My husband has a lot of trouble sleeping, and nothing we try helps him. He has to get up at 5am, and he tries to go to bed early. But if he sleeps early, he falls asleep for a short time, then wakes up and can’t go back to sleep for the rest of the night. And he keeps waking up in the middle of the night and often he can’t go back to sleep then, either.

He has tried three different medications: Ambien, Lunesta, and Rosarum, and none have helped. He has sleep apnea and has tried using a c-pap machine, and couldn’t tolerate it.

He has lowered his caffeine intake, but can’t eliminate it completely because he can’t wake up otherwise (waking up at 5am every day and not ever getting enough sleep).

Can anyone give us some advice on how he can get enough sleep?

I suffer from severe apnea as well as insomnia, I have a cpap which I find difficult to use, I have also went thru the surgery that is supposed to help with apnea but that made it worse. I have tried to use traditional meds like lunesta, but I become immune quickly but in the meantime, I suffer from memory loss and the like.

I suffer from anxiety disorder and am in the middle of controlling it. I usually get dizzy, nausea and short of breath (on a bad day). Lately I have been feeling pretty alright still with short of breath but not so bad. Sometimes when I’m trying to fall asleep I seem to gasp for air, I don’t know if I am actually gasping or just waking my self up. This doesn’t happen every night (that I notice). I live in a basement with one window and think that maybe it might also be becasue it can get stuffy down here. I’ve been keeping the window open a crack (too cold to leave it wide open) and I find it hasn’t happened.
My doctor has requested a test that I put on my finger at night to test my oxygen levels, still waiting for the hospital to call me to pick up the equippment.
Do you think it is anxiety, apnea, or the stuffiness??
I have taken St. John’s Wort, it helped for a bit but then felt like it was doing nothing, I stopped taking it.

This only happens at night when I am about to fall asleep. It’s between
that period where you are half asleep, yet still awake. It doesn’t happen during the day or if I take a nap on rare occasions. It feels like my heart is coming out of my throat or something. It is so weird and kinda hard to explain. It seriously sits me up out of bed making me freak out b/c it’s scary, it seriously makes me feel like I’m about to die. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s my heart jumping out of my throat, but rather a big lump in my throat or something. I don’t know, it’s just weird to explain. I use to happen to me years ago maybe just a few times a month and then went away for years, but this past year, it seems like it happens every single night. I know I need to go to the doctor, but I was hoping until then someone may know something. The only thing I could think of is sleep apnea, but none of the symptoms fit me when I checked webmd. I was diagnosed with a heart murmer a few years back, but I don’t think that has anything to do with it.
I don’t think I have anxiety. I told a friend about this and that’s what he said. I just don’t understand what I would be anxious about when I’m lying in bed just chilled and relaxed and watching TV.

Hello and thank you all who have been helping my wife with me and my adema situation. We are lost yes I have all the symptoms of heart failure, but yesterday my cardialogist did a echo test and stress test he said I am fine with no heart problems. What else could be causing all this water weight and weight gain. I have gained over 50 pounds in less then two months. It started the day before i have back surgery and now that I had back surgery its gotton worse to wear it hurts now. I only eat once a day. I have sleep apnea and diabetes which doctor said will get better with weight loss, I have start of emphazima, high cholestrol. The pills I have taken are lasiks 120mg a day for two weeks now, percocete for pain and vicodin, I have taken provigil to stay awake, and I have two inhalers I take daily. Anyone with any suggetions or advice or clues to what this might be. thank you all so much.

Ear nose and throat? Is there another name for ear nose and throat doctor? They don’t have any listed under my insurance plan.
The GP refuses to give us an appointment. She said it sounds like nothing by my description. I’d like to punch her in the face. I’m gonna go to straight to the specialist. Otolaryngologists is on the list, thanks.
No I don’t know if it’s apnea or not. I’m guessing based on what I have read. It also could be asthma. Because the GP is not helping me figure it out, I’m going straight to the specialist.
I brought him to my chiropractor 2 days ago, and he said it’s just really bad sinuses and allergies. He gave him an adjustment and he’s already breathing better. So far he has done last night, through the night without trouble (I stayed awake watching him) and today’s nap and so far tonight, he’s been breathing.
Thanks to everyone for the help and advice. If it happens again, I’ll talk to an ENT, but so far, it’s looking good. I did make an appointment with the allergist to check on it.

My 5 year old son was recent diagnosed with sleeping apnea and these were the test results:

His SWS was at 19%
AHI 10.5 per hour
REM percentage 16.6%
Arousal’s with obstructive respiratory events 19 per hour
SaO2 98%
RERA’s 9 events per hour
Cardiac rhythm normal, no PVC’s or significant leg movement noted.

What exactly is being said on this report? How problematic is it? They think his tonsils are causing the problems.
All they said was that my son was having some problems breathing at night and that needed to go back to the ENT so he could read the report and make a decision. They didn’t want to say too much so I didn’t know if this was serious or not.

My sister is 62 yrs. old , she has Diabetis, High Blood Pressure, Parkinsons, obesity and 2 mos. ago she suffered a Hairline Fracture to her left knee. Prior to this she had a Masectomy in 97. She has been in remission since then but has had chemo/radiation and is down to chemo once per month. It turns out she has Sleep Apnea and is given breathing treatments. Her lungs are small, stiff and scared. Xrays were taken one week ago only to find fluid in her lungs. It is blood/clots. A tubing the size of a cathether was inserted into her left lung and has been draining blood over 400 cc per day. She’s down to 300cc per day. An Antibiotic was injected 2 times into the tubing to go into the lung which was very painful. It’s to heal the lung and hopefully stop the bleeding. A white fluid was coming out when they took off the clamp but the bleeding/clots returned. The Dr. wants to give her a 3rd treatment. She has Stage 4 cancer. How bad is this? What are her chances of survival?

I have Fibromyalgia, Sleep Apnea (which is being corrected by using a C-Pap machine at night. I also have chronic fatigue due to the fact that I never get refreshing sleep. No matter how poorly or how well I feel that I sleep, I never feel rested. I have had 3 sleep studies and the results are always the same. I definitely have Sleep Apnea with Alpha Wave intrusions. I have been on several medications to no avail. Now my new sleep specialist wants me to to try either Xyrem at night (actually the date rape drug) or Provigil during the day, which is a stimulant. I’m at my wits end. Both drugs have awful side effects and really scare me. I have Cardiomyopathy and the Provigil would be dangerous to my heart problem. The side effects of Xyrem are very scarey. I hope there is someone out there that can share their experiences with me. I am soooooooooooooooo tired. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. Help please!!!!!!!

THe docs were thinking it was silent reflux last year but Im not so sure. Every time I see a doc they say my glands are swollen, then I say they alway are and they blow me off. It feels like my throat is closing sometimes, like there is a huge lump in it. Also it always feels like there is stuff from my sinuses stuck right before it hits my throat. If I get a stuffy nose, it always seems to settle in my throat and makes it really sore. It;s worse at night – to the point where I get sleep apnea like symptoms.

I dont know if this will work but docs arent figuring it out, so maybe you will.

THe docs were thinking it was silent reflux last year but Im not so sure. Every time I see a doc they say my glands are swollen, then I say they alway are and they blow me off. It feels like my throat is closing sometimes, like there is a huge lump in it. Also it always feels like there is stuff from my sinuses stuck right before it hits my throat. If I get a stuffy nose, it always seems to settle in my throat and makes it really sore. It;s worse at night – to the point where I get sleep apnea like symptoms.

I dont know if this will work but docs arent figuring it out, so maybe you will.

I have always had trouble sleeping and continually waking up. Even if I sleep a full 8 hours on weekends I still wake up feeling groggy and with a headache. I feel tired and sluggish throughout the day, and usually feel too tired to work out or engage in much physical activity. This has been going on my whole life. I had a sleep study done and I have obstructive sleep apnea, so my body never gets into the very deep stages of restorative sleep. I tried a bipap machine and I can’t sleep with it on. Now I have a tonsillectomy and uvulectomy scheduled in a few months. Assuming that the surgery is successful and I can sleep well and deeply afterwards, how much will it effect my qualirty of life. Will I feel 100% better like a whole new person or will there likely just be moderate improvement? Can someone who has had this surgery let me know?

A female friend of mine has Sleep Apnea, about two years now. Shes short, 5′ 2" and is 35 lbs overweight. She lost her health insurance due to a work related accident and can no longer work. Right now she has no income. She did the sleep study test when she had insurance and now has the breathing machine, but the mask has been broken for about 16 months and cannot afford a new one. 0. People die from this right? She’s preparing for the worse. She’s only 56.

I have mentioned to my doctor that lately I have been feeling extremely fatigued during the day. I go to bed about 8 PM and usually go right to sleep and wake up about 2 AM. I 90% of the time I wake up on my right side of face down with my head to the right. However, I get the impression that I wake up for brief, but frequent episodes during the night. On weekends and holidays I usually sleep 12 to 14 hours a night and sometimes even take naps during the day. I never feel as if I get enough sleep. All routine medical tests for what could possible cause fatigue such as potassium, hemoglobin and thyroid function, have all been within normal parameters. The only other thing I though of that might be causing it is a sleep disorder. When I mentioned this to my doctor, she just phoo-phooed that idea. I live alone, so there’s no one to tell me if I snore or have episodes of apnea. How could I tell otherwise?

lately I’ve been not wanting to go to sleep and when I do sleep it’s at 5 a.m.. there are several reasons. one sometime back I had a dream about me losing all my teeth and it rattle me. another reason is I have sleep apnea and a breathing machine. it’s a hassle and I take it off in my sleep. not to mention that scares me. there are several other reasons but the result is paranoia about going to sleep.

I know I need sleep to live. so how o I get back to loving sleep?

I am scheduled for UPPP and tonsillectomy surgery in 3 months. I keep reading that these surgeries have a low success rate of curing apnea. Is there anyone who has had success with these procedures?

My navy husband and I are scheduled to move (PCS) to London, England. I have a few health issues like high blood pressure, but they’re well managed and under control. However, now I’ve been told I’ll need to use a BiPap machine (basically forced air to keep my airway open during sleep) for my apnea. Does anyone know if this will put me into the Exceptional Family Member category? We’re all so excited about this assignment, and I’d hate to lose it over this.

Ok, I’m going to have a wisdom tooth cut out of my head, and I have sleep apnea.
Which means, every minute or so, my throat closes, and after a minute or so, my brain says "hey idiot, you’re suffocating" and I gasp and get a breath of air.
All this happens without me waking up. I have a CPAP machine, but I can’t use that while someone’s operating in my mouth.

So if I’m put under anesthesia, won’t that mean that my brain will be too out of it to wake me up? If this happens, my heart will stop, because I won’t be breathing. Do they put a tube down my windpipe to keep it open?
I’m serious, how does this work?
Is this possibly the explanation for people who die during routine surgeries for no apparent reason?
I’m very afraid here, and I keep hearing "oh, I’m sure it will be fine" from people, but nobody can tell me WHY it should be fine.
… No, I can’t have CPAP on during oral surgery, because for CPAP to work, you can’t have your mouth open.
It’s the pressure from the closed system that keeps your throat open. Having my mouth open, would be like deflating a balloon, which is how CPAP works.

I noticed when he was an infant that he stopped breathing regularly, and now they finally did a sleep test on him last night in the hospital. He had many episodes of apnea during the night.
hello.
this is a long story, but when my son was an infant he stopped breathing in my arms, and although I spoke to several Doctors nothing came of my inquiries as to what to do. My son repeatedly stops breathing every night and startles himself awake, or I, hard to describe it, I KNOW when he is having an episode, and if he is not sleeping with me, I am able to be with him and help him breathe again. 2 weeks ago after seeing a doctor I had not seen in about 2yrs (rotating doc at the clinic who set up the ENT/Pediatrician origianally after I expressed my concerns) was being thorough (thank God) and asked about the test results. I told him none were done. he immediately sent me back to the ENT who after ensuring my son was not suffering from a cold etc had my son admitted to the hospital for a sleep monitoring. Last night he had several apneas during the middle of the night (duh, I knew I was not being a hyper sensitive mother like I was made to feel when no followup was done

my husband was recently diagnosed with mild apnea, so the doctor gave him a machine with a mask and told him he had to use it. there is a chip inside the machine that allows the doctor to see how long he uses the machine. if he doesn’t use it he could very well lose his license and job. however, when he goes to sleep with the mask on, he wakes up with it off. he unintentionaly takes it off in his sleep. he has even tried useing masking tape so the he would feel when he pulled the mask off. it didn’t work. they swapped his mask out. didn’t work. gave him sleep pills. didn’t work. he can’t keep it on. the only time he has ever slept with it all day (nightshift) is when i walked in the room and saw it was off and gently put it back on him. but i am in college and about to become a sub teacher, i can’t always do this. can you help me come up with a way to help him keep it on? please

I had sleep apnea for 10 year before being diagnosed and starting treatment. I am now experiencing focus and concentration problems, and they are starting to effect my job. I have been using a C-PAP since diagnosis 10 years ago. Anyone else have this problem? Any ideas what to do about it?

PS-My doctor put me on stratera, and I don’t have ADD or ADHD. Anyone else tried this?

I have sleep apnea which is well controlled through the use of a CPAP machine, but I was turned down for health insurance by Blue Cross Blue Shield because of it. I recently left a job through which I had health insurance and am now self employed and need to find an individual policy for myself.

I have sleep apnea that causes daytime drowsiness. I was suspended for this reason. My employer told another employee I was suspended for sleeping on the job. Does this violate Hippa since it is medically related?

I have Sleep Apnea and a nurse told me it is affecting my heart.

I have sleep apnea which is well controlled through the use of a CPAP machine, but I was turned down for health insurance by Blue Cross Blue Shield because of it. I recently left a job through which I had health insurance and am now self employed and need to find an individual policy for myself.