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Dennis Peacock
09-06-2005, 9:22 AM
Do you suffer from sleep problems? Or problems just getting to sleep?

Dennis Peacock
09-06-2005, 9:29 AM
for me....I have problem getting to sleep....when I do get to sleep, I may wake up 1 to 2 hours later and then it's REALLY hard getting back to sleep. Never had these problems until I was over 35.

Ian Barley
09-06-2005, 10:11 AM
I went from 20-30 y.o sleeping about 4 hours a night if I was lucky. Now I sleep no problem - physical exhaustion is a great sleeping pill.

Jim Hager
09-06-2005, 11:05 AM
I sleep just fine now. I had obstructive sleep apnea several years ago and had a terrible time sleeping peacefully. I had throat surgery that hurt like the dickens to remove extra tissue at the back of the throat and my euvula. Barney Fife says that "all god's chillin got a euvula" but I don't at least not anymore. I had the surgery in my late 30's and haven't had any sleep disorders to speak of since. Once in a while I will have trouble going to sleep but not often but I always wake up early, around 5:30. Who needs an alarm clock anyway?

Tony Falotico
09-06-2005, 12:30 PM
If awakened at 2-4 am, if I don't fall right back to sleep it's kinda over for the night. If a thought pops into my head and I start thinking about something (issue at work, how I'm gonna cut that next piece to fit, that tool I just have to have), I might as well just get up, it's over for the night.

Also, I can't seem to make it through the night without the need to relieve the ol' bladder any more, If y'all know what I mean :o :o !!

Roger Fitzsimonds
09-06-2005, 12:46 PM
I dont actually need medication. I have sleep apnia and use a bi-pap machine with oxygen supplement. now I sleep all night but after about 2 years I am dozing at work and still cant drive more that an hour at a time. SWMBO does all the long distance driving. I researched apnea on the web when I was being tested for it. I may look wierd when I gi to sleep but I will wake up using this stuff.

Roger

Jeff Sudmeier
09-06-2005, 12:49 PM
Why god made a body that needs 8 hours of sleep and a bladder that lasts for 7 hours is beyond me!! (I don't know who said it, but I sure laughed at it!) :)

Anyway, no real sleep problems to speak of. Other than falling to sleep once in awhile if I am thinking of a problem or such. Also, sometimes it is hard to fall back to sleep :)

Lee DeRaud
09-06-2005, 2:13 PM
Until recently, my only sleep disorder was insomnia during working hours.:p

Post-retirement, biggest problem is my dog, who thinks it's time to go to the park as soon as the sun is up.:D

Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan
09-06-2005, 2:20 PM
Sleep, who needs it, I'll sleep when I'm dead! :D

I really wish I did not have to sleep, I usually get 4 to 5 hours a night, and that is enough, I'm a busy guy, and I kind of resent the 4 or 5 hours a day I loose for sleep!

Oh well, even the best cordless tool need to recharge the batteries now and then!

When I do hit the hay it is about 2 minutes and I'm out like a light. In fact, if I have a fairly quiet, somewhat dim or dark place, and I want to sleep, I can be out in about 5 minutes. I often take a 20 to 30 minute nap around 3 PM, this helps me a lot.

Cheers!

Gil Mitchell
09-06-2005, 2:43 PM
I have sleep apnea have been sleeping with a c pap machine fore about ten years now, I can't sleep without it. If the electric goes off during the night it feels like someone's trying to smother you. I'm looking into getting a backup generator

Dick Parr
09-06-2005, 5:38 PM
I also have Sleep Apnea along with other things and use a Bi-Level machine with full face mask to sleep. For the last year or so I have had to use sleep meds to be able to sleep. If I forget to take them, I am in for one restless night. :(

We seem to always have power outages here for one reason or another and so I am looking into getting a new machine that will run 115/DC so that I can use it in the motor-home during outages, I will find out tomorrow. :) During the storm last week it went out again and like Gil says, it is a rude awakening. :eek:

Jason Roehl
09-06-2005, 6:27 PM
Now I sleep no problem - physical exhaustion is a great sleeping pill.

Amen, brother! The sad part for me is, I can't even really take a day off (and do nothing physical). If I do, I won't sleep well, it's like my body is addicted to the work. :confused: Otherwise, I can pretty much drop on command, anywhere, anytime, and I don't necessarily need dark or quiet, but I don't feel zombie-like until late evening.

Jason

Jim Dunn
09-06-2005, 7:09 PM
Up until I re-injured my back I would get to sleep just fine. But now I wake up at all hours with pain in my leg and back even with meds.

Don Baer
09-06-2005, 7:19 PM
Ever since LOML and I got one of those sleep number matresses we both seep a ot better. I have been told that when the Russians first started space travel they found that a slice of white cheese would help the cosmonaughts sleep. Something in it is a natural sleep aid.

Joe Mioux
09-06-2005, 9:38 PM
I wake up in the middle the night, hop on SMC till I don't have any new posts to read, find myself still awake, walk back into the bedroom, watch MSnBC First Look until Imus comes on, By that tim I really want to watch Imus, but I am ussually too tired and fall back to sleep for a 1/2 hour then get up.


JOe

Gil Mitchell
09-06-2005, 10:12 PM
Dick,would you let me know if you find one that operates on dc also our power has been going out a lot lately too.:eek: I was told that the power company {com ed} here will install a back up generator for you and you pay rent, haven't had time to check into it yet, going to try and do that this week

Ron Jones near Indy
09-06-2005, 10:44 PM
The sleep number bed does more for good sleep than any medication/gimmic/potion out there. :)

Andy Hoyt
09-07-2005, 12:11 AM
I don't need an alarm clock anymore. I just drink an appropriate amount of water just before hitting the sack. One glass - 7:30. One and a half - 6:00. Two or more - what's on the late late late show?

Tim Burke
09-07-2005, 12:17 AM
I don't have any disorders, but I sometimes wake up at 3 to 4 AM - about 5 to 6 hours sleep. Normal wake time is 5 AM.

I love early morning though, so it's not bad thing for me.

Fred Voorhees
09-07-2005, 8:48 PM
Well, I see that I am not alone in using a CPAP machine. CPAP stands for Constant Positive Air Pressure. I have been using it now - coming up on three years at the end of this month. At this point, I can't sleep without it - as I have become so used to using it.

I had a heck of a snoring problem and when I went to the doctors to investigate it, that is when I found out that I had sleep apnea. Getting that machine was a godsend! My problem was that when I went to sleep, my brain stopped telling my throat to stay open so that I can breath. My throat then collapsed and that is what caused the horrible snoring. What the machine actually does is it pressurizes my airway/lungs like a balloon while I sleep. I have to sleep with my mouth closed which is no problem because I always slept with it closed anyway. If I don't, the airway does not stay pressurized. There is a spot in the mask that allows excess pressure to escape so that I don't "blow-up"! HAHA

They said that it would take a few months to get used to using the machine, but after about four days, it wasn't that bad. I now sleep like a log! AND, the wife doesn't end up on the couch anymore!

Below is a picture of the machine and another with me with the mask on. No, it doesn't look comfortable, but beleive it or not, there have been nights where I have actually tried to "Feel" it on my face and have not been able to. That is how used to it I am at this point. Doesn't really affect my sleep and if I turn from side to side at night, it rarely wakes me up and if it does, I go right back to sleep.

If you have a bad snoring problem, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this devise to you. It is an expensive proposition ( it ended up totaling around ten grand by the time all of the hospital costs and doctor costs and equipment was paid for) thank God for insurance. I only ended up paying about $100. Insurance usually does cover this problem.

Tim Morton
09-07-2005, 9:01 PM
Interesting topic...for a few years after the death of a family member sleep was a struggle...I still don't sleep great, but with the purchase of a memory foam bed a couple years ago it is getting better. I think my wife would like to see me look into one of those machines, as she is convince i have sleep apnea as well. My biggest thing is I cannot sleep past 6 or 630 even on weekends and even if I don't get to sleep unt till late...I am envious of those who can sleep until noon.

Dave Anderson NH
09-08-2005, 8:48 AM
Hey Fred, my machine is exactly like yours. I've had mine about a year and a half now and am still amazed at how much more energy I seem to have after having got it. My sleep apnea caused snoring, but it wasn't a problem since SWMBO snores as badly as I do.:D The doctor told me that it would be upto a month before I noticed any difference in energy level--- for me it took less than 48 hours.


By the way, didn't your machine come with a humidifier unit?

Fred Voorhees
09-08-2005, 5:22 PM
Hey Fred, my machine is exactly like yours. I've had mine about a year and a half now and am still amazed at how much more energy I seem to have after having got it. My sleep apnea caused snoring, but it wasn't a problem since SWMBO snores as badly as I do.:D The doctor told me that it would be upto a month before I noticed any difference in energy level--- for me it took less than 48 hours.


By the way, didn't your machine come with a humidifier unit?

When I first got the machine, it didn't come with a humidifying unit. I quickly found out that I would require one. I do not have one. If you look at the picture of the unit itself above, you can detect a hose from the actual CPAP machine going to the humidifier unit behind it and then the longer hose to the mask coming from it. All it basically is - is a pint or two container that you add distilled water to and the air from the machine passes over it before proceeding on to the face mask. It does the job, though once in a while, I wake up with a dry mouth or throat.

Bud Duffy
09-08-2005, 8:29 PM
My My we have a exclusive little club here dont we!!! I also have sleep apnea and use a Rem Master Pro machine like Freds mine has a water tank that mounts on the end of the machine where the hose comes out and has a heater pad under it that clips to the machine to warm up the water to provide some moisture ( it is real dry here in Idaho the humidity rarely gets above single digits )

I tore my achilles tendon 4 years agao and havnt worked in that time till last month . I havnt been able to sleep at nite for about the last 1 1/2 years no matter what i tried even sleeping pill didnt work. As Ian said exaustion is a great sleeping pill after i went back to work ( construction) 14 hour days i got home got my stuff around for the next day and fell into bed and it seemed that the alarm went off in just a few minutes but what a nites sleep!!!

My machine has an adapter to plug it into 12VDC so when i have to work out of town and take the camper i can use my machine.

The LOML has slept on the couch for the last 15 years and finaly i went to the VA for severe migranes and she went in with me and asked the Doc if there was anything they could do about my snoring and stopping breathing during the nite. Next thing i knew they had me in for sleep over to watch me sleep, one week later i had my machine and she loves it!!!