Morning all,

This morning, swmbo told me that sometimes when she wakes up in the night, I can be breathing very shallowly (if that's not already a word, it should be), or seem to be almost holding my breath in my sleep, so she gets worried that I'm going to suffocate myself and pokes me in the ribs.

I think I'm just in REM sleep when she notices this, so my body's effectively paralysed. This would also explain why I wake up feeling knackered, even though I don't think I've woken up all night - she's put me out of REM sleep, but I've just gone back a step, not woken up.

I know there are a few docs on here - can I just tell her to please stop poking me?

Cheers


Vince

You're not going to suffocate but you could have Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.... Common cause of people feeling knackered all the time. It might be worth being referred to a sleep clinic to have your blood oxygen monitored overnight that will soon tell you if you've got it...

but yes you can tell your wife to stop poking you, Sleep Apnoeics don't stop breathing completely...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea

Yep - as Ben says... most likely its just normal breathing which varies with sleeping cycle, nothing to worry about.

A few clues to the obstructive sleep apnoea thing - in order for it to be likely you will a) be fat b) snore a lot and c) score highly (more than 10 or so) on the Epworth sleepiness score link here

If you have 2 of the above 3, pop along to your GP with the story you have told us, and the result of the Epworth.

Chris

Yep, sounds like sleep apnoea. My friend has it and she has to sleep with a mask which she said was awkward at first but she now says she sleeps better than she ever has.

Worth going to the GP though as what essentially happens is that you stop breathing.

It's usually the wife who tells the husband to stop poking her

^^^^ I'm starting to get a bit worried about (and fed up with) people who really don't know what they are talking about giving (albeit well meaning) advice on an internet forum with little or no information, and almost no knowledge, to base that opinion on. I could reference several recent threads that I have deliberately not posted on, but some of the "advice" has been downright dangerous.

It is very difficult to diagnose anything even in person, let alone on line, and one persons friend / realtive/ or indeed self with similar stuff may have something completely different.....

Ben and I know what we are talking about, and we are deliberately and specifically vague and general in our responses as we know there could be lots of things going on....

PLEASE, don't give unfounded and potentially dangerous (and usually very dogmatic and authoritative sounding) advice online......

Speedy - this doesn't really all apply to you, but its the straw that broke this camels back I'm afraid!

Chris

I was wondering about sleep apnoea, I do snore a bit and I'm a bit overweight, but not fat. I'll check out the sleepiness score thing, thanks Chris.

I'll ask her to stop poking and see if I feel more rested in the mornings...

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Originally posted by chrsgrain
^^^^ I'm starting to get a bit worried about (and fed up with) people who really don't know what they are talking about giving (albeit well meaning) advice on an internet forum with little or no information, and almost no knowledge, to base that opinion on. I could reference several recent threads that I have deliberately not posted on, but some of the "advice" has been downright dangerous.

It is very difficult to diagnose anything even in person, let alone on line, and one persons friend / realtive/ or indeed self with similar stuff may have something completely different.....

Ben and I know what we are talking about, and we are deliberately and specifically vague and general in our responses as we know there could be lots of things going on....

PLEASE, don't give unfounded and potentially dangerous (and usually very dogmatic and authoritative sounding) advice online......

Speedy - this doesn't really all apply to you, but its the straw that broke this camels back I'm afraid!

Chris

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Originally posted by l0rd
[
But, Nothing personal, as BenB knows my story, sometimes, even the GPs don't know what is going on even though, they have seen you in person.

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PLEASE, don't give unfounded and potentially dangerous (and usually very dogmatic and authoritative sounding) advice online

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I was diagnosed with OSA about 10 years ago.

I went to the Dr after waking up on the M1 central reservation rumble strips still doing 90mph.

Sleeping with the CPAP machine has changed my life.

Don't leave it, get proper medical advice

Just my opinion of course.

Neil

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Originally posted by trikerneil
I went to the Dr after waking up on the M1 central reservation rumble strips still doing 90mph.

Sleeping with the CPAP machine has changed my life.

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Would you go to a medical website for advice about setting your ignition timing ?

Go see a doctor :-)

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Originally posted by trikerneil
Sleeping with the CPAP machine has changed my life.

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+1 for the benefits of being diagnosed if you do have sleep apnea. I was diagnosed in 2002 and the effect of the CPAP was like turbocharged sleep for me!

I went from being sleepy all day, a horrible condition that effects everything you do, to having loads of energy, both mental and physical.

Slightly off topic but related was the TV prog about the Narcolepsy Association or whatever it's called.
During their council meetings they showed that they had to have 2 or 3 people recording the minutes as one person doing the job was likely to fall asleep whilst the meeting was on - and it proved to be true!
Cheers, Pewe

People have said to me in the past that i look like i stop breathing in my sleep ,i just put that down to having asthma .the first time it happened i was 14 and living at home and woke up in the middle of the nignt with my folks sitting on the edge of my bed wondering if i was going to make it through the night. From then on it was just the norm. Everygirlfriend i've had has said the same thing but they never wake me up ,,they just tell me in the morning that they were worried because it looks like id stopped breathing . On the weekend if i dont set my alarm i can sleep for a constant 12 hours with ease but i feel drained all day ,during the week im at my best with only 5-6 hours sleep a day but i need 2 alarms to wake me up .
Just been to one of the websites that ben put a link to and i score 0 on them all .

I know this doesnt help you Vince ,just saying thats all

Thanks for all the replies - just to put your minds at rest - I generally have no problems with energy or sleepiness during the day, and I'm not worried that I have sleep apnoea - it's just that this week I've been having a full night's sleep every night but not feeling the benefit of it. It was only this morning when swmbo mentioned she's been nudging me every night that I twigged what was happening!

I wasn't after a diagnosis, just an informed opinion that she could stop poking me in the ribs while I'm sleeping!!

Cheers


Vince

sleep on the sofa tonight and see if you feel better in the morning (or if she really loves you, get her to sleep on the sofa).

Also, don't drink before you do this test, alcohol is supposed to upset your sleeping patterns - i don't understand it myself as i seem to get to sleep really well after one drink.

if she's not keen on this, mention how sexy her sister / brother looked the last time you saw them and why can't she dress like that - should get one of your on the sofa pretty quickly

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Originally posted by vinny1275
I generally have no problems with energy

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Originally posted by chrsgrain
PLEASE, don't give unfounded and potentially dangerous (and usually very dogmatic and authoritative sounding) advice online......

Speedy - this doesn't really all apply to you, but its the straw that broke this camels back I'm afraid!

Chris

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Originally posted by Steve G
[but anyone online can claim to be a doctor or anything else for that matter.

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Originally posted by Steve G

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Originally posted by chrsgrain
PLEASE, don't give unfounded and potentially dangerous (and usually very dogmatic and authoritative sounding) advice online......

Speedy - this doesn't really all apply to you, but its the straw that broke this camels back I'm afraid!

Chris

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I'm a bit baffled by the above really. From what i've read of Speedy's post (which doesnt say it's been edited), all he's stated is a fact about a friend of his and then said speak to a doctor for medical advice.

The above comes across as pretty harsh to me - maybe i'm on my own on this??

I'd agree with internet advice on medical issues being potentially dangerous - but maybe the blame should lie with posting medical queries online?? No offence to any of the doctors on here, but anyone online can claim to be a doctor or anything else for that matter.

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Originally posted by TimC

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Originally posted by vinny1275
I generally have no problems with energy

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So what is your excuse for not updating your blog in 11 months Vince?

Hope you sort out the sleep thing!

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Originally posted by vinny1275then came up with the idea of moving to the other side of the world! Doing some more to the car this weekend, will try and update the blog as well...

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Originally posted by TimC

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Originally posted by vinny1275then came up with the idea of moving to the other side of the world! Doing some more to the car this weekend, will try and update the blog as well...

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I only ever update mine in work. Re: Oz. We're aiming to be out there for Bathurst in October... will you be there by then?

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Best thing is to see your GP.
I have Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, and getting my GP to refer me to a Sleep Clinic was the best thing I have done in years.
It will find out of there is a problem, and set your mind at rest.
If there is a problem you will get the correct treatment.
If there is nothing wring, you will only have wasted a little bit of time.
Ignoring it, is NOT the right thing to do. - Go and see your GP and get it checked.

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Originally posted by BenB


Not just online anyway e.g. Gillian McKeith. She appeared to want to want to bring medicine back to medaeival levels of knowledge. e.g. spending hours gazing at peoples faeces and urine whilst recommending treatments with absolutely no evidence for them whatsoever.

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