Blue water sailing with sleep apnea?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

But for me what was amazing was once I started on the CPAP, I began dreaming again, and as silly as this sounds you miss dreaming. It became my dream machine. That tapered off of course as everything does.

I had exactly the same experience. I think it is related to not getting into the very good deep sleep part of the sleep cycle, which the machine assists with.

I have a friend who sells them for a living, and he gave me access to some tools that allow me to analyse my sleep overnight on the computer, a sort of crude version of the real tests.

I check the data now and then as I find it is a very good indicator of how well I am looking after myself.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by GILow

........
As for the person who said you cannot use one on a passage... well, frankly, what a load of uninformed twaddle. I always use mine when under way. The rhythm gets me back to sleep in seconds after waking for a horizon scan.

.....

When I said you wouldn't use one on passage, I was thinking more of the passages I've done where it is rough, you never really fall solid asleep, taking the time to sit for a radio schedule seems like an overwhelming amount of work, cooking is just plain hard, etc. On these passages I get as much rest as I can in my short off watch and do as little extra as possible.
On anchor it would be no problem. Either way, missing a few nights using a CPap or a dental appliance just doesn't matter.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Paul L

When I said you wouldn't use one on passage, I was thinking more of the passages I've done where it is rough, you never really fall solid asleep, taking the time to sit for a radio schedule seems like an overwhelming amount of work, cooking is just plain hard, etc. On these passages I get as much rest as I can in my short off watch and do as little extra as possible.

On anchor it would be no problem. Either way, missing a few nights using a CPap or a dental appliance just doesn't matter.

That’s the point though... it makes me go to sleep in seconds, so I CAN get some sleep where I might otherwise toss and turn.

If it is that rough that it is impossible to sleep, then nothing short of a blow to the head is gonna help anyway. For other conditions, the machine cannot be beaten.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by GILow

That’s the point though... it makes me go to sleep in seconds, so I CAN get some sleep where I might otherwise toss and turn.

If it is that rough that it is impossible to sleep, then nothing short of a blow to the head is gonna help anyway. For other conditions, the machine cannot be beaten.

You are a lucky one. Cpap works really well for. As I mentioned above, the compliance rate of Cpap users is only about 50%. In other words half the people drop using it within months.

[jmorrison146]

First comes a consult with a sleep medicine physician. The "sleep study" involves spending the night at the lab, showing up around 8pm. They wire you up with about a dozen sensors (not uncomfortable) and have you just read a book or watch tv and go to sleep as you normally do.

There is a camera in the room as well and after a couple of hours of sleep they have baseline data on your sleep pattern and breathing during sleep. They will likely wake you up and fit a CPAP that has been set up to the pressure recommended by the physician. You sleep some more, they observe some more, and they gather more data. They wake you up around 6am and send you home.

The main issue is the number "events" (when you stop breathing entirely) that they observe.

After a week or so, the full report is available and there's a follow-up consultation with the physician.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Paul L

You are a lucky one. Cpap works really well for. As I mentioned above, the compliance rate of Cpap users is only about 50%. In other words half the people drop using it within months.

Yes, I discussed this with my mate. He’d been selling them for a few years by then and his feeling was that you could spot who’d see it through very early on. His theory was that you needed to get past the early problems of chafing and discomfort to be able to see it through. I’m guessing the skin around my nostrils must be tougher than the soles of my feet now. [emoji23]

[GILow]

Originally Posted by jmorrison146

The main issue is the number "events" (when you stop breathing entirely) that they observe.

And some machines, like mine, will easily report how many events they observed and needed to intervene in during the night as well.

This, I find, is the first sign that I am not looking after my health.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by geoleo

Losing weight and stopping drinking alcohol will cure most ills!!

I have no weight to loose and use hardly any alcohol but I was tested 20 breath stops during 6 hour sleep the longest stop being over 90sec. Nor do I wake up during night..

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by jmorrison146

First comes a consult with a sleep medicine physician. The "sleep study" involves spending the night at the lab, showing up around 8pm. They wire you up with about a dozen sensors (not uncomfortable) and have you just read a book or watch tv and go to sleep as you normally do.

There is a camera in the room as well and after a couple of hours of sleep they have baseline data on your sleep pattern and breathing during sleep. They will likely wake you up and fit a CPAP that has been set up to the pressure recommended by the physician. You sleep some more, they observe some more, and they gather more data. They wake you up around 6am and send you home.

The main issue is the number "events" (when you stop breathing entirely) that they observe.

After a week or so, the full report is available and there's a follow-up consultation with the physician.

Thanks for that..... Now I know what to ask for here in the Philippines

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by jmorrison146

Sleep Medicine is part of a Neurology Department, not Ear /Nose/Throat.

Depends where you are. In Skandinavian countries it's in the ENT..

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by GILow

I have a friend who sells them for a living, and he gave me access to some tools that allow me to analyse my sleep overnight on the computer, a sort of crude version of the real tests.

Try the Sleepyhead software, it’s completely free, and I have the factory Resperonics software, and Sleepyhead is much, much better than it.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

I have no weight to loose and use hardly any alcohol but I was tested 20 breath stops during 6 hour sleep the longest stop being over 90sec. Nor do I wake up during night..

Scary stuff hey? Thank goodness for the invention of these devices. I know I feel a heck of lot better rested in the morning than I used to, I imagine you’ve found the same?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Try the Sleepyhead software, it’s completely free, and I have the factory Resperonics software, and Sleepyhead is much, much better than it.

I’ll check it out, thank you.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by GILow

Scary stuff hey? Thank goodness for the invention of these devices. I know I feel a heck of lot better rested in the morning than I used to, I imagine you’ve found the same?

My oxygen levels never went too low, to 84% saturation if I recall it right, which doesn't tell me much but if it's comparabel to O2 partial presure so not too bad (diver.. ) Yes, I'm now feeling much better during day time. Never had any problem waking up but got so tired in the afternoons couldn't think straight.. Had some difficulties to accustom to the device but after the first week been a lot better.

[Pelagic]

This has been a very enlightening thread......

Thanks to OP for asking!