How to Sleep with Sleep Apnea – A Personal Experience!

Some time ago, I became aware of this disorder in my husband. If I went to bed after him, I noticed that he would stop breathing for what seemed an age and I would literally have to prod him in the back to make him take a gasp of air. I used to think that he died and it was quite alarming to say the least but he had no recollection of this the

next day. His condition was quite mild compared to some but to make matter worse, it was nearly always accompanied by loud snoring. So, if it wasn’t me thinking he was dead, then it was those awful guttural noises that kept me awake for hours. Mind you, he always used to say that I snored as well so how to sleep with sleep apnea and snoring, that is the question we needed to solve.

Put very simply, some of the symptoms of sleep apnea are regular pauses in breathing, which can last a couple of seconds or much longer and these interruptions, can occur many times an hour. Sleep apnea appears to be becoming quite a common condition and it seems that many people only become aware of it if a partner, as happened in my husband’s case alerts them to it. They may have had the condition for some time and have perhaps unknowingly, learned to live with the symptoms of frequent sleep interruptions that leave them with feelings of constant fatigue and lethargy during the day.

How to Sleep With Sleep Apnea and Find Solutions

Older people like ourselves are more likely to suffer from this sleep disorder, sleep apnea and it is now thought that obesity, drinking too much alcohol all contribute to the condition. There are three types of sleep apnea and are known as  Central (CSA), Obstructive (OSA) and Complex, which is a mix of the two. The first, CSA is mainly where there are pauses in breathing caused by insufficient physical respiratory effort and the second; OSA is where there is a blockage interrupting the airflow.

Treatment in my husband’s case was quite simple and only involved him using another pillow to elevate his head and neck, which helped to keep his airways open, and this also had a positive effect on the snoring, which became less frequent and less pronounced. He also tried to make sure that he slept on his side to avoid his tongue falling backwards and causing a blockage. He had also quit smoking and reduced his alcohol intake, as we believe these were big contributing factors. Obesity was never really a factor in his case because he is of regular weight but obesity it is now believed to be a possible culprit.

I have a relative who suffers badly from obstructive sleep apnea and she uses a machine to help keep her airways open. She has learned how to sleep with sleep apnea through the assistance of one of these machines, known as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and she said that the mask has been an effective treatment. However, in her opinion, they are quite bulky things to wear and not the most attractive thing to go to bed in. She is now working on one of the possible contributing factors in her case, which is her weight. She doesn’t smoke or drink alcohol so wants to see if reducing her weight does the trick and helps eliminate this sleep disorder for good.

From personal experience over the years, I have learned how to sleep with sleep apnea even though I am not the one who actually suffers from it but I am directly affected by it. It is a complicated subject with varying degrees of severity, ranging from barely being conscious of it; through to it being quite severe and possibly life threatening so, if you recognize any of the symptoms of this disorder then it’s advisable for you to discuss your worries with your doctor.

By Rosemary Taylor