what constitutes sleep apnea? is it when you stop breathing at night?

I have a feeling my 5 year weight history wont qualify me for surgery, but if I have comorbidities. I don't have any problems that I know of except I havent been able to sleep through the night in about 6 years. I had problems with sleep eating (most of the time I didn't even know i did it!) I get up to use the bathroom 2x a night and I toss and turn a lot. A couple of weeks ago I started taking melatonin and last week I started sleeping through the night. No more sleep eating and I get up to use the bathroom MAYBE once a night. I wake up feeling very well rested. One day this week I didn't take the melatonin and I tossed and turned all night. To me, I think this sounds more like insomnia rather than sleep apnea. Anyone have anything to share about this? I am actually looking forward to doing a sleep study to find out what my freakin problem is!!! Also, if I go in for a sleep study will I do it with or without the melatonin?

Edited June 25, 200818 yr by BonnieMcC

sleep apnea is when you stop breathing multiple times during the night (could be anywher from 5 to 50 times) but you usually don't realize it (a sleeping partner may notice it though).

Symptoms are: Snoring, restless tossing, excessive daytime sleepiness, morning/night headaches, hearburn/sour taste at night, swelling of legs, getting up to urinate, gasping or choking in your sleep, sweating with coughing and/or chest pain at night. Which symptoms you have depend on the severity of your apnea.

It's great that you're sleeping through the night and feeling well rested... that's encouraging! We can wake up quite a few times during the night from sleep apnea and never remember it. In my case, it had gotten to the point where I woke up just about every 90 minutes, by the clock. When I had a sleeping partner, he said he would hear me stop breathing, I'd lay very still for a minute, and then my body would almost convulse and I would sort of "snort" and shake as I quickly took in a big breath. I also had issues with anesthesia when I had a hysterectomy 5 years ago. In the recovery room the nurse kept having to slap my arm and say "Breathe, wake up, breathe"!!

At my sleep study I was allowed to take whatever medication I needed or was used to, they just wanted to know about it. In fact for my second sleep study when they were going to be trying me with the face mask for the first time and I was afraid I wouldn't even sleep enough for them to get the test completed, the doctor prescribed sleeping pills for me.

This forum, Sleep Apnea Support Forum Index, is wonderful for providing information. Once you learn just how severely sleep apnea can affect your body, you'll be amazed. It can contribute to heart problems, diabetes, it can slow your metabolism and make it difficult to lose weight, it can cause short term memory loss. If it's severe enough, you can die in your sleep from it. Anyone who suspects they have it should have a sleep study!

Even if you don't have sleep apnea a sleep study can be helpfull. There are other sleep disorders, and treatments for insomia at the least a slssp study might give your doctor insight on why your having insomia too since they measure all sorts of things durring them. Another helpfull site where you can learn alot about sleep is www.cpaptalk.com CPAP and Sleep Apnea Discussion Forum They do discuss more then just apnea and you can learn allot about sleep, habits, insomia etc.

Funny that this is the first post I found while searching lap band info. I suffer from sleep apnea and apparently have my entire life without knowing. The more weight I gained, the worse it had gotten. I had a stroke in March of 2007. It took the neurologist 8 months and 80+ lbs until he sent me for a sleep study, last resort to find out what was going on. I am only 38, which they found to be unusual for a stroke. Anyway, the sleep apnea made me feel absolutely horrible but I never realized I had it. (During sleep study one I quit breathing 158 times per hour) - Once diagnosed and put on a CPAP I feel incredible, except for the weight I have gained along the way. I met with my Ob/Gyn this morning and he made me an appointment with a local surgeon who is well respected and does thousands of lap band and gastric bypass surgeries..........I have never been heavy until the stroke. The undiagnosed sleep apnea, medications, inactivity for a lengthy period and my eating habits for several months after the stroke (dysphagia) lead to an incredible weight gain.

I am NEW to this board (so hello to everyone) and am looking to have the Lap Band procedure done. I am such a chicken but know that I need help getting the weight off.

Hi!

Why do you think you won't qualify based on your bmi???

I'm preparing to go to my first seminar and I'm worried they will deny me (self pay) b/c my bmi is only 36-37.

That would just seem so wrong!

my insurance requires a bmi of 40+ for the past 5 years. If its not 40, I have to have other "issues"

Thanks Bonnie,

that stinks about your insurance. Hopefully, you won't too many problems!

today is my consultation! my dh is going with me and I am kinda embarrassed about it. I mean, I WANT him to go...I just feel bad for being an obese wife...like maybe I am an embarrassment to him. He NEVER treats me like that...its my own insecuritites. He tells me he will support me however he can, but I know he thinks "here goes more money on something she wont finish" I WANT to prove that I will succeed....that THIS is the time!