Sleep apnea

I think my problem is just that i'm a light sleeper. the engine starting and stopping throughout the night wakes me up. I hardly ever sleep for 8 hours without waking u several times.

I think even if you slept 8 hours, broken up by a few wake ups, that would not be the same as sleeping 8 hours straight. you don't get as much rem sleep. maybe?

 

It's the other way around. I've done tons of research on the subject.

Someone that has sleep apnea for a number of years, they found many their thyroid dies and they also develop diabetes later in life.

In my case, I snored since my 20's and know I had sleep apnea since then. Only until I reached 40 did the sleep apnea get severe where I would wake up choking. My thyroid quit at age 46 and then diagnosed with diabetes at age 48. When I read that doctors report, everything made sense then.

It's very important to get treated or the other stuff sneaks up on you. Many cases are mild to moderate. It's the severe cases which have future problems. You go through life getting reduced oxygen, stuff is going to happen.

 

You certainly have a point? It could actually save your ### if need proof of your whereabouts/activity.

 

Only 4% quite a difference!

 

It seems like a lot of a hassle to get A DOT Physical when you have sleep apnea.
Got to have a note from doctor and give to DOT doctor
Then there is the DMV with function Ability Evaluation Medical Report that your doctor has to fill out and turn in.
big brother does watch us drivers.
But what about no dozz and the rock stars
I am geting the Idea that truck drivers need to have 5% body fat and be all buff
but no Body builders at The truck stops.

 

One article I read said 3% of the driving public suffer from sleep apnea. Of truck drivers from the survey, 28% had sleep apnea.

I tend to believe that more, given the lifestyle and diet truckers face. Just like diabetes and other diseases, there are many not diagnosed and treated.

 

Bowman, my company sent me for the DOT physical when I got re-hired at the place I now work. My weight was a bit heavy; had a Body Mass Index of 30.5 and the limit was 30,,,or the limit was 33, and I had 33.5. Can't remember, other than I was 'barely over' the Limit.
So, they sent me for a sleep test. My company has about 6 rooms set up at one of their terminals, and they are ongoing with everyday testing of drivers. It took 6 hrs of me sleeping and Tech's watching for them to determine that I had Sleep Apnea. There were a couple of Big Boys who only took 2 hrs, the Tech told me. Yes, the Tech 'watches you' at their laptop. They aren't really watching you like on a TV, just the readings from the wires that are connected to you.
You look like a Frankenstein, with all the wires connected to you. lol. Then you lie down and try and get your overnight sleep in, on a strange bed. No problem. It was late at night after a long day at Orientation. I slept ok, no big deal.

Ok, here is a CLEAR sign of one having Sleep Apnea. When one DOES toss and turn', as you said you did. I often will 'jump', and kick, and maybe roll over really fast. Unconscious, of course, in the night.

What THAT is, per what the Tech told me, was that "You haven't been breathing for awhile, and the brain fires off Adrenalin into your heart, kick starting your heart to beat and your lungs to breath".... LOL. No kidding.

So THAT is what 'tossing and turning' really means.

There is some little flap of skin in the back of your throat somewhere, that 'flaps' in the night, thus making one 'snore'. It is this flap that has gotten 'lazy', from what I can understand. The CPAP machine keeps a constant pressure on this flap, thus keep airway open as we have when we are younger. And slimmer...

Anyway, the third night of my use of the machine/FisherPatel brand, I think), I felt the flap 'open up'.... I was absolutely asleep, yet my brain 'knew' that flap opened up. I felt it. It was a weird feeling, yet I know good and well it trained those flap muscles to stay open again.

I felt better the first night of its use. I've had a heart attack and have had a quad bypass six years ago. I know good and well this thing oxygenates my body; I am more refreshed every day, and don't have to stop and take a 1 hr nap anymore. Maybe some days I might nap 30 min or so. No big deal. It isn't like it was a couple years ago, sleeping almost every afternoon. I run harder, and make more money now, which has long ago paid for this machine.
I haven't seen but one guy who said he didn't like his machine, and the few here. I think if overweight America had these machines, it might make them lose weight and get in shape, easier.
Hope this helps. Ed

 

thats some good info ed.

I'm not overweight, i'm 6 ft 180 lbs.

but I still don't sleep well. I seem to always have to clench my jaw shut tightly.
I can't just relax my jaw. I think that might have something to do with it.

 

same here, i wake up thinking and remembering all kinds of wierd things

 

Alot of people with sleep apnea will wake up right in the middle of a dream. That's when they reach REM's and the throat relaxes and quit breathing begins. Alot of people can't breathe through their nose because of their nasal passages. Then they rely on their mouth. Then that flapper thing between the sinuses and throat collapes cutting off their air.

I figured if you can breathe through your nose the flapper thing won't be in the way of your sinuses. I started using them Breathe Right strips and they work great. I've slept better the past two months than I have in awhile. One ought to try them before they make the expensive CPAP move.