Good or bad idea?

[hobbs]

Wife is going for 1st sleep study next week. She has always had insomnia and morning headaches and has recently started snoring softly. I convinced to see our GP and he sent her to a sleep doc for a consultation, resulting in next weeks test.

I think it would be beneficial to her if I had her try my apap a couple times for a few minutes over the next few days. It will be a split study and at least when they wake her and strap the mask on she will know what to expect.

Yes? No?

[alnhwrd]

I don't see how it can hurt, and it would let her know a little of what to expect. Good idea!

[Sleeprider]

Nope, let it run its course.

Husbands coaching and diagnosing wives is just a bad idea, EVEN IF YOU ARE A PRO!. If there is a problem, it will be diagnosed by a professional. Get off her case and become the supportive spouse and quit projecting your problems onto her. You will both be happier.

[Snoredog]

sounds like a GREAT idea to me, if it were my wife that is what I would do.

Have her wear your nasal mask for 10-15 minutes at a time so she gets used to wearing the mask for several days in the evening. This will take the shock away from having the mask put on her during the titration portion of the test,

If you are going to have her try the machine set it at 5 or 6 cm on the Minimum side and about 15 on the Maximum side, erase the LCD data before you begin, then observe the AI and HI the next morning before noon (if it can display it). Note any pressure if above Minimum you can expect she had some events or snores like a train.

Explain to her what the split-night study is and what she is to expect,

first 2 hours (240 minutes) is devoted to diagnostic
last 2 hours is devoted to titration and sleep

You are preparing your wife so she doesn't experience any surprises at the PSG, in fact I would tell her to take a Excedrin PM in the parking lot of the lab if she has insomnia problems.

The most important thing she can do at the PSG is sleep, if she doesn't sleep they don't get any data and the test is a failure and she will have to go back (they like that because they get paid twice).

If she goes in prepared where she can sleep they should be able to get everything needed from the single study. But like I said they like to get paid twice for things so they keep you in the dark on a lot of things about the PSG.

You have been through it, let her know how it was.

The PSG (at least one) is important, because they also report those non-OSA events which can destroy sleep architecture and lead to daytime fatigue including PLMD, RLS etc.

Make sure she asks for a copy of that lab report and gets the original of any prescription and with your experience, I would pretty much demand a autopap from the start and paying any additional for it if needed.

[Snoredog]

Nope, let it run its course.

Husbands coaching and diagnosing wives is just a bad idea, EVEN IF YOU ARE A PRO!. If there is a problem, it will be diagnosed by a professional. Get off her case and become the supportive spouse and quit projecting your problems onto her. You will both be happier.

LOL man are you on the wrong board, here we HELP people and encourage them to take control over their own therapy.

You must be a sleepapnea.org reject

only kidding!!

[tudorman]

AutoPAP is NOT for everybody, I strongly advise against "demanding" it. Straight CPAP works better for many people. I used to use auto and would often wake myself up snoring. The machine doesn't always respond quickly enough to take care of events. I am doing much better on a straight pressure of 14.

[bigk]

AutoPAP is NOT for everybody, I strongly advise against "demanding" it. Straight CPAP works better for many people. I used to use auto and would often wake myself up snoring. The machine doesn't always respond quickly enough to take care of events. I am doing much better on a straight pressure of 14.

Well I'd say the odds are you didn't have teh APAP at the right pressures.

Don't forget, an APAP can act exactly like a CPAP but a CPAP will never be an APAP.

[Snoredog]

AutoPAP is NOT for everybody, I strongly advise against "demanding" it. Straight CPAP works better for many people. I used to use auto and would often wake myself up snoring. The machine doesn't always respond quickly enough to take care of events. I am doing much better on a straight pressure of 14.

Well I'd say the odds are you didn't have teh APAP at the right pressures.

Don't forget, an APAP can act exactly like a CPAP but a CPAP will never be an APAP.

[kteague]

How about yes and no?

Yes, I think it would be beneficial to her to be best prepared so the night is less affected by all the newness.

No, if she doesn't want to do this. Often spouses are sick to death of hearing about anything sleep apnea since the subject does kinda consume some of us.

Doesn't hurt to make suggestions. You'd do as much for a stranger. On here everyone is asking for the insights of others. Ask her how much help she wants from you. Yeah, that's the answer.

[bdp522]

If she is willing to try it, go for it! I WISH someone had been able to let me try a mask and machine before my titration just so I knew what it was going to be like. Actually my titration was so far off and so painful(mask was way too tight) that I would have prefered to just try it myself with an apap and software(I ended up doing this anyway, with help from forum folk).
Go for an auto! I use mine in cpap mode because I sleep better that way. BUT, I switch it to auto every few months for a week just to check and be sure I'm at a good pressure. It's nice to know that I CAN use auto if I want.

Brenda

[DreamStalker]

AutoPAP is NOT for everybody, I strongly advise against "demanding" it. Straight CPAP works better for many people. I used to use auto and would often wake myself up snoring. The machine doesn't always respond quickly enough to take care of events. I am doing much better on a straight pressure of 14.

yea yea ... we hear that from guests all the time. I guess that is why they remain GUESTS and never become members

[Pineapple]

How about yes and no?

Yes, I think it would be beneficial to her to be best prepared so the night is less affected by all the newness.

No, if she doesn't want to do this. Often spouses are sick to death of hearing about anything sleep apnea since the subject does kinda consume some of us.

Doesn't hurt to make suggestions. You'd do as much for a stranger. On here everyone is asking for the insights of others. Ask her how much help she wants from you. Yeah, that's the answer.

Hobbs,

I think this is your best answer. Sometimes spouses reject something like childern to parents - "Mom, I can do this myself". I'd gently offer the option, but if she rejects the idea, drop it. She may come back the next day and say she would like to try it. You don't want to cause her to become mad and refuse to have anything to do with CPAP. If she needs the therapy, it will just make the adjustment harder.

[Wulfman]

hobbs,

Sounds like a good idea to me, too. You're the best one to judge how to proceed with the preview of what to expect with the sleep study. Yeah, some of our spouses hear so much of this from us, but at least they become accustomed to seeing the equipment and hearing the noises coming from the masks and machines. I've given my wife an "open invitation" to experience what I go through each night if she ever gets curious or feels like she may actually "need" this therapy. I even bought a smaller UMFF mask a couple of years ago (which I think might fit her) if she ever takes me up on the offer.

Even though I use straight pressure (CPAP) in MY therapy, I do NOT discourage people from getting a machine with more optional modes and settings (APAPs) if they can get their insurance to go for it or if they're buying out-of-pocket. A person never knows what may treat their condition better until they actually try the various options.

Good luck.

Den

[GumbyCT]

Yes - experience is the best teacher.

[Insomniyak]

I think it would be a great idea to let her try the mask out. I know it would be disconcerting to me if someone came into my room at 2AM and slapped a mask on me. It takes me a while to be coherent anyway. I had a separate titration from the sleep study (not a split night) and that was much better. I must be in the minority whose titration was awsome. I had a tech who had been on CPAP for 2+ years and was in the field for 12 so he was straight on with everything and conveyed this confidence in what he was doing. I also went tired and that helped

I am also forunate to have a co-worker on CPAP so she answered alot of questions and is letting me borrow a CPAP while I wait for the script.