Sleep Disorders Support Group

Hello friends,

I’m happy to announce that snoopy30 agreed to become the Sleep Disorders Support Group leader.

Snoopy is the active leader in the osteoporosis grouptoo, and takes part in other groups!

She’s great and we’ll enjoy her.

Good luck,

Roy

Thanks again Roy for your support. I'm looking forward to meating new friends on these forums. Plsease feel free to Pm me with any questions you may have I'll do my best to find the answers. If there's anyone who just wants someone to talk to about their frusrtations of dealing with a sleep disorder or their treatment I'm here.

Karen

Hi, Karen, it's good to see you here, and congrats on becoming the group leader.

I just stumbled across this group this morning, I too have sleep apnea, have been diagnosed now about 5 years, always knew that I snored, but never knew I quit breathing till I married this husband, we had a sleep study done and I quit breathing 66.4 times per hour for up to 20 seconds at a time.

I did a bunch of research on it, and came to the conclusion that surgery wasn't a guaranteed way of treatment, from all that I read even with the surgery you still stood a 50/50 chance of having to use a cpap machine, I am against anyone cutting on me, unless there is no other option. Luckily for me, my doctor wasn't one of those knive wielding crazies and he agreed that surgery wasn't a great option.

I just use the cpap, and it has made a great difference in my quality of sleep, it took a good bit of getting use too, as I can't stand things on or around my face, the first few weeks of having it, I would wake in the mornings and find the mask either in the floor or down at the end of the bed, where during the night I had taken it off and threw it...lol..

With getting treatment for the diabetes, which also interrupts your sleep, and the cpap for the apnea, it's taken me from having to sleep 14 hours a day to being able to get by with 8 hours. You throw the depression/bipolar in there and all you want to do is sleep, I functioned on auto pilot for many years and had to listen to family that I was just lazy and slouthful, with the diagnosis of what has been going on with me, they are alittle bit more understanding now.

Carmen

hi Carmen welcome. It amazes me how many people do have sleep apnea. I too had trouble at first getting used to my machine. I am very claustraphobic and hated the mask. I use what they call nasal pillows. It's like a real thick oxygen tubing that fits in my nose. It is not as cumbersome as a mask. but even at that there are still times where I take it off in my sleep. Especially if I have a cold or something like that. Thanks again for checking out the site

Karen

I've heard about the nasal pillows and know someone that swears by them, just never tried them... Thankfully in the years that I have had this, I haven't had a really bad cold, I get the flu shot each year because of the diabetes, and that has kept me pretty healthy as far as the colds go..

I will have to check them out next time I have to buy a new mask, I don't like the ones they have come out with now with the quick clips, I keep breaking off the part that the clip fits into and it basically ruins the mask.

Carmen

Carmen Sorry I have been out of touch my home computer crashes so I can only get on line at work. I really find the nasal pillows very comfortable to use. the tubing id plyable and has nothing hard to break. Let me know if you end up with one and how you like it.

No problem about not being able to be online as much, once I go back to work, I won't be able to be online as much as I am now, I will try the nasal pillows the next time I have to have a new mask, which is coming soon, the hose that is on my mask right now needs replaced, it has stretched and keeps coming off the machine.. kinda sucks the breath right out of you when it does that, guess that I will have to tape it to it till I can afford a new set.. Not having insurance sure makes getting the stuff that you need a real pain in the tushie..

you can say that again. I had to do the tape thing once when my dog decided the tubing was a treat meant for him. good luck

lol, mine is starting to look like some jury rigged machine, my cats decided that it was a good place to teeth, I heard this strange whistling on evening and could not figure out where the noise was coming from, after listening really well, and noticing that the noise changed everytime I moved my head, that lead me to check the hose, and there it was, 3 nice little pin holes, from the kittens.lol, I just used the medical tape I have on hand.