So I had my pulmonary clearance appointment yesterday and my lung function was normal, no problems. However, they did say that I had to get a sleep study just based on my BMI even though I have no real sleep problems. I am really dreading it because I hate sleeping away from home and I'm sure having a bunch of monitors attached to me and a video camera pointed at me won't help. Anyone had one? What can I expect?

Also, for anyone who has sleep apnea, do you use a CPAP? Is it hard to get used to? Does it help you have more energy or lose weight?

Depends on the Kaiser. I went through Kaiser Fremont and had to do a sleep study. Went to a class, got a machine, went home and strapped it on and slept. I think I only had to do it one night, but it's been awhile. Then return the machine to Kaiser. I had sleep something, but not sleep apnea. They didn't make me use a CPAP machine.

Lynda

I love reading this because I also feel the same way "feel bad that I'm praying I have sleep apnea" the earliest date for my study is Oct 24 =( I'm not sure if I do have sleep apnea so that kinda freaks me out I don't have any other co morbid issues. I weigh 264 I'm 5'2 I have always been big I'll lose to gain back. I'm always tired sleepy drained and I wake up trough the night. Once every month I wake up gasping for air so that makes me think I do I have it but then I'm not sure. I will keep y'all guys posted. Good luck to you all!!!

Depends on the Kaiser. I went through Kaiser Fremont and had to do a sleep study. Went to a class' date=' got a machine, went home and strapped it on and slept. I think I only had to do it one night, but it's been awhile. Then return the machine to Kaiser. I had sleep something, but not sleep apnea. They didn't make me use a CPAP machine. Lynda[/quote']

Was that good enough for your insurance to approve you?

I love reading this because I also feel the same way "feel bad that I'm praying I have sleep apnea" the earliest date for my study is Oct 24 =( I'm not sure if I do have sleep apnea so that kinda freaks me out I don't have any other co morbid issues. I weigh 264 I'm 5'2 I have always been big I'll lose to gain back. I'm always tired sleepy drained and I wake up trough the night. Once every month I wake up gasping for air so that makes me think I do I have it but then I'm not sure. I will keep y'all guys posted. Good luck to you all!!!

You are describing Sleep apnea. Add snoring and you'll have the trifecta.

I was sure I did NOT have apnea, and in the study I had a severe level. Go figure.

PS, The CPAP machine is great and I get a good night's sleep every night!

I agree with both of Arts posts here - symptoms and how liberating a CPAP machine can be.

I chose to have sleep study at home and like Art didn't think I had Sleep apnoea but do (and even though my BMI is now only 28 I still have it!).

If you find you struggle with the CPAP machine, an APAP (variable pressure - responds to your breathing doesn't use constant pressure to control your breathing) might help. In Australia the APAP is a bit dearer than than the CPAP but worth every cent to me. The other thing that I find really useful is a humidifier and a heated tube (from machine to mask) - reduces the drying out that many experience.

Good luck with it.

I dreaded getting the sleep study done too, but the sleep techs are super nice and make you feel comfortable the whole time. Plus the room looked like a hotel room.

Once they provided me the mask during the study, I was able to sleep non stop for 5 hours. My sleep apnea was so bad I needed to get a BIPAP machine.

It wasn't hard to get used too. I feel great and not sluggish like I did before my machine.

My wife and I have always thought I had sleep apnea because of my loud snoring and always being sluggish.

Common sleep apnea symptoms include:

[*]Waking up with a very sore or dry throat

[*]Loud snoring

[*]Occasionally waking up with a choking or gasping sensation

[*]Sleepiness or lack of energy during the day

[*]Sleepiness while driving

[*]Morning headaches

[*]Restless sleep

[*]Forgetfulness' date=' mood changes, and a decreased interest in sex

[*']Recurrent awakenings or insomnia

Yep..I got all of these symptoms...but did not need the sleep study because although I am only 215 lbs @ 5'3" w/ BMI of 38.1 I have insulin dependant type II diabetes & highblood pressure so my insurance approved me in 48 hours after submission. but I may get the sleep study just in as a precaution, eventually prior to getting sleeved

I am having my sleep study on October 1 st. Hopefully this will help qualify for surgery.

You are describing sleep apnea. Add snoring and you'll have the trifecta. I was sure I did NOT have apnea' date=' and in the study I had a severe level. Go figure. PS, The CPAP machine is great and I get a good night's sleep every night![/quote']

I have my study next month I'm ready for it!! Thank you!!

I was just wondering how long it took everyone to get their sleep study results? I had a lot of trouble sleeping during my sleep study which is very usual for me. The tech said that I had a lot of leg movement and change in breathing while I was dreaming but couldn't or wouldn't tell me how severe it was.

I did pass my psy eval on the 2.

I got my machine on Tuesday but having a really hard time adjusting. Haven't made it all night yet.

I got my machine on Tuesday but having a really hard time adjusting. Haven't made it all night yet.

Is it a CPAP or an APAP? If the latter you can set it to a lower "constant pressure" knowing it will ramp up automatically when needed. I find this much easier than trying to sleep with a higher constant pressure set close to my max need (which is pretty high).

Other things I find that help:

1. Humidifier - nothing worse than drying out

2. Heated tube from humidifier to face mask - some (like Resmed S6) have a "climate controlled" tube with a heating element that runs directly off the power if the unit itself. I keep mine on 26 degrees C all year round and my tech says that is pretty common for users to do. Others don't have that capability but making a "cover" for the tube from a warm fabric can really help.

3. I go through periods of having problems with sinus headaches and Eustachian tube problems, usually (I think) due to higher pressures. The APAP really helped for this

4. Keeping your mouth shut while asleep is really important - you might need a chin strap. It improves the airflow dramatically and you immediately feel better after sleep.

6. Be sure to check your mask and tube are fitting together well - even a small leak can reduce your access to air and make it hard to sleep well. Check your mask is the correct fit for you. My partner is often more aware of leaks than I am.

I hope this helps. I was lucky and didn't struggle too much to get used to my APAP machine - it transformed my life! My brother also. Our father died young of undiagnosed sleep apnoea, so we are both v conscious of sticking with our machines and trouble shooting problems. I wish you all the best with it.

I got my machine on Tuesday but having a really hard time adjusting. Haven't made it all night yet.

Is it a CPAP or an APAP? If the latter you can set it to a lower "constant pressure" knowing it will ramp up automatically when needed. I find this much easier than trying to sleep with a higher constant pressure set close to my max need (which is pretty high).

Other things I find that help:

1. Humidifier - nothing worse than drying out

2. Heated tube from humidifier to face mask - some (like Resmed S6) have a "climate controlled" tube with a heating element that runs directly off the power if the unit itself. I keep mine on 26 degrees C all year round and my tech says that is pretty common for users to do. Others don't have that capability but making a "cover" for the tube from a warm fabric can really help.

3. I go through periods of having problems with sinus headaches and Eustachian tube problems, usually (I think) due to higher pressures. The APAP really helped for this

4. Keeping your mouth shut while asleep is really important - you might need a chin strap. It improves the airflow dramatically and you immediately feel better after sleep.

6. Be sure to check your mask and tube are fitting together well - even a small leak can reduce your access to air and make it hard to sleep well. Check your mask is the correct fit for you. My partner is often more aware of leaks than I am.

I hope this helps. I was lucky and didn't struggle too much to get used to my APAP machine - it transformed my life! My brother also. Our father died young of undiagnosed sleep apnoea, so we are both v conscious of sticking with our machines and trouble shooting problems. I wish you all the best with it.

I was under 40 BMI and needed sleep apnea to be approved. I didn't think there was a chance I had sleep apnea- I wake up a lot at night and I am always tired, but I feel like I've always been like that, even when I was little. I don't snore either.

Had my sleep study and sure enough I have sleep apnea

It's so sad that I basically had to pray I had something wrong with me in order to qualify. Insurance basically says "oh you are heavy, but not heavy enough. So either gain weight to be even heavier OR we will wait until something bad happens and you develop a life threatening issue before we help you."

You would think they would help those of us who are seeking help BEFORE those things happen to us.

Yes indeed! Your primary care doc should have been watching trends in your labs and asking you about your sleep and other things as your weight increased. Most obese people do have sleep apnea, especially if they are older. The sad fact is that most docs don't have the time to be as proactive as they should be. When you have ten minutes to see a patient, it's hard to help prevent problems because you have to treat the current ones. Most people don't realize they have sleep apnea. They just go around wondering why they don't have energy while their bodies are starved for oxygen, kidney health is affected, and blood pressure goes up. Then they are told that ALL their problems are related to weight, which is indirectly true, but most of us end up morbidly obese without having had any medical professional do anything but shame us. Ideally, primary care docs should have nurses who follow trends in their patient populations and intervene with education and help. It is truly sad when you hear someone say, "My doctor never told me that my high blood pressure would cause congestive heart failure.", or "I wish I had been referred to a nutritionist who could have helped me avoid this. I didn't know what I was doing would result in this." A nurse who can have short informal education sessions with patients as a part of their regular visit is enormously helpful. Physicians don't have the time to discuss everything, so if triglycerides, fasting glucose, and weight are all trending upward, then the nurse can talk to the patient about how very soon they might get a diagnosis of diabetes, as well as using some motivational interviewing techniques to nudge them toward losing weight. I wish I could say that I didn't know all these things as my weight steadily increased, but I did. However, if I had been referred to a nutritionist by my doc, I probably would have gone to the appointment and maybe I might have taken action earlier. When patients have medical professionals who are familiar with health behavioral psychology, or even have one on staff, outcomes are really amazing.

I was under 40 BMI and needed sleep apnea to be approved. I didn't think there was a chance I had sleep apnea- I wake up a lot at night and I am always tired, but I feel like I've always been like that, even when I was little. I don't snore either.

Had my sleep study and sure enough I have sleep apnea

It's so sad that I basically had to pray I had something wrong with me in order to qualify. Insurance basically says "oh you are heavy, but not heavy enough. So either gain weight to be even heavier OR we will wait until something bad happens and you develop a life threatening issue before we help you."

You would think they would help those of us who are seeking help BEFORE those things happen to us.

Yes indeed! Your primary care doc should have been watching trends in your labs and asking you about your sleep and other things as your weight increased. Most obese people do have sleep apnea, especially if they are older. The sad fact is that most docs don't have the time to be as proactive as they should be. When you have ten minutes to see a patient, it's hard to help prevent problems because you have to treat the current ones. Most people don't realize they have sleep apnea. They just go around wondering why they don't have energy while their bodies are starved for oxygen, kidney health is affected, and blood pressure goes up. Then they are told that ALL their problems are related to weight, which is indirectly true, but most of us end up morbidly obese without having had any medical professional do anything but shame us. Ideally, primary care docs should have nurses who follow trends in their patient populations and intervene with education and help. It is truly sad when you hear someone say, "My doctor never told me that my high blood pressure would cause congestive heart failure.", or "I wish I had been referred to a nutritionist who could have helped me avoid this. I didn't know what I was doing would result in this." A nurse who can have short informal education sessions with patients as a part of their regular visit is enormously helpful. Physicians don't have the time to discuss everything, so if triglycerides, fasting glucose, and weight are all trending upward, then the nurse can talk to the patient about how very soon they might get a diagnosis of diabetes, as well as using some motivational interviewing techniques to nudge them toward losing weight. I wish I could say that I didn't know all these things as my weight steadily increased, but I did. However, if I had been referred to a nutritionist by my doc, I probably would have gone to the appointment and maybe I might have taken action earlier. When patients have medical professionals who are familiar with health behavioral psychology, or even have one on staff, outcomes are really amazing.