Sleep Stories -- people sharing their experiences with sleep disorders

 

Randall Paine

I have been treated for sleep apnea since 1994 with a CPAP machine. I use it every night and have 2 machines; one that uses standard household current, and one that I can use on my boat or motorhome with 12 volt capability. My initial symptoms were always being tired, and falling asleep at the wrong times. I would wake up in the morning feeling tired and then find myself dosing off throughout the day. My wife noticed that when I did fall asleep it was for very short periods and I would wake up by a rapid jerk of my body as if I was startled or got an electric shock. This would happen when I was driving the car, sitting at my desk at work, or watching television and it was very noticeable to everyone around me.

I made an apt. with my cardiologist and had a sleep study done. The first step in the process was to have a portable machine connected to me at the respiratory dept. and then go home and follow my normal routine. The following day I took the machine back to the hospital for them to review the data. The next step was to spend the night in the hospital and be connected to a machine as I slept. Every 1-2 hours the nurse would come in and adjust the pressure and see if I was asleep. From this test they determined what pressure I needed to keep my airway open during the night.

Then recently in February 2000, after putting on more weight I noticed I was waking up more during the night and not feeling as rested, so I called to have another sleep test. This time the machine was much different, it was an oximetry test to measure oxygen content. A small device is slipped over the end of your finger and secured with tape and records data as you sleep. I turned the machine in the next day and in a couple of days had an apt. with a respiratory therapist to give me a new CPAP and new pressure settings. I am sleeping through the whole night and have begun to dream again, which is a sure sign that you are getting deep restful sleep. The newest machine is much quieter than the old one and my wife does appreciate that a lot, she is glad I have the machine so she doesn't have to worry about my breathing during the night. Some people have had surgery to increase their airway at the back of their throat, which lessens snoring and aids in their breathing but I have never known anyone who had the operation. I used to snore very loudly before the CPAP and it was annoying to everyone around me (especially on air planes) but it is impossible to snore with this machine blowing a significant volume of air down your throat. It does take a little time to get used to it but I would highly recommend it to everyone who has sleep apnea.