new treatment for sleep apnea!
Auto-adjust CPAP is Wave of the Future If you or someone you know suffers from sleep apnea—a condition characterized by snoring during sleep, occasional pauses in breathing, daytime hypersomnolence and elevated blood pressure levels—recent advances in technology have just made treating the condition a little bit easier. Traditional remedies for sleep apnea involve the use […]
surgery for sleep apnea?
I’ve done two sleep studies for sleep apnea. I did terrible on both. I’m doing worse with the CPAP machine. I weigh 550+ pounds. My doctor wants me to go see another doctor about gastric by-pass surgery. I’m wondering if anything else should be looked at first. My tonsils and adenoids are out. Your opinion […]
disturbed sleep
Hi Laurel— Your husband almost definitely has a severe case of sleep apnea, and the sooner he is treated for it—by use of a Nasal CPAP machine—the sooner all these symptoms are going to go away. He is completely exhausted—but the apnea keeps awakening him during sleep—which is what causes his “confusional arousals.” He actually, […]
frequent urination
Men— Do you wake up several times a night to use the bathroom? Frequent bathroom use is often attributed to a swollen or enlarged prostate, but also may be an indicator of a particular type of sleep disorder: sleep apnea. People who have sleep apnea experience frequent arousals during sleep – often as many as […]
wake up choking
Hi Sheri— To a person with training in sleep disorders medicine, your dream sounds like a classic case of “incorporation”—where an actual event that is occurring in your body becomes included into the story-line of a dream. Accordingly, I don’t think it is your dream that is waking you up. Rather, I think it is […]
mouth like sandpaper
Hi Steve— Do you remember the myth of Sisyphus, from Greek Mythology? Sisyphus was a king in Ancient Greece who upset Zeus one day. (Something about the pecking order, I believe). Zeus thought Sisyphus needed to think things over for a while, so he sent him to Hades, where Sisyphus was forever forced to roll […]
i can’t breathe
Hi Allison— I’m glad you wrote in, because your sleep disorder is a serious and life—threatening condition! Fortunately, a solution to your sleep problem is only a phone call away. Your difficulty falling asleep and repeated awakenings short of breath inform us that you are suffering from a sleep disorder called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea […]
out of breath
Hi Marissa— I’m glad you wrote in with this excellent question. Dreams often include events that are occurring around us (or within us), into their dream story-lines. If it’s cold in our rooms we may dream that we are sleeping outdoors without a blanket. If the phone rings we may dream that we are trying […]
i fall asleep driving
Hi Ken— Odds are about 90 to 1 that you have a fairly severe case of obstructive sleep apnea—which is the medical phrase that describes a condition of difficulty breathing during sleep. For more information about sleep apnea, continue to read the sleep tips located here in the Sleep Apnea section. You are falling asleep […]
difficulty falling asleep
Hi Paul— The description you give does indeed fit with symptoms of sleep apnea. If you do have apnea, I’m glad you are aware of it at such a young age. Getting treatment now will save you a lifetime of heartache. Sleep apnea is difficulty breathing during sleep that is caused by the natural relaxation […]
surgery for sleep apnea?
Hi Robert— Considering that your weight is so high right now I think your doctor probably is correct in suggesting gastric by-pass surgery. You’ve got to bring your weight under control—it is too hard on your body to carry all that weight. You also need to be using your Nasal CPAP device on a regular […]
life without air
Second to insomnia, sleep apnea is the most prevalent of all sleep disorders, and is a potentially life-threatening condition. Sleep apnea is caused by the relaxation of muscle tone that occurs at sleep onset. It typically is characterized by some degree of snoring during sleep, and by associated irregularities in a sleeper’s breathing pattern. Usually […]