How did you know something was wrong?

[RipVW]

My wife insisted I see my doctor after she woke up during the night and noticed I wasn't breathing--it scared her, she thought I'd died! Wondering what prompted other folks here to go to the doc, leading to a sleep study and sleep apnea diagnosis.

[SleepyToo2]

You really need an "Other" category. Although my wife commented that I snored, and "stole" the bed cover from her side, and I was 'feeling very hot' during the night, what really drove me to get a sleep study was a comment from my neurologist after a spell in hospital where they couldn't find any other reason for my collapsing in the bathroom in the middle of the night. After receiving treatment I still occasionally go the bathroom, but I am not stealing the bedding any more.

[RipVW]

Yeah, this polling system limits to 10 choices, so I couldn't add everything or an "other." Wish it didn't have that limitation.

[ameriken]

Where's the "feeling like complete shit day after day after day after day" choice?

Seriously, I never felt so close to death than I did when my apnea got bad.

[JohnBFisher]

My wife had spotted and article about sleep apnea and discussed it with me. I had just about decided that I ought to go see my doctor about it. I had reached the point where I was starting to literally dream when I blinked. Yikes! I knew something was wrong. Well, I went to sleep one night and stopped breathing like normal, followed by the loudest snore you've ever heard. Both our children awoke screaming. My wife just told me - you WILL go see the doctor, now you get one kid while I get the other. That was over 20 years ago. So, I know that my snoring *does* terrify women and children.

[MaxDarkside]

Need the "Died in a parking lot" choice too

[Goofproof]

Falling asleep while driving, even while driving a 150 ton (Load Weight only) haulage truck at work, (1200 horse power with-in 4 feet of you). The real reason for getting treatment was found when I had to have a quad by-pass done, it took them 20 minutes to tube me for the OP. I had my test after recovery and it's been a success every since, it was a no-brainer to breath air. Jim

[portiemom]

For me it was, 2 falls, 2 broken writs, and 2 car accidents. Doc found it as a last resort while checking me for MS. Still in a fog though it is way better, and persisting till it's sweet.

[portiemom]

Oops, 2 broken wrists.

[ohwhatanight]

I could feel my airway closing up before I was even asleep. Scared the c**p out of me and I was waking up every few seconds having to consciously puff my airway open. It was happening even if I tried to nap in a chair sitting upright. Realized it wasn't going to get better on its own so if I ever wanted any sleep again, I'd have to do something about it. I called a sleep doctor directly and scheduled the study, didn't even bother to wait around to see my family doctor first since I knew what the problem was already and didn't need a referral.

[chunkyfrog]

I was waking up multiple times every night; and getting up the first time I didn't have a headache--
even if it was 3 or 4 a.m.
I was nibbling all day long at work--just to stay awake.
I dozed off in traffic and hit a curb (luckily)
I felt like I was going to die--any day.

[jenn1270]

I was sleep talking all night keeping my husband awake.

Jenn

[hades161]

Sleeping entire weekends away just to get enough energy for the upcoming week.
Getting up going to work, eating / drinking all day long for energy, only to come home and go right to bed. Repeat daily, till full weekend sleep fest.
Falling asleep typing in client notes at work.
Falling asleep on the phone with clients.
Falling asleep while driving.
Falling asleep in the middle of conversations only to wake up 5 minutes later and finish off the last sentence I was speaking when I passed out.
Falling asleep in the bathroom on the throne, waking up to numb legs during the hourly trips to the bathroom at night.
Falling asleep when trying to watch a TV show or movie.
Falling asleep on my dinner on the table.
Falling asleep at my computer, discovered that when I would fall asleep my arm would fall holding my mouse along the way and launch it ( can't count the mice I had destroyed)

I got my sleep study just in time to be fired, they fought me on my unemployment due to poor work performance and absenteeism. My sleep Study won the judge over as to why this was all happening in my late 20s.

[scorpio1104]

I was having a procedure as an outpatient. My daughter was with me in the "holding" area, and after I had been sedated, she said I was snoring loudly, stopped breathing over and over, and was gasping for air like a fish out of water. So really, my daughter diagnosed me, I just went for the sleep studies so I could get treatment.

Prior to all of that, for many years I had struggled with daytime sleepiness, I gained 60 lbs., woke up regularly with headaches - all the classic symptoms of sleep apnea. Wish I had known what the symptoms were - I could have gotten help a long time ago. I was literally dragging myself through every day, sleeping in my car at lunch to make it home from work without falling asleep at the wheel. I was completely overwhelmed by my life and was seriously thinking about asking my dr. if I could have developed ADD in my 50's.

[FizzyWater]

I didn't have "day-time" sleepiness so much. I still don't get "enough" sleep (averaging 6 hours, still because of bad 'sleep hygiene'), so having trouble waking up and being grumpy-tired in the morning was normal for me. I've been a night-owl all my life, and mornings have never been my friend.

I've had deep, dark circles under my eyes for almost a decade - my brother mentioned reading an article that it might be a since of sleep apnea and I blew it off.

What finally did it for me was that, while I could function during the work-week, I pretty much sleep ALL WEEKEND long. Now a year after starting therapy, I still do...but not every weekend. My AHI is low, although sometimes I snore. So I still assume the weekend sleepiness is bad sleep hygiene during the week. But overall I feel better than I had before using the machine, and the dark circles are pretty much gone.