sleep apnea and snoring

Hi,
Well i tried reading some of the posts on here but found myself very lost in the lingo you all use
Im not sure if i have sleep apnea or not, My nana had it and one of my brothers has it.
Ive been told in the past, when i would drink that i would quit breathing in my sleep(by my boyfriend) and would of course gasp and start breathing again
Ive never known this to happen as I am a pretty deep sleeper. My current boyfriend says i have trouble at times breathing in my sleep and my second problem of course is the snoring, I "Guess" I snore quite badly...My days are never started feeling rested, never never, Im always tired, have always been this way
Should i see my primary doctor on this?? what do i do at this point, I m getting up there in age and smoke on top of it.

hi Sheryl,

It sure sounds like you have all the symptoms of SA. Thye place to start would be your primary doctor and he/she should refer you for a sleep study to find out if you truly do or if you have one of the other sleep disorders. Smoking does not help you cause, I quit a few years ago (after many attempts and with much difficulty) and the difference has been like nght and day, plus many other benefits like taste, smell and no more coughing. But the first step is realizing you have a problem and going to get treated for it. SA can cause many other problems, none of them nice and you would be doing yourself a favor by being tested. Good Luck1 Tell us what you do and what you learn.

Opps forgot to signon,

The above post was mine

Sounds like you are a prime candidate for OSA, but only your Dr. can make the final diagnosis.

If I were to make a recommendation given what you have posted here, it would be that you RUN, not walk, to your Dr. and make arrangements for a sleep disorder test! It's not only about being tired all the time, but the longer you wait for a diagnosis, the more you are stressing all of your body and it's organs by depriving it of oxygen during the night (in other words, you are making yourself age faster than you should, inside and out!).

Also, consider the quality of your life and the quality of life for those around you. If you're tired all the time (like I was up until starting therapy), you don't feel much like interacting positively with those around you and you probably aren't living life with zest, gusto and enjoyment. I know before I started treatment, my Sweetie would have to go so far as sleeping in the living room in the recliner to get relief from my snoring. Not good for the relationship! My Bunny (8 year old son) didn't have much of a Daddy.....I was always too tired to do anything with him after work and the weekends were spent sleeping so I could try to "catch up on my sleep" (which, by the way, didn't work because the sleep I was getting on the weekends was the same poor quality as the sleep I was getting at night).

I've been on an APAP for a little over a month now and am feeling MUCH better. For example, my energy levels are to the point that yesterday, after work, I finished weeding 2 flower beds in the back yard, which Bunny and I started together on Sunday (spending quality time working together, I might add)! And, we went fishing on Friday (was my day off) and even though we didn't catch anything, we had a great time together. And the stories go on.

So, you aren't only doing this for yourself (which would be reason enough), but also for the ones you love and who love you.

Hope this helps. This therapy WORKS!!