Various Ways to Deal With Sleep Apnea

What I learned and what might help you.

Sleep apnea first came to my attention when I saw an ENT doctor about my vertigo. While examining me, he said, “I can tell by the shape of your jaw and chin you have sleep apnea.”

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) happens when tissues in the mouth or throat collapse during sleep and block the airway.

A drop in oxygen in your brain causes you to wake. Usually with a gasping breath. Then it’s back to sleep until the cycle repeats.

Sleep apnea can occur during any stage of sleep, but mainly during the deepest stages, when the body is most relaxed.

Because the sleeper doesn’t gain full consciousness, they might not be aware of their apnea.

But fragmented sleep can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, or other health issues such as fatigue, impaired memory, mood swings, anxiety, depression, headaches, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiac issues.

The ENT doctor recommended I have an at-home sleep apnea test done.

I attached a sleep recorder to my nightshirt, which measured my breathing and oxygen levels, and pauses in breathing/apneas. The score is calculating by the average number of lapses in breathing per hour.

It turned out that I had positional apnea. I was okay as long as I slept on my side, but when on my back, I would stop breathing.

The doctor recommended starting with the lowest cost solution. He suggested I sew a tennis ball to the back of my night clothes to make it too uncomfortable to sleep on my back.

I tried this, and it was impossible to get a night’s sleep. Every time I rolled over, the discomfort from the tennis ball poking me in the back woke me up.

The next solution I tried was to purchase a bumper belt, which is also used to stop snoring. It is worn around the waist, attached by Velcro in the front. The air-filled pockets in the back of the belt prevent the wearer from rolling over. It reminded me of the flotation devices kids wear in the water.

If I needed to change sides, I had to sit up. Which meant I also had to wake up. If I tried to roll onto my back, I’d also wake. I learned I wasn’t good at staying in one position the whole night.

What was worse than a tennis ball on your back? Three pouches of air. The Rematee bumper belt was a no-go for me.

They were both great ways to lose sleep.

I gave up and went back to sleeping as I’d always done.

After a couple of years, the mention of sleep apnea came up again. This time it was during the recovery period from a repetitive workplace shoulder injury. Because I remained in pain a year after I should have healed, it required further investigation.

I had x-rays and blood tests checking for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

My ANA test came back positive, and my family doctor said I had lupus. But it wasn’t that simple. A rheumatologist said that a positive ANA test for a woman in her 50s was not unusual.

An ANA test looks for antinuclear antibodies in your blood, which may mean you have an autoimmune disorder.

When the rheumatologist learned I had untreated sleep apnea, she told me she would not even look at lupus as a possibility until I had my sleep apnea under control.

Sleep apnea can prevent deep sleep, which is essential for maintaining and healing the body.

This time I went to a sleep apnea clinic and started a free month trial with a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine.

The intake worker asked if I was a mouth breather. From years of nosebleeds as a child, I learned to stop breathing through my nose. “Yes,” I said.

She fitted me with a facial mask that covered my nose and mouth. I went home thinking I’d experience a great night’s sleep.

It turned out the forced air leaked around the edges of the mask. It also felt like a hurricane blew down my throat as I tried to breathe. I couldn’t sleep with the mask on — I couldn’t catch my breath.

After a week of trying, I looked at other options.

I did a lot of online searches for various ways to deal with sleep apnea. I learned a dental device was a possibility. Off I went to my dentist to start the procedure.

Before going ahead with the dental device — costing as much as a CPAP machine — I did more research and learned it is only effective for mild-to-moderate sleep apnea. Also, there could be several troubling side effects. Everything from soreness, saliva build-up, nausea, damage, or permanent changes in the teeth or jaw.

Plus, unlike a CPAP machine, I wouldn't be able to check the AHI (apnea-hypopnea index), the average number of hypopneas and apneas per hour during sleep. The goal is to keep the number below five.

Before investing in the dental device, I returned to the sleep apnea clinic to try again. This time they recommended I do an overnight test in a sleep lab, which would provide additional information about my sleep pattern. The sleep study was hundreds of dollars and not covered by my insurance.

They wired me up on the night of the study to analyze my brain waves, oxygen levels in my blood, heart rate, breathing, as well as eye and leg movements while I slept.

The first part of the study was without a CPAP machine. The rest of the night was with one. I had to remain on my back so they could get the best results.

I might have gotten a total of three hours of broken sleep. But it was enough to figure out the best settings for the CPAP machine.

This time, when the intake worker asked, “Are you sure you’re a mouth breather?”

My answer was, “I’m no longer sure what I am.”

She fitted me with extra small nasal pillows and said, “Why not try them?” She also provided me with a chin strap to wear to help keep my mouth closed.

I decided I had nothing to lose.

To my surprise. I slept peacefully through the night.

I have now been using a CPAP machine for 10 years, and I can’t sleep a night without it.

Once when I went camping, I forgot to pack the cover lining. My husband had a terrible night’s sleep also, not just from my tossing and turning, but also from my snoring.

The quality of my waking life has improved because the quality of my sleep has improved.

If you think you might have sleep apnea, it’s best to get checked out. Find out for sure and treat it.

There are other options out there, such as surgical. Based on my age and medical history, I didn’t consider this an option for me.

The information provided is my personal experience and in no way constitutes professional advice. In all medical situations, always seek the advice of a professional.

BARBARA CARTER is a visual artist and writer with a focus on healing from childhood trauma, alcohol addiction, and living her best authentic life.