sleep apnea & insomnia

Hello
this is my first post, I can't believe how many people have sleep apnea
I cannot get use to wearing the nose thingy. i have extreme insomnia and i cannot fall asleep without taking something. I took all kinds of sleep meds and they quit having a solid sleep effect on me. i like ambien the best but after a few days i have to increase and thats not good.........

i've went off them about 2 months ago but i still take over the counter stuff. otherwise i would go days without sleep. who has this problem? anyone? other than the sleep pill, i am totally free from prescription drugs which causes more health problems.......

so i use the machine long enough until the sleepiness comes and then i have to take it off. i know it does no good, but i can't get used to it. has anyone thought about oxygen therapy? you can get it in pills. i have put on weight from lack of oxygen and i have no energy at all. does insomnia go with sleep apnea? Topaz~

Deb,

I don't have the problems you mentioned, but I'll bump this post up and maybe someone else may have some ideas.

I don't know what you mean by the following statement:

"so i use the machine long enough until the sleepiness comes and then i have to take it off."

When the sleepiness starts, that's when you should leave it ON.
As far as using oxygen, you have to have your airway open to be able to get the oxygen into your lungs and for that you need the XPAP therapy.

You probably need a different mask. One thing you could try is to wear your mask around the house during the weekend.....to get used to it. I'm a strong advocate of starting one's therapy on the weekend or days off (which is what I did). This allows the user to get used to this new way of sleeping.

Take the attitude of working at being able to keep it on for a little bit at a time and build from there. It is really your "friend".

Hang in there......

Den

Interesting you mention insomnia.

I have been suffering from insomnia and my Doc gave me stuff to sleep. HE went to some heavy duty stuff - to switch my brain off. I'd take the stuff go to sleep for an hour , wake up and toss & turn for the rest of the night sometimes falling asleep around 5 am or so. Then I'd have a drug hangover until 4 in the afternoon.

THAT wasn't working. I stopped taking the Med, went to Mexico for a week and was exposed to bright sun (from Chicago - known for grayscale in Winter)

I immediately slept like a baby. (Pre-CPAP) The Dr told me the bright light had adjusted my clock. (OK with me) ALso since I was waking up they thought OSA "might"have something to do with it . SO I got tested and yes I have OSA too.

I am now starting xPAP treatment, and I am sleeping differently - I still wake up from mask leaks or noise but I sleep much better and with NO sleep drugs. For me at least xPAP is NOT plug & play. You gotta work at it and find what works for you. A pill is an easy solution however, it fixes nothing. With xPAP you are helping your body take care of itself.

The light had an effect of resetting my circadium rhythm.

Everything you can do to move towards better health is worth the hassle.

You need to embrace your xpap therapy and make it work for you, IMHO.

IT's up to you. One pill does not solve all.
Many others here have come from from very sleep deprived histories.

Good luck,

Tom

i think it really depends on your situation. i went for sleep test originally for insomnia because i wanted to get off sleep meds. they wean you off, as you know, for the test cuz you have to be "clean." i did not not sleep at all during the test; they claimed i was the first person to do that. so the test had to be repeated. they diagnosed me with RLS. said i would never be off sleep meds.

some time went by and my sleep was getting worse and worse. so i went to a different sleep lab, went through the whole thing again, but at a much less prestigious place, i might add. the doctor diagnosed me with mild apnea, severe snoring and narcolepsy. he thought the daytime sleepiness was because my sleep at night was terrible. he couldn't see the rls diagnosis at all, couldn't see how the other lab had missed the snoring, but agreed with the other guy that even with cpap, i'd most likely never be off sleep meds. the reason? both sleep guys agreed that i have heavy alpha intrusion, which prevents me from both falling asleep and entering deep levels of sleep; it's relatively uncommon except in people who have chronic pain conditions--which i don't have.

so get it checked out. and i agree it's better to be without sleep meds. i don't see a big difference between otc and prescription. but maybe there's a physiological reason for this that can't be avoided. you have to get off them for a sleep test, so you could try now if you want to--just start cutting down, not cutting out. take smaller and smaller amounts of the pill until it gets ridiculous, then not at all, over a period of weeks.

you can get off them but as far as i know, cpap only minimally helps with insomnia. and no one likes the mask. it's a matter of training yourself to get used to it. one or two days seeing it work was enough to make me keep trying--for a while, anyway.

It sounds like your life is hell, but understand your not the only and you've got people here who completely relate. Insomnia is a seperate thing from OSA, but it can be started by OSA and become a seperate problem on its own. CPAP therapy is a proven therapy, but its tolerance level is just pathetic. Before giving up on CPAP I would highly suggest seeing a Sleep Psychologist to help overcome your CPAP intolerance. This may sound completely retarded, but the techniques they utilize can be quite effective. If you see a Sleep Psychologist, they will also probably reccomend CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy. You have some options, but you have to try them all.

If you've been on sleep meds for a long time, you could also have some problems with your GABA receptors. Our bodies build up a tolerance to drugs, and sleep meds are no different. Ambien, Lunesta, or OTC: they all will lose efficacy @ some point. You may need to "lay-low" from the meds sometime until your body gets readjusted.

How severe is your apnea? I ask becuase that is also an important factor. My OSA is severe (57/hr) and I have had no successful treatment yet, even after CPAP, nasal surgery, and dental device. I am currently seeking jaw surgery to "cure" my apnea. I know that my insomnia is OSA related, because since my sleep has been so unproductive, I've also had difficulty getting to sleep. OSA and insomnia go hand in hand for alot of people. Treat the apnea, then the insomnia should go on its course. My sleep psychologist told me to come back to him once I got my OSA treated, as I know my insomnia is dependent on my OSA.

Good luck in your situation and definitely keep up posted. Your not alone and we're all here to help.

-- Cory

It is common to have both. Find a good DME who will work with you on getting a comfortable mask that fits well. The idea about wearing it around during the day to get used to it is a good one. There are a lot of things to do about insomnia and if you end up needing the sleeping pill too-you will have lots of company. Apparently about 30% of people with insomnia nedd to stay on them. -look online and look for an AWAKE group. If you live near a sleep center they may have an insomnia group-and insurance may pay. Keep working wth the CPAP-if you have a CD player or tape player get some relaxation tapes/CD to help getting to sleep. I just started CPAP & have insomnia-things are improving in both cases and I'm committed to working on it to make it better.