There was a great diary the other day about having pain and also suffering from insomnia.
I raised the fact that I have sleep apnea and that if I do not wear my CPAP and I am in pain I cannot sleep at all at night, but if I wear it I am able to sleep.
If you are not familiar with sleep apnea the following information might help:
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the tongue collapses against the soft palate and the soft palate collapses against the back of the throat during sleep, and the airway is closed. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Complex sleep apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two conditions.
It is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with 80 percent of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea undiagnosed. OSA, which represents the great preponderance of the cases,when left untreated can lead to high blood pressure, chronic heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems; it is associated with type 2 diabetes and depression; and is a factor in many traffic accidents and accidents with heavy machinery, owing to the persistent drowsiness suffered by many OSA patients before the disease is recognized and treated.
The STOP-Bang questionnaire is a useful tool to determine your risk level.
It is very, very important that if you do have sleep apnea potentially, that you undergo a sleep study which can tell if you do, or do not, suffer from sleep apnea.
Some people who do have it say that they cannot sleep with the mask, it is uncomfortable, etc. I was the same way at first BUT now that I am used to it I cannot picture sleeping without my CPAP.
So… just for curiosity sake, do you or someone you know have sleep apnea?