Sleep Apnea Treatment

Question by : please please help!? I have severe sleep deprivation/sleep disorder!!?
Im 17 now, and this all started when i was 14. I started to sleep late to stay up with friends on the phone or chat because it was awesome at the time. At first it was harmless, but over the years I could never shake off the habit. Im 17 now and a senior at high school and what worked when i was 14 does not work now. Im overburdened with homework/projects/college applications and i simply cant do them because im too tired. I feel tired all through the day and come home after school to sleep for 3-4 hours, after i sleep i do homework/project/study for tests/ apply to college or whatever it is and cant sleep until 1/2 am. I wake up for school at 5:45 everyday and the cycle continues. No matter how much i try to keep myself up after school and do homework then go to sleep soon after, my brain just doesnt work. I need to sleep then wake up then sleep again so i never get a full 7/8 hours of sleep only breaks of sleep. Its been happening for years now and its seriously affecting me and i feel too tired to do anything, i just want to lay down and sleep all the time. Help me in any way? do i have a serious/dangerous problem? how can i fix it so i just sleep at night?

Best answer:

Answer by .
I suffered with insomnia for a long time too. Have you tried 5HTP (herbal)? It works amazingly for me, but different people get different results. Seeing as you’re under 18 you might want to check with a naturopath before self medicating

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Question by Henry W: I have been on a CPAP machine now for 11 weeks for my severe sleep apnea….?
my blood pressure is down and my headaches are down but I still have:

1. mental fatigue

will this get better in time……..???

Best answer:

Answer by catiators
Potentially. Mental fatigue is often caused by lack of class IV sleep. You don’t heal well without the deepest stage of sleep. So if you are able to progress into the deeper stages of sleep with the cpap, you will get better. If something else is causing your mental fatigue, you may need to consider other avenues of treatment.

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Question by ginadeluca247: My husband is 36 and has SEVERE Sleep Apnea. He stops breathing approx. 100x per hour or more…?
He is a bit overweight but not tremendously (5′9–215lbs)–we have four small children and I am soo afraid that he is going to drop dead of a heart attack. His previous test revealed that out of just under 6 hours of sleep, he stopped breathing for just under 4 of those hours. He is using a CPAP Machine and has been for about 4-5 years–but lately it does not seem to be helping…please help. I can’t bear to see him so exhausted….

Best answer:

Answer by Mia Bell
Best advice is to notify your doctor of this AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Sleep Apnea is a very dangerous killer especially for obese persons. The best thing your husband can do, (and I’m saying this out of pure kindness and concern) Is to loose at least 30 pounds. This doesn’t mean gain muscle and lose fat this means lose all fat. Have him go on walks, cut out red meats, fat, soda, beer, and smoking of anykind if he does. Its quite amazing what losing a little bit of weight will do for the human body. Another thing is have a brain scan done on him to make sure that the lack of oxygen to his brain has not caused any damage. Damage to the brain could cause many health problems including (but not limited to) Strokes and Seizures. Best of luck to you and your husband

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Question by Barney Blake: My best friend has severe sleep apnea, and…?
I’m a nurse, so I’m well aware what sleep apnea is, what causes it, and what the treatments are.
My problem is that my best friend (age 53) has SEVERE sleep apnea, he goes for 30-45 seconds without breathing (while asleep). Its affecting his mood, his lack of feeling rested during the day, his extremities turn pale and/or gray while he sleeps, and one of these days I’m afraid I’m going to find him dead in his apartment.
He has seen a doctor, he’s had multiple sleep studies done, he even owns a C-Pap machine (which he refuses to use).
He had a heart attack 3 years ago, and had cardiac cath with 3 stents placed, and I’m certain that the sleep apnea is doing much additional damage to his already damaged heart.
I’ve BEGGED him to see a doctor, he claims that “all the bloodwork comes back normal”, and his yearly stress test results are always “within normal limits”. Still, I worry for his life, he is my BEST FRIEND, and I don’t know what else to do. I’ve slept over many times, watching him sleep, and when his breathing stops, I often wonder if it’ll start again, I count the seconds, and breathe a sigh of relief when he gasps for another breath.
He’s almost 100 lbs overweight, a former smoker, and bipolar.

Best answer:

Answer by Alexandrea
Your best bet, might be trying to find out why he doesnt use his C-PAP machine. perhaps its discomfort, or the general feeling. See if there are other types of machines, or different models he may be able to use. Ask about different positions that might help. That is a long time for him to go without sleeping. I used to stop breathing at night in my sleep, and wake up tingling. I also realized that it only happened when I felt completely worn out. It may help for him to get a few good nights of sleep, and perhaps when he gets worn out enough, hey may warm up to the use of the CPAP.

Unfortunately, you must know better than many people, that if they refuse to abide by your medical advice, then there is nothing left you can really do, other than continuously urge them into better choices. Perhaps helping your friend lose weight might be a good start to help treat the apnea.

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Question by llmyket79: My wife has been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. They’re talking about surgery and masks and all this…
Is there a natural/cheaper way to deal with this besides surgery? Some herbs or tea or something? Thank you.
So she can stop using the mask after surgery right?

Best answer:

Answer by davelennv
Unfortunately no. Your wife is probably obese (and I mean no disrespect by that, its just my experience working in health care). Other than weight loss that is about it.
They will try a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) Machine first. This blows air into the throat all night to keep the airway open.
If that doesnt work then they will do a UPP (Uvula PaltoPharyngotomy). This is where they go in and remove part of the tissue in the mouth to allow more oxygen to get into her lungs.

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