Any advice for an overnight flight? And how not to snore?

[MapleG]

Have been using a CPAP for about 8 months now, and it has worked well for me. However, heading on a 12 hour overnight flight and I cannot use a CPAP on the flight. Air Canada does not let you plug them in. I have no problem with that--I can go one night without it....but...I will have a lie flat seat on an overnight flight of 12 hours. Odds are I will fall asleep and snore like a banshee...not exactly endearing myself to the rest of the passengers, crew and my wife who is flying with me. It's one of those pod seats where she can't even give me a jolt when I start snoring.

Anyone have any advice? I mean I read here of people taping their mouths shut so they don't mouth breath through their nasal masks...I am not really keen on doing something like that, but might consider it or similar if it actually would work to stop my snoring!

Thanks.

[park_ridge_dave]

Have been using a CPAP for about 8 months now, and it has worked well for me. However, heading on a 12 hour overnight flight and I cannot use a CPAP on the flight. Air Canada does not let you plug them in. I have no problem with that--I can go one night without it....but...I will have a lie flat seat on an overnight flight of 12 hours. Odds are I will fall asleep and snore like a banshee...not exactly endearing myself to the rest of the passengers, crew and my wife who is flying with me. It's one of those pod seats where she can't even give me a jolt when I start snoring.

Anyone have any advice? I mean I read here of people taping their mouths shut so they don't mouth breath through their nasal masks...I am not really keen on doing something like that, but might consider it or similar if it actually would work to stop my snoring!

Thanks.

Obviously, if you get a lie flat seat, you are most likely not "in steerage" I usually just tilt the seat back far enough to act like a recliner. I use a neck collar pillow and I seem to snore a lot less that way. I also have a mouth appliance that I use. It seems to help the snoring.

And as a last resort, stop by a pharmacy and get a 50 count package of foam ear plugs and pass them out

(just kidding on the last one that's what my bride says she will do the next time we visit Asia or "Aussie" land)

Best of luck and I'm sure others will have further suggestions.

Cheers,

Dave

[PST]

Your snoring will be far less annoying to others in the airplane than it was at home before CPAP. There will be a lot of background noise at the same low frequencies of most snoring. I fly often, and I don't think I have ever been bothered by someone else's snoring. As for trying to minimize the effects of OSA, there isn't much you can do except sleep on your side, if the pod is configured in a way that makes it possible. I find the seated-with-head-tipped-back position of most airplane seats the worst possible posture for sleep apnea. It was strangers on airplanes who first told me that I sometimes stop breathing.

[roster]

It was strangers on airplanes who first told me that I sometimes stop breathing.

That's polite code for "your snoring is obnoxious".

[LinkC]

Is there a polite code for "You snore like a water buffalo"?

[billbolton]

Is there a polite code for "You snore like a water buffalo"?

Only in Asia!

Cheers,

Bill

[bailachel]

Just to clarify, when you say that they won't let you plug in, do you mean they won't let you plug in to their power, but you could use a battery, or do you mean they won't let you use it at all?

[dtsm]

I have flown many times trans-pacific before starting cpap and no doubt my sawing was an annoyance. But it's an airplane, the noise level with the droning of engines is fairly high and most passengers live with their neighbors for the 12 hour period. I wouldn't be too concerned.

Also, given you're in business class, I can assure you there will be someone else close by competing for the snoring contest

Safe travels.

[echo]

Indeed, you might want to look into using a battery, at least that way you too will get some decent sleep on the flight! I just bought one from cpap.com but haven't tried it out yet, it looks pretty small and portable.

[MapleG]

Air Canada web site says you cannot plug it in to the onboard power outlets, and that to use a CPAP machine you must have a gel battery (of a type they approve) . Long story short-they are not CPAP friendly.

It's a moot point, because I am not buying a battery anyway. The business class seat is a points upgrade, not my normal mode of travel. The funny thing is a couple of years ago I made the same flight with my son, and someone was snoring mightily. I glared at the snorer and made a comment to my son along the lines of how thoughtless could that snorer be. My son laughed and said my snoring was much worse and who was I to talk. That was before my sleep apnea diagnosis and CPAP usage, so looking back I can see how a bad snorer kind of makes life miserable on a flight for those around them

I guess I will just enjoy the flight, have a few glasses of vino and hope for the best. After all, they pass out noise cancelling headphones in business class, so at least they will have a chance to see how effective they are!

[countman88]

Buy a mandibular splint (mouthguard). many on ebay etc. Mine cost about $50, instructions included on how to mould it to your mouth, particularly to stop snoring and apnea.
i use mine whenever I go on business trips etc. for only a night, or possibly two.
have used it at at home and my wife assures me I don't snore with it, and get almost as good results as cpap.
A sleep study using it showed that it was not quite as effective as cpap.
really handy and simple.

kenD
bris

[roster]

Buy a mandibular splint (mouthguard). many on ebay etc. Mine cost about $50, instructions included on how to mould it to your mouth, particularly to stop snoring and apnea.
i use mine whenever I go on business trips etc. for only a night, or possibly two.
have used it at at home and my wife assures me I don't snore with it, and get almost as good results as cpap.
A sleep study using it showed that it was not quite as effective as cpap.
really handy and simple.

kenD
bris

Which model did you buy? If you had it to do over, would you buy the same model?

[chargen]

Perhaps a breathright strip or similar would help? Before I started CPAP, my wife forced me to wear one almost every night to reduce the snoring. Didn't erase it completely like CPAP, but reduced the volume significantly.

[countman88]

roster
Sorry I don't have details with me of the one I bought, but it was on Australian ebay. previoyus to that I paid $500 for a dentist fitted one, which had a money back guarantee. I now remember that was the one I had the sleep study with, found it was not quite as effective as cpap, took the money back option. Regretted it later and went and bought the cheapie which seemed to work just as well

KenD
Bris

[MapleG]

Decided to try the Mandibular splint option and ordered one from eBay for about $25. Will see how it works and post my results in about a month's time.

Thanks for the advice!