Sleep Apnea--comments?

[learnteach]

Sleep apnea--last night, the third person in recent times asked me if I had gone and checked for sleep apnea.  Sigh.  Time to stop being a martyr and go fight the system to see a doctor.  Of course, the fact that I'm waking up several times a night to urinate (when I don't need to urinate as much during the day), the spells of sleepyness and irritability (which I attribute to school based depression) and the excess weight I have and lack of exercise, combined with the fact that one of my brothers has a CPAP for his apnea...hmm.

Any help/notes any of my friends can give me?

Comments

[terpsichoros.livejournal.com]

I have read that for some people with sleep apnea, Breathe-Rite strips have made a huge difference. And for others, they don't work worth a damn (but they don't cause any problems). You should probably try that before you shell out for a CPAP.

[parlor-games.livejournal.com]

I have heard the same thing, and from our sleep doc at the UW...some people can actually benefit from - wait for it - sewing a tennis ball into the back of their sleepware. It keeps them from rolling over onto their backs. I think that sounds like fun just on principle.

Definitely get tested/evaluated, my friend. Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, depression, anxiety, and a compromised immune system, among other things.