Hacker News Reader

Comment by herm | Hacker News Reader

I felt the same way until I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, even though I don't have any of the usual symptoms such as snoring, obesity, etc.

View on HN

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea during college, while I was my fittest. Running every day, lifting weights, etc. I felt great, besides the fact that I couldn't get myself out of bed.

I still haven't started using a CPAP machine, as I have developed other coping methods (sleeping on one side helps dramatically). I have considered doing another sleep study though, to get some more information and start with a CPAP machine for backup.

I suggest you might want to study up the long term detrimental effects of sleep apnea. I had no idea.

How was the diagnosis made? Did you have to sleep in a clinic, or at home wearing some analyzer machine?

In the US, diagnosis is made in a one-night sleep clinic with an EKG and an adjustable CPAP. If you do this, make sure to tell the technician that if you register apneation, you would like a CPAP titration calibration done immediately. This saves you (a) another bad night's sleep in the clinic and (b) insurance hassles.

Then you go back to your doctor, discuss your need for a CPAP or APAP machine right now, and possible longer-term treatments.

Depending on insurance specifics, it may be much cheaper to buy a CPAP from an online source than via a full-service insurance-covered medical equipment company. Saving 50-75% is not unusual.

I had a sleep study done. Initially, it was done as response to high concentration of hemoglobin and low testosterone. I had been really tired for so long I didn't even realize how bad it was until I had my first night of sleep using a CPAP. The only way I could cope would be to drink caffeine continuously at work just to be able to focus, even sitting while at work was too much, I just wanted to lay down.

For diagnosis you need to go to a hospital that does sleep studies. They will hook you up with a sleep apnea machine and sensors and they will monitor your sleep overnight.

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea at around 20, which is rare for a young, healthy person. In my case I think it's just genetic because my dad has it. But I figured out something was wrong because I would sleep 10-12 hours and still wake up feeling exhausted. I wore the CPAP machine for a few years and that helped, but now I don't think I need it anymore. I sleep about 7 hours without it and feel fine.

After I got married, and my wife observed my sleep apnea, I did a sleep study. My apnea was infrequent/mild enough that the doctor considered CPAP unnecessarily invasive/expensive.

She told me to take a sock, put a tennis ball in it, safety pin it to the back of a t-shirt, and sleep in that.

Does that just stop you from moving onto your back while you sleep or is there some other goal?

I'm picking that it cushions the blow when his wife kicks him. On a related note, I had a friend who resorted to using duct tape over his partners mouth. Other than being rather brutal and terrifying to see in half light it worked wonders I'm told - better than the prescription tongue depressor thing.

Just stops me from moving onto my back while I sleep.

It depends. For many cases, an at-home analyzer will be sufficient.

But a lot of times you'll get scheduled for a clinic anyway...

What was the solution and before vs after difference?

The first night of using a CPAP machine, I woke up in about 4 hours and felt like Superman. I am not exaggerating. I suspect I gained 20 or so IQ points.

After about a month, I merely felt normal, averaging about 7 hours of sleep a night.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com