In October 2013 I had a sleep study done here in the US. Why? Because I snore. There, I said it. I admit it. When I'm sick, it's bad, when I'm really tired, it's bad. Sometimes I don't snore, usually I do. It's gotten worse over the last few months so I decided (as my husband's tired eyes silently pleaded) to do a sleep study to see about getting help.
Before you ask (or think it) yes I tried nasal strips and a mouth guard (not together) and neither affect my snoring in any way. I found out from my sleep doctor that this is a good indicator that my snoring is an indicator of sleep apnea, as were my other symptoms of daytime tiredness, and regularly (several times) waking up during the night. The reason the strips and sprays don't work is because it's not my nose that makes me snore, it's because I have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). During the night, as I fall asleep, my airway collapses and partially closes causing it to vibrate (called hypopneas) which results in snoring. Sometimes it will close all the way and I will stop breathing all-together (called apneas). My brain then wakes me up (sometimes I'm aware of it, sometimes I'm not) to start me breathing again. During the 6.8 hours of my sleep study my oxygen saturation dropped from 99% to 88%, and this was simply from it collapsing, apparently it never closed fully.
Side-effects of sleep apnea can be pretty bad, including death. This is because when you stop breathing you are putting a strain on your heart, and it can result in strokes as well. The lack of oxygen kills brain cells, messes with your metabolism and hormone levels and can result in daytime tiredness, weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
It's incredibly important to get tested if you have any of the symptoms.
The Sleep Studies
A sleep study I'm sure probably varies from place to place but in my
case I had to go to the hospital where the sleep clinic was at 7pm and
fill in forms and get "hooked up". The hooking up consisted of nasal
prong, sensors (and icky conductor gel) in my hair line, forehead, neck,
arms and legs, as well as bands around my chest and ribs and an oxygen clip on my finger. Once all
connected I had to lay down while they spoke to me through the intercom
to make sure all the connections were working. Things like, "open your
eyes", "close your eyes", "blink 3 times", "hold your breath", "flex
your foot", "hum"... It was incredibly uncomfortable with all those
wires and felt like I got no sleep at all. I did, as it turned out,
sleep long enough for them to determine I had sleep apnea and I had to
go back another time to sleep again, this time I got to try out CPAP
masks.
The second sleep study I arrived at 7pm again
and a girl went through the different types of masks (and there's a
lot!). I tried a nasal mask (hated it), and settled on a full-face mask
(I'm a mouth breather so this works well for me). I then got to sleep
and while I slept they adjusted the flow of air through the mask until I
stopped snoring.
Once I was done with that I had an appointment with the DME (durible medical equipment)
provider to give me my machine and show me how to use it (clean it etc
as well). Fun fact: DME isn't counted in your bag count when traveling
so if I went back to Australia I could take a handbag, laptop AND my
CPAP as carry-on.
The CPAP Machine
So, after being diagnosed, on November 11, 2013 I got my very first CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), a RedMed S9 Autoset with H5i heated humidifier an an oh-so-sexy full face mask (a ResMed Quattro FX for her). A CPAP machine is continuous air pushed from the machine, through the hose and into a mask (I have a full face mask but there are other kinds). This air is set to a level that is enough to keep your airway constantly open which should result in a better nights sleep (no more waking up to breath) and also a better nights sleep for your sleeping partners because the snoring stops! Some people really struggle with their machines, especially in the beginning, while they get used to having a mask on their face.
I've had my CPAP machine now for just over 5 months. In the beginning I really struggled (though I still slept pretty well really) with changing my sleeping position and being more aware of now rolling onto my side and burying my head in my pillow. When I do that it nudges the mask and air escapes, making this annoying hissing sound and blowing into my eyes.
I found the change in sleeping position hard on my back but I've adjusted now and am still able to sleep on my side as well as my back. It's pretty funny really that I sleep on my back, often considered the worst snoring position, because I'd spent so many years avoiding doing so to lessen the snoring.
Some people report feeling congested or dry mouthed in the morning, even with the humidifier, but while I've noticed a difference, it's not to an uncomfortable level.
Cost wise, we got the machine through insurance and had to pay co-insurance (our deductible was paid thanks to the sleep studies). I will address how health insurance works (in general) in another post.
Anyway, there you go. My first big experience with the US health system.
Thanks for reading!
**Edit - I forgot to add, my husband sleeps much more soundly now I have the CPAP machine :) I still snore on a bad night but he said it's not very constant and is also muffled by the mask so it doesn't bother him! The exhaust sometimes blows on the back of his neck though, or he hears the hissing when the mask shifts and leaks and it will bother him but the benefits far outweigh the occasional issues!
Hi Vanessa,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your experience. It's so important to make people aware that sleep apnea affects EVERYONE.
Also, congratulations on your compliance. It's not easy. We see a lot of people who have trouble adjusting and sometimes that makes it seem harder to others who are just beginning therapy.