S
saucywench
Reading about another poster falling asleep at work prompted me to start this thread (not saying that's why she fell asleep, it just reminded me of it.)
Several years back (2000, I think) I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, after undergoing a sleep study. Having slept alone for a while, I was unaware of my problem until, well, I slept with someone else. A concerned FA (thanks, Artie) told me the next morning that I snored loudly and seemed to stop breathing in my sleep, and that I should have it checked out. When I got back home, I saw my PCP, who referred me to the sleep study center.
Prior to all of this, I was aware that I snored, as I sometimes awakened myself by the noise, or awakened myself gasping for breath. As this usually occurred during deep REM stages, I generally just fell back asleep, but I was still conscious of the fact that these things occurred. Other symptoms I was aware of but, due to ignorance of sleep apnea, did not associate with the condition, were falling asleep at odd times of normal waking hours (at my desk at work, usually mid-afternoon, or while watching television or reading during early evening hours.) I was often irritable or had trouble focusing or concentrating (almost Adult Attention Deficit Disorder-like symptoms.) I felt sluggish or mildly disoriented (the feeling that I just wasn't 100% "in the moment.")
A couple of years prior to this, I had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I personally feel that these two disorders may be closely related, especially in fat people, but I have not researched this to know whether my feelings are backed up by scientific research. I did talk with a rheumatology expert about whether their might be a correlation between the two in some cases, and he agreed that that might well be possible. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome where deep REM stages of sleep are disrupted, for some as yet unknown reason. The REM stage of sleep is when serotonin, a naturally-occurring chemical/hormone in the body, is transmitted to muscle tissue, giving one that refreshed/rejuvenated feeling upon awakening. If REM-stage sleep is constantly being disrupted, this prohibits serotonin from performing its restorative task to muscle tissue, leading to muscle achiness and feeling that sleep has been of little or no benefit.
I will relate what I underwent during my sleep study. I'm sure a similar routine is how most of them work. I was scheduled to arrive early in the evening. I brought an overnight bag and work clothes for the next day. I first viewed an informative video with the others who were undergoing a sleep study that night, which at the time happened to be another woman and two men. After that we were each assigned a room, where we changed into sleeping clothes. One by one we were led into the lab where we were hooked up with the electrodes that would monitor our sleep patterns. We then went back to our rooms to await being hooked up to the monitor. (Side note: While waiting in my room to be hooked up, I actually fell asleep on the bed before they got to me.) The technicians then come and hook you up to the monitor. They will then monitor you for four hours, at which time they will wake you up. You are monitored for four hours without a CPAP machine and four hours with one. It is during the monitoring that they determine at what level (and degree) you suffer (if indeed that is your case) from sleep apnea. After eight hours you are awakened and have the electrodes removed, then you are free to shower and dress and leave for work. A couple of weeks or so, after the pulmonary/sleep doctor has had time to evaluate your results, you will return to the doctor (I forgot to mention that you must see the pulmonary/sleep doctor before the study) where he/she will prescribe (if it was determined that you have sleep apnea) a CPAP machine (generally the case, unless for some reason they determine that you need surgery or some alternate treatment.)
I cant tell you what a difference the CPAP makes. Just that one night of the sleep study made a tremendous difference in my functioning the next day. Once I got my machine, the results were immediate. About two weeks into treatment (use of the CPAP machine) I felt like a new person. I was my old self again. Another thing that amazed me is how many people use a CPAP machine. Because I was so excited to finally have a good nights rest, I often talked about it to otherseven on the work shuttle bus. I found that many people I know, and even strangers, used a CPAP. The bus driver told me that his study documented that he awoke about 600 times during a nights sleep. That is an incredible number of times to stop breathing, so you can imagine the burden that places upon the heart. After that, any time I heard of people complaining with symptoms similar to mine, I would educate them about sleep apnea. I felt particularly good that I was able to persuade a few people in chat to get tested, and they are now using a CPAP machine. I hope that by talking about sleep apnea in this forum, I and others can persuade a few more to consider having a sleep study performed if they experience similar symptoms. I will attach to this post some of the symptoms. Anyone who feels they may have sleep apnea can review the symptoms and perhaps be prompted to contact their PCP, who will then refer them to a pulmonologist/sleep specialist for an evaluation/sleep study.
Several years back (2000, I think) I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, after undergoing a sleep study. Having slept alone for a while, I was unaware of my problem until, well, I slept with someone else. A concerned FA (thanks, Artie) told me the next morning that I snored loudly and seemed to stop breathing in my sleep, and that I should have it checked out. When I got back home, I saw my PCP, who referred me to the sleep study center.
Prior to all of this, I was aware that I snored, as I sometimes awakened myself by the noise, or awakened myself gasping for breath. As this usually occurred during deep REM stages, I generally just fell back asleep, but I was still conscious of the fact that these things occurred. Other symptoms I was aware of but, due to ignorance of sleep apnea, did not associate with the condition, were falling asleep at odd times of normal waking hours (at my desk at work, usually mid-afternoon, or while watching television or reading during early evening hours.) I was often irritable or had trouble focusing or concentrating (almost Adult Attention Deficit Disorder-like symptoms.) I felt sluggish or mildly disoriented (the feeling that I just wasn't 100% "in the moment.")
A couple of years prior to this, I had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I personally feel that these two disorders may be closely related, especially in fat people, but I have not researched this to know whether my feelings are backed up by scientific research. I did talk with a rheumatology expert about whether their might be a correlation between the two in some cases, and he agreed that that might well be possible. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome where deep REM stages of sleep are disrupted, for some as yet unknown reason. The REM stage of sleep is when serotonin, a naturally-occurring chemical/hormone in the body, is transmitted to muscle tissue, giving one that refreshed/rejuvenated feeling upon awakening. If REM-stage sleep is constantly being disrupted, this prohibits serotonin from performing its restorative task to muscle tissue, leading to muscle achiness and feeling that sleep has been of little or no benefit.
I will relate what I underwent during my sleep study. I'm sure a similar routine is how most of them work. I was scheduled to arrive early in the evening. I brought an overnight bag and work clothes for the next day. I first viewed an informative video with the others who were undergoing a sleep study that night, which at the time happened to be another woman and two men. After that we were each assigned a room, where we changed into sleeping clothes. One by one we were led into the lab where we were hooked up with the electrodes that would monitor our sleep patterns. We then went back to our rooms to await being hooked up to the monitor. (Side note: While waiting in my room to be hooked up, I actually fell asleep on the bed before they got to me.) The technicians then come and hook you up to the monitor. They will then monitor you for four hours, at which time they will wake you up. You are monitored for four hours without a CPAP machine and four hours with one. It is during the monitoring that they determine at what level (and degree) you suffer (if indeed that is your case) from sleep apnea. After eight hours you are awakened and have the electrodes removed, then you are free to shower and dress and leave for work. A couple of weeks or so, after the pulmonary/sleep doctor has had time to evaluate your results, you will return to the doctor (I forgot to mention that you must see the pulmonary/sleep doctor before the study) where he/she will prescribe (if it was determined that you have sleep apnea) a CPAP machine (generally the case, unless for some reason they determine that you need surgery or some alternate treatment.)
I cant tell you what a difference the CPAP makes. Just that one night of the sleep study made a tremendous difference in my functioning the next day. Once I got my machine, the results were immediate. About two weeks into treatment (use of the CPAP machine) I felt like a new person. I was my old self again. Another thing that amazed me is how many people use a CPAP machine. Because I was so excited to finally have a good nights rest, I often talked about it to otherseven on the work shuttle bus. I found that many people I know, and even strangers, used a CPAP. The bus driver told me that his study documented that he awoke about 600 times during a nights sleep. That is an incredible number of times to stop breathing, so you can imagine the burden that places upon the heart. After that, any time I heard of people complaining with symptoms similar to mine, I would educate them about sleep apnea. I felt particularly good that I was able to persuade a few people in chat to get tested, and they are now using a CPAP machine. I hope that by talking about sleep apnea in this forum, I and others can persuade a few more to consider having a sleep study performed if they experience similar symptoms. I will attach to this post some of the symptoms. Anyone who feels they may have sleep apnea can review the symptoms and perhaps be prompted to contact their PCP, who will then refer them to a pulmonologist/sleep specialist for an evaluation/sleep study.
