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I do. I get really involved with solving problems or planning computer infrastructure design, and will frequently hold my breath without meaning to, and then take a big breath in and out to kind of catch up on my O2 levels. My coworkers have commented on my "frequent sighing" due to this habit. It's not intentional. It's just me being me.
Hello, I'm Dan. I'm 46, and I have dealt with positional sleep apnea for 12 years by simply sleeping on my side. I live in the Denver area and am a systems administrator. I just recently decided to try to get a CPAP machine because of issues I'm begin having with my arms due to sleeping on my side, and that's why I'm here now.
I've been dealing with my sleep apnea for over 12 years (I'm 46) by simply sleeping on my side, but recently I have developed issues with the nerves in my arms, probably due to the positions I've been sleeping in. Now, it seems my left arm won't stop hurting (definitely a nerve issue, not circulatory) while laying down unless I lay on my back. It has led to some very troublesome nights this weekend. So, I've decided to get a CPAP machine to try to work around this problem. The big problem is that I don't know much about CPAP. I know the basics, in that it creates a positive pressure into the airway to keep the airway open, but nothing about what adjustments I might need to make to the machine so that it will help me and not hurt me. I also don't want to deal with doctors on the matter, as they have charged me and my insurance a lot of money without being much help. I'm betting I can get better info from a forum like this rather than a doctor, as my past history has proven repeatedly. So, here are some questions I've thought of that I think I need to ask:
The most important one: Where do I find a good CPAP machine? What model or models work best, and/or which ones are trouble that I need to avoid? Do I need to adjust pressure, and if so, what would tell me if there is too much or too little? The maintenance I've looked up on them seems like kind of a pain. What do I need to watch out for in that? I think my beard would protect me from some of the chafing problems I've heard about with the masks, but I'm not sure. Will it? Is there anything I should know that I haven't asked?
