Does anyone know the symptoms of sleep apnea and do any of you here suffer from it? I think I may have it. The problem is, im just a college student, i dont have the money to see a doctor about it. Can anyone help me. Hm, suddenly coming to the realization that Im typing this at 2:50am LOL
As with finals of last semester my sleep cycle has kicked into a 4:30am - 12:30pm routine. Not sure what apnea is tho! Fill me in...
I have a problem where I can easily stay awake for 18-20 hours a day....but I then sleep for about 8 hours. Do the math....it doesnt work out well!
Apnea means without breath. You are thinking insomnia. Here's a good informitive websited about sleep apnea. link
Aaah, a subject I am all too familiar with. I got diagnosed with Sleep Apnea four years ago. My coworkers noticed me nodding off more often than usual during meetings. Scheduled the Sleep Apnea test. Spent the night at Hermann Hospital with a bunch of sensors attached to my body and they videotaped me sleeping. Halfway through the night they hooked me up with that air blowing mask to see if it made things better. They said it did but I'll be damned if I'm going to wear that contraption when I sleep. So I started exploring alternatives. In Sept. 2000, I was operated on at Park Plaza hospital. They took out my tonsils, fixed my deviated septum by breaking and then re-setting my nose, and they amputated my uvula (little punching bag thing at the back of your throat). I was in the hospital overnight, then at my folks place for a couple of days. I had stitches inside my nose that were removed after about 10 days. Once they were removed, my surgeon said "now breathe throught your nose". It was unbelievable. "So that's how people are supposed to breathe" I said to myself. I haven't had any trouble sleeping through the night since the surgery and I haven't nodded off in a meeting either. Bottom line: There ARE alternatives to that stupid mask/air pumping machine they want to sell you!
i know that i have read if you are a ectomorph (skinny) body type. that its much more common to suffer from sleep disorders.
same, except on weekends my sleep cycle is 4 am to 7:15 am (stupid work) oh, but i also get about 30 minutes of sleep every hour in classs.
see I would love to have that surgery but I cant even afford the doctor visit lol. I am 6 feet and probably 220 and I think i could stand to lose 10-20 lbs. I snore and it constantly wakes me up so i never get sleep for a long period of time. I thought having one of those tempurpedic pillows would help, but its making my neck hurt for some reason. Anyway, I am the same way as you Tex, I dont breathe through my nose very often. Does anyone have an idea what that surgery costs? I dont have HMO.
Yea, I think one of the signs that you have sleep apnea is if you snore a lot. I don't want to frighten you but I have heard there is a chance of death if you don't get the surgery (I only know that from a "Coach" episode but I checked into it later and it they were telling the truth!). However, I think it is rare the number of people who died from sleep apnea. I just found an interesting site that talks about sleep apnea: Because of the serious disturbances in their normal sleep patterns, people with sleep apnea often feel very sleepy during the day and their concentration and daytime performance suffer. The consequences of sleep apnea range from annoying to life-threatening. They include symptoms suggesting depres-sion, irritability, sexual dysfunction, learning and memory difficulties, and falling asleep while at work, on the phone, or driving. Untreated sleep apnea patients are 3 times (or more) likely to have automobile accidents; CPAP treatment reverses the increased risk. It has been estimated that up to 50 percent of sleep apnea patients have high blood pressure. It has recently been shown that sleep apnea contributes to high blood pressure. Risk for heart attack and stroke may also increase in those with sleep apnea. I am always sleepy but that is because I usually sleep from 11:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. but I can get about 8 hours on the weekend. As far as I know, it is unusual for me to snore; however, I rarely ever sleep on my back (prefer side, sometimes stomach). Hmm, I wonder if I have this? Probably not as my blood pressure is normal and I have been told by my doctor recently that I have zero chance for heart disease.
