 8 or 9 pm just wouldn't work -- ever. Pretty positive I got the apnea though. My kids tell me they can hear me snore 2-3 rooms away. My wife gets real cranky about it sometimes.

[SolidSnake]

I get sleep paralysis thats not fun.

I've had that a couple times. It's crazy.

Yea you can see whats going on but you can't move it's scary at first. You're helpless.

[ShipHockey7]

he said that most obese people have at least some sleep apnea -- so losing weight might help you out.

while that is true, you dont necessarily have to be overweight to have sleep apnea, for example I'm 5'9, 140 lbs and I had one of the worst cases my doctor had ever seen of sleep apnea

[mac5155]

I get sleep paralysis thats not fun.

I've had that a couple times. It's crazy.

Yea you can see whats going on but you can't move it's scary at first. You're helpless.

kinda like a lucid dream?