Sleep study

SpokaneCY

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
I wonder if anyone was warned about getting the CPAP tubes dry after using it or if they talk about how to care for them? My dad had mold develop in them and had to get new tubes. I guess he seemed surprised that they might get moldy.

My provider provides new tube and mask every 3 months through insurance. I don't refresh that often but I DO wash my tube out every few weeks... I was instructed to wash mask every day and tube once a week...
 

cdnlngld

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Feb 24, 2012
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Ames, IA
So I had my sleep study. It was a very different experience. I had a hell of a time getting to sleep because of all of the crap hooked up o me. I was diagnosed with sleep appnea. They had to wake me shortly into the study to fit me with a mask to complete it. I have now been on the cpap for a couple of months now. I have had a few nights of not being able to fall asleep with the mask on. I had some feeling of claustrophobia, but I am slowly getting used to it. Overall I DO feel some improvement with the quality of my sleep. I find that I drool a lot and my mask gets pretty wet by morning.
 

cdnlngld

Well-Known Member
Feb 24, 2012
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Ames, IA
I wonder if anyone was warned about getting the CPAP tubes dry after using it or if they talk about how to care for them? My dad had mold develop in them and had to get new tubes. I guess he seemed surprised that they might get moldy.

from what I gather, it has probably more to do with the humidifier water tank portion of the device. They advise washing that daily and using distilled water to avoid getting mold. I think the tubes generally dry out quickly because of the airflow.
 

Wesley

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Apr 12, 2006
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Omaha
Worked for an overweight hard charger guy one time. He traveled with his CPAP everywhere. One trip the airport lost power due to storms and he had a tough time sleeping in the lobby.
 

StormnClone58

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Jan 24, 2008
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West Des Moines
Had a study done a month ago and result was getting a cpap which I got today. Found out some results of my study the most glaring was while a normal person stops breathing 5 times in a hour while sleeping my study found while I was sleeping my breathing was stopping 102 times an hour.

glad to hear you got the test done. Thats one of the hardest parts is admitting you have a problem and seeking the medical help.

i had my test in early 2019 and have used a cpap since. I felt better almost immediately, and havent looked back since.

pm me if you have any questions or need any recommendations.
 

GMackey32

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Nov 2, 2009
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Ames Via Cedar Falls
Had a study done a month ago and result was getting a cpap which I got today. Found out some results of my study the most glaring was while a normal person stops breathing 5 times in a hour while sleeping my study found while I was sleeping my breathing was stopping 102 times an hour.
It'll change your life. I got one back in April and once I got used to sleeping with it, I've had the best nights of sleep I've ever had.
 

Isualum13

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Apr 27, 2018
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I have a friend who had a sleep study done at 25. Didn't warrant a cpap then. Had another study done at 27 and they strongly recommended one at that point. His quality of life increased drastically. Another friend got one. He slept at his parents the first night as a precaution. He slept for 20 hours straight. Apparently not having a REM cycle for a long time can cause that to happen. Both of them were relatively young, each were very happy that they got one.

Mad dad and his brothers all use one as well as my grandpa. Makes sleeping in the fishing cabin every summer now possible for me. I would much rather listen to Darth Vader breathing All night than non stop loud snoring.

The first friend recently had his tonsils removed to Hopefully solve the problem so he can stop using the cpap.

All of them wouldn't be caught dead without it. Aside from the one who hopefully fixed the problem.
 

ImperialCyclone

Active Member
Sep 11, 2012
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I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy in high school (20 years ago). I also was a sleep researcher for my post-doc fellowship. Not all sleep studies concern sleep apnea. Insomnia, for example, could be indicative of your body always being “on alert”. This is known as “vigilance”. Insomnia can also be psychological or even learned. Sleep apnea is downright dangerous and I encourage anyone to get a sleep study if they are concerned. Your life will be so much better when you get air at night.

Other things you can do: don’t use your phone, watch tv, etc before going to sleep. You condition yourself to not actually sleep when you are laying down. Obviously, constant sleeping schedules are amazing but can rarely be achieved. Using your bed only for sleeping can help mitigate that.
 
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ruxCYtable

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Aug 29, 2007
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Colorado
I've heard CPAPS can be life-changing. But about 70% of people can't tolerate them. I could not.

My wife tried to get me to try it again for years. Then she was diagnosed with sleep apnea and got a CPAP. She didn't even make it through the first night.

I've lost some weight and also had sinus surgery in the past year and fortunately that combination seems to have done the trick.
 
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isucy86

Well-Known Member
Apr 13, 2006
7,970
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Dubuque
I guess it depends where you go. My Doctor referred me to Mary Greeley

I underwent sleep study a couple years ago in Dubuque and picked up the equipment from the Clinic my doctor is affiliated with and completed sleep study at home.

I was diagnosed with minor sleep apnea and given 3 options:
  • Lose Weight
  • Get CPAP
  • Get Dental Mouthpiece
Being cheap, I chose the first option.
 

CloneAlta

Active Member
Sep 9, 2010
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Kansas City, MO
www.floorplanonline.com
So, I have scheduled a consult with my family dr. to get a referral for a sleep study, to see if I have sleep apnea. Anybody else been through this before? How bad is using a cpap machine? Are the benefits really that noticeable? How much of a pain, is the sleep study? Any advice/council would be much appreciated!
I've known for well over 10 years now that I've had sleep apnea. Despite my wife's nagging me about it, I resisted doing anything until our daughter-in-law witnessed my stopping breathing as we all were watching a movie during the Christmas holidays several years ago and she got on my A-- about getting a sleep study done.

So, I capitulated and did---and the results got my attention, big time!! During an 8 hour test, I stopped breathing 69 times and my oxygen level got down to 63%. We should all be running above 90% on Ox, so it did not take me long to get my brain around my life changing with a CPAP becoming affixed to my body at night. I am a scuba diver, so I chose a full face mask (it is much like a diving mask) and I have not had any problems.

My life has changed positively since getting on a CPAP. Prior I would get the drowsies real bad after lunch each day (due to bad sleep and very low oxygen levels) and actually fall asleep while being on my computer. And, I was tired all day long then. But now I get a quality 7-8 hours of sleep and feel completely energized all day long. DO NOT put this off as the docs now know that sleep apnea can also have a seriously damaging impact on your heart. Sleep apnea is the silent killer and is generally the cause of death of people who, seemingly, had great health
 

chadm

Giving it a go
Apr 11, 2006
15,416
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Midwest
It was interesting to have dreams again after I got mine. Didn't have any for a decade before.
 

GMackey32

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Nov 2, 2009
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Ames Via Cedar Falls
****,. how did you all know that you needed to look into this?

I feel like i haven't had a good nights sleep in 2 years
I was always tired. Would fall asleep reading, watching tv, riding in car, etc. Snored like crazy and had really bad headaches. Was always irritable. Caffeine did nothing to help me. Wife finally nagged me enough to get one done. Now she sleeps better than ever because I'm not snoring anymore.
 

Bipolarcy

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Oct 27, 2008
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So, I have scheduled a consult with my family dr. to get a referral for a sleep study, to see if I have sleep apnea. Anybody else been through this before? How bad is using a cpap machine? Are the benefits really that noticeable? How much of a pain, is the sleep study? Any advice/council would be much appreciated!

My doctor wanted to schedule one for me and I refused because I knew there was no way with my schedule that I'd ever get to sleep. I don't go to bed usually until about 3:30 a.m. What sleep study is going to start at that time? It would be useless for me to try to sleep before that time because I wouldn't be tired and combine that with being in a strange place and knowing strange people are watching me ... no way I'm getting to sleep.

And the reason he wanted to schedule one? I told him I needed something to take at night because a pain in my hip is always waking me up every few hours. I start out fine, no pain, but the longer I lay there, the more likely is that the pain will come and it eventually gets bad enough to wake me up. Usually, the pain doesn't begin until I've lain there for a few hours, but it has been known to come before I can even fall asleep, but that is rare. He can't find any pain meds or sleep aids he's comfortable giving me, other than some useless anti-inflamatories that I eventually had to quit taking because they were raising my blood pressure and he replaced them with ... nothing, nada, zip.

It is a rare night when I don't wake up at least twice with hip pain. And if you combine that with having to go to the bathroom 2 and three times a night, I rarely get uninterrupted sleep. Last night, it was a stuffy nose that kept me waking up. I can't sleep breathing through my mouth. I got up two or three times because of it and went to the bathroom those times as well, so at least I didn't get woke up for that later on. I finally got my nose cleared at about 8 this morning and had four hours of uninterrupted sleep after that, which is a luxury I rarely have.
 

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