So I only have to wear the tube that goes around your ears and slightly into the nose when I sleep at night, but I’m finding that the oxygen is uncomfortable and almost impossible to sleep with. I keep taking it off right before I fall asleep.
Is the oxygen machine too high for me? It’s at 2 liters an hour. I guess really what I need to know is if it’s always uncomfortable and I’ll just have to get used to it, or if I can get it tweaked a little bit.
Mary – Yes, I had two sleep studies. The Dr. told me they needed me to go back for a third one, with a cpap, to see how it goes… but they never gave me an appointment date or anything.

Also what I’m specifically talking about is the feeling of the oxygen tube ends in my nose. They are just super uncomfortable. I was wondering if I could trim them down a little? I’ve been on it for almost a week now and I’m getting used to the actual oxygen, it’s just the tubes in my nose that drive me nuts!

Hello,
I was just diagnosed with sleep apnea after 2 sleep studies. The 2nd night I used a nasal cpap thing. So I go tomorrow to buy a machine and mask and start with the treatment.

My insurance usually pays 70% for most things, and I’m not sure if they are with this (they’re paying something, just not sure how much). When I talked to the place I’ll be buying from, they said my portion after insurance will be 3. So if they are paying 70% (again I don’t know, maybe it’s different with this) that would mean I’m getting almost ,500 worth of equipment.

But from looking online at cpap machines, they tend to run even on the high end for about -900 at the most that I saw. And the masks were only at most 0 (that I saw). So is there something I’m missing? This seems ridiculously expensive.

Either way, does anyone have a good recommendation for the best machine and nasal "pillow" type mask? If money wasn’t an obstacle, what would be the "best"? I’m new to this, so thank you!

I’m 30f and a big girl, 5′9 225. I’ve had two sleep studies and have been using a c-pap for over 4 years now.. I still wake up a couple of times a night and sometimes my mouth is drooling and wet. I do stay asleep longer than I did before c-pap, at one time I woke every hour and a half. But on the whole my symptoms don’t seem that much different than before the c-pap. It’s been going on so long that I’ve just accepted it. Is it normal? Should I be doing something about it? I also have diabetes and asthma.

PLEASE READ ALL THE DETAILS.

I am working HARD to loose weight so I can sleep better.

I DO NOT want to use a machine.

I allready had (2) sleep studies done and I cannot ABSOLUTLY cannot wear the machine!!! .

I FEEL LIKE I AM SUFFOCATING!!!! EVEN ON THE CORRECT SETTINGS!!!

What is the best position to sleep so my throat does not close on me? Can I sleep sitting up?

I MUST know so I can loose more wieght so the lack of sleep DOES not affect my metabolism. PLEASE I am desperate and want to improve my sleep w/o the machine.

Also I am eating a low fat diet and working out 6 x a week.mostly walking and biking cardio stuff. I try to get 6-8 hrs of sleep a night.

Also would going to bed earlier help me???

Thanks so much
The first sleep study was to figure out what setting to put the machine on and 2nd was to test the machine on me.
Thats why I had 2 done. Thata what they wanted.

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!!!!!!!

After those 5 sleep studies Dr. Bond told me that I was untrearable. He had used MANY different masks, also using oxygen. I was told the average person with apnea stops breathing somewhere between 5 to 15 per hour. On my first test that number was 69, and has varied between 55 to 75 thru those 5 tests. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A HIGHLY REGARDED SPECIALIST ON APNEA somewhere relatively close to Williamsburg, VA. My doctor, Thompson Bond, is well qualified, but I’m desperate to be able to get some sleep at night. If the present pattern holds, I probably won’t last the year out. THAT’S DESPERATE.

Dick Milhizer // rmilhizer@cox.net

I am only 25 yrs old and have sleep apnea, the obstructive form. I completed two sleep studies that have confirmed this but, medicaid will not pay for the c-pap machine b/c the score for my study reflect that it is not "severe" enough for them to pay. Now, I am using provigil as a "band-aid" its okay, but the side effects are causing me headaches and I take seasonique birth control pills, I was told there was a 5% chance of impregnation, which is low, but I still worry a little. My doctor’s office was suppose to put me on a list to get a "loaner" and/or "free" c-pap machine, but I was told yesterday that this will only be considered after I start regularly seeing the doctor while I am on the provigil and still maybe not until January, if then. I am suppose to graduate form college in may, I need this sleeping disoreder corrected asap, it is effecting my life horribly and my education. Thanks serious responses only.

I’m a nurse, so I’m well aware what sleep apnea is, what causes it, and what the treatments are.
My problem is that my best friend (age 53) has SEVERE sleep apnea, he goes for 30-45 seconds without breathing (while asleep). Its affecting his mood, his lack of feeling rested during the day, his extremities turn pale and/or gray while he sleeps, and one of these days I’m afraid I’m going to find him dead in his apartment.
He has seen a doctor, he’s had multiple sleep studies done, he even owns a C-Pap machine (which he refuses to use).
He had a heart attack 3 years ago, and had cardiac cath with 3 stents placed, and I’m certain that the sleep apnea is doing much additional damage to his already damaged heart.
I’ve BEGGED him to see a doctor, he claims that "all the bloodwork comes back normal", and his yearly stress test results are always "within normal limits". Still, I worry for his life, he is my BEST FRIEND, and I don’t know what else to do. I’ve slept over many times, watching him sleep, and when his breathing stops, I often wonder if it’ll start again, I count the seconds, and breathe a sigh of relief when he gasps for another breath.
He’s almost 100 lbs overweight, a former smoker, and bipolar.

I have other health problems and I was searching for answers so I did a couple of sleep studies. When I wore the CPAP it caused "centrals" to occur so they did not recommend I use a CPAP for treatment. Is an AHI of 6 really that bad? It seems to me that sleep disorders are becoming an easy business and everyone and their brothers are getting into it to supplement income. I know a 6 on the AHI scale is "mild" but what is mild. Define mild because one word alone does not really mean much. I wonder, statistically speaking, if most everyone has a low rating and they are just trying to make a buck.

I’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, diabetes and now my girlfriend thinks i have ADHD. I haven’t been able to hold down a job for a while…I always suffered from restlessness, being tired all the time and just plain fatigued. I’ve had sleep studies, operations to correct my sleep problems, been put on diets and pills to help me live a normal life but none of this stuff has helped me much. When doing any thing my mind wanders constantly. I can never focus very well or have clarity and tend to procrastinate all the time. Exercise seems to help a little but doesnt solve my problems. I can never concetrate on 1 thing for to long and tend to jump from one thing to another, rarely finishing anything i start. Most of the time when things require any mental effort on my part i get frustrated very easily by it. I’ve never been diagnosed with ADHD but i’m sure i have it. Someone i met at a quilt shop my girlfriend shops at suggested i try and get on disability for my ADHD. Is this possible?

I have taken several overnight sleep studies and I spend either NO time or very little time in stage 4 or REM sleep. I want to know if this is why I am so tired everyday. I also want to know if this is a specific disorder and if so what is the treatment?

I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea recently; I was told that my oxygen level drops to around 67% while I’m sleeping. Then was told how dangerous it was and told I needed to start using the C-PAP machine. Right now, I’m in waiting mode for the machine. In the meantime, my feet keep falling asleep and my fingers have gone numb. Some days are worse than others…. And sometimes my fingers really hurt. This is probably from the lack of oxygen, I’m sure. I’m also having the heart palpitations…..and other symptoms. Waiting on the red tape is getting on my last nerve. Especially after being told that it was urgent that I get on the machine right away.
Is anyone else going through this? It's so hard to take care of things —including and especially the medical stuff—-when I'm so tired and sleepy all of the time. I just want to sleep!!
BTW, it's been 2 weeks today, since I saw the Dr and she told me how URGENT things were. I am STILL WAITING. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't go to the hospital ER.
Well, I contacted the folks that do the sleep studies and they've scheduled me for a second sleep study….for this coming Sunday. So, at least SOMETHING is happening. It's hard being sick all of the time and then having to act as your own advocate. I hope I get this oxygen machine soon.

I am pretty sure I have Sleep Apnea as I am tired all day and do not sleep well at night. It takes me forever to go to sleep and as soon as I do I wake up gasping for air. I may get 1-2 hours of sleep off and on through an 8 hour time frame. I looked on my insurance and they do not cover sleep studies or Sleep Apnea. How much sould a sleep study cost and the machine cost that you wear at night to fix it?

I have been looking for sleep studies as they have them now and again for free but none have been offered for the past 6 months.

Thanks in advance!!!!

I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist who would like to open up a home sleep study business. There is a great demand for sleep studies at my hospital, to the point that people have to wait months at a time before they can get in to be seen. If these test were performed at home that would cut out a lot of patient hassles.