NEWBIE

Hello everyone, I've recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea. I also have suffered from Insomnia for about 5 years. I just wanted to say I am SO GRATEFUL to have found this site. The information I've found to be invaluable - more than any doctor or sleep technician has provided. Using a CPAP certainly was a shock initially, but now almost 3 months later it's slowly getting easier. My main problem has been with the masks and I'm now on my fourth! I use a nasal pillow as I couldn't tolerate full face. I've also started taping my mouth after reading up on this, again so much information from this site. As for the Insomnia - I'm trying CBT therapy at the moment, wish me luck. This post is really to thank everyone for their words of wisdom and when I get frustrated I just think that after probably having had Sleep Apnea for years undiagnosed, at least now I can do something about it. Nice to know you all xx

I'm so glad you found this site and are gaining from it. Being diagnosed with sleep apnea is the start of a long, rocky road in many cases. When you have other health/sleep issues it is even harder. Stick with it and post when you have questions or need support or if you can help others. Nice to know you too!

Thanks Ruby x

It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Masks are the hardest part. Stick with it, and post any questions you may have...

Thanks!

You may have found this site already, but I have found it helpful with insomnia. It promotes the CBTi approach.

SleepWell - It's No Dream

Thank you so much. I live in the UK and I'm half way through some CBT therapy - not easy but will not give up! I have looked into SleepWell too and might well give that a try if I still need to, it looks good.

My "insomnia" of thirty years standing was "cured" by successful sleep apnea treatment. I used to fall asleep BEFORE my head hit the pillow, but wake up exactly 3.5 hours later every night, unable to get back to sleep for several hours. but after about three hours, I felt like someone had hit a reset button and I was again able to sleep (for another 3.5 hours.)

It turned out that during REM sleep (when I could sustain it) I was obstructing 83 times an hour, and 3.5 hours into the night is the time when you cycle into the first major period of REM sleep. Net/net. I didn't have "insomnia", at all.
Nor was I "depressed" (another misdiagnosis.)

I had OSA, but because I didn't fit the stereotype of a middle-aged obese male, (being young, thin and female at the time), I didn't get diagnosed until I self-diagnosed at 56. in the meantime, of course, I incurred the usual OSA co-morbidities, notably weight gain, profound exhaustion and, last, but not least, DM2. (Beta cells are very susceptible to hypoxia.)

what I thought of as the "reset button", was the fact that after a while, my body was able to get back into Stage 1 sleep, rather than trying to return directly to REM. When your body has to choose between sleeping and breathing, it will pick breathing every time.

Hi 👋🏼 everyone. Thank you for the add