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Dr. Katherine Sharkey is a sleep medicine physician from Brown University and member of the Society for Women’s Health Research Sleep Network. She discusses sleep apnea recognition and treatment with a patient and a sleep technician. They discuss the challenges that women with sleep apnea often face, since the stereotypical patient is male (but that’s changing!). They also talk about how difficult adjusting to CPAP can be. Keep reading

Do you ever feel that your medical provider visits are rushed? Do you leave feeling confused or neglected? Many of us feel frustration when dealing with our medical providers because it seems like we are not being heard, taken seriously, or even cared about. For most of us, having a meaningful conversation with our health care provider just doesn't happen. At SLEEP 2017, the MyApnea.org patient leaders, with help and guidance from Dr. Keep reading

Many MyApnea members have expressed interest in learning more about oral appliances, also known as “dental devices.” We asked a dental specialist to share her knowledge. In this blog post, Dr. Demko explains what oral appliances are, how they work, and their role in treating sleep apnea. In short, oral appliances are a good treatment option, but partner with your sleep doctor and a qualified dentist for best results. Keep reading

Sleep apnea care isn’t tailored for patients. Or at least not tailored enough. That’s why researchers at MyApnea.Org want to hear from you. They want to learn more about your experiences getting diagnosed and treated so that sleep apnea care reflects your priorities and your needs. Dr. Susan Redline (principal scientist for MyApnea. Keep reading

Attention women, and those who love them! One of the primary issues many of us patients talk about is the problem of getting our sleep disorders diagnosed before they have done too much damage. Sleep apnea, as you know from reading on this site, is a sneaky but potentially deadly problem. And women in particular don't get diagnosed as quickly or as often as men. Keep reading

Last time we got the ball rolling on how the MyApnea.org community could provide a forum for sharing and testing new solutions to the challenges of living well with sleep apnea. This time we would like to share an experiment people with sleep apnea did to see if playing the didgeridoo helped their breathing and tell you more about how to put an N of 1 experiment together. Back in 2015 a blog post here on MyApnea. Keep reading

The University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center and Office of Academic Innovation are excited to announce that a new Teach-Out, Sleep Deprivation: Habits, Solutions, and Strategies, will begin on Monday, October 23. This free, online event is open to participants around the world, free of charge. Keep reading

Your opinion matters! Assess and provide your viewpoint on the development of a patient- friendly version of the Clinical Practice Guideline Diagnostic Testing for Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea which was published in March , 2017. Why are we doing this? The goal is to promote credible and accessible health information that would better facilitate dialogue between you and your health care practitioner. Keep reading

We have probably all heard the adage, “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.” Like so many of the things your parents taught you, this one is in fact true. When whatever is available to solve a problem is inadequate, people will search for new solutions. Current research strongly supports the notion that people will seek to meet their unmet needs through experimentation and innovation. Keep reading

Written by Christopher Harrod, AASM The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is in the process of updating its ‘Practice Parameters for the Surgical Modifications of the Upper Airway for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults’. An important step in the guideline development process is to get input from stakeholders who may be impacted by the guideline, including patients. The AASM has developed a survey to help identify and prioritize outcomes that are important to patients. Keep reading