tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post4105359240820258066..comments2024-03-14T03:43:02.583-04:00Comments on EPBOT: Our $5 DIY Sleep Apnea Solution To Keep John From DyingJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11888187687405622408noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-40863978637186323762023-01-04T08:25:15.002-05:002023-01-04T08:25:15.002-05:00I had hip surgery and I was looking for a way to k...I had hip surgery and I was looking for a way to keep me from rolling over and sleeping on my bad side. You've given me a few ideas to try so thank you very much. I'm in so much pain right now from sleeping, it's terrible. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-22726465809131966952021-04-29T10:06:33.957-04:002021-04-29T10:06:33.957-04:00While this is a great suggestion for snorers and p...While this is a great suggestion for snorers and people who only have apnea on their side, people should understand that most/many people with sleep apnea still have apnea in other positions. If you suspect that someone has sleep apnea they should be tested and then retested on any treatment device (CPAP, mouth guard, surgery or positional device to ensure they are adequately treated. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16605787602446583545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-56772638870306324462020-12-23T06:27:13.124-05:002020-12-23T06:27:13.124-05:00Hello, I read somewhere there is a link between sl...Hello, I read somewhere there is a link between sleep apnea and low vitamin D intake. I am taking a drop or two each morning, and I sleep much better. There is also one more remedy: Black seed oil, aka Baraka or Nigella sativa. The dosage is about half teaspoon, but I use about 15 drops and I feel that my breathing improved a lot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-20518574294050285902020-10-09T22:37:26.756-04:002020-10-09T22:37:26.756-04:00Just got my results from my sleep study and I’ll b...Just got my results from my sleep study and I’ll be getting a cpap machine too. I had thought I needed one for years but finally did it and this post was one of the things that pushed me to do it. Of course in my head it was only a few months after your post. I can’t believe it’s been over a year. I hope John is doing well and I’d love an update of you care to share. And I’m off to find a bra to wear backwards with tennis balls in it! Seriously great idea!Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01434904926134862699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-8694014494316306312020-06-29T12:04:58.583-04:002020-06-29T12:04:58.583-04:00Hey Jen, it's been a year since this post, wan...Hey Jen, it's been a year since this post, wanted to see if you had resolution with getting the CPAP? It is hard to get used to, but these days the options are amazing, and the CPAP company should work with you until you find a fit that works. Not everyone likes the same mask. My husband was on a full face mask for years until he lost a bunch of weight and no longer needed it. To Sabrina's comment above about the "white noise machine," I had the worst time sleeping after he discontinued used of the CPAP, it was not only soothing from a "white noise" standpoint, the sound of that machine was the sound of my man getting life-supporting air, and it was THE most comforting sound on earth to me. <br /><br /> Now I am the one with apnea, and I like the "nose pillows," although our corgi will no longer sleep with us, the hose seems to scare her. BIG price to pay but I am a new person, so we traded the corgi on the floor for a sleeping wife still alive. <br /><br />I have to share the story of how we discovered hubby's apnea. Talk about panic. About a week after we got married I woke up to find DH sitting bolt upright, not just gasping for air but making this HORRID wheezy, choking sound like Chuck Norris kicked in his windpipe. He's clearly freaked, not getting air, I'm scrambling to try finding a phone to call 911. He finally gets enough air to tell me he is OK, and eventually breathes normally, but horrid sore throat. Explains, "Yeah, sometimes I do that, sorry, should have told you." The new marriage NEARLY came apart at that point. Thankfully we have awesome insurance and he was in for a sleep study and CPAP immediately. It turns out his efforts to draw air from a closed system in his sleep were so bad he was drawing STOMACH ACID back up his esophagus, and down into his windpipe, at which point the burning would wake him, and he would be a) still unable to breathe b) suffering the horrific effects of acid-burned respiratory system and c) wide awake and fully aware of the whole thing. <br /><br />PANIC does not begin to explain the experience for both of us. <br /><br />This is a HUGE health issue that can cause heart attacks, strokes, etc. and anyone who thinks it's no big deal PLEASE see your doctor. I have a friend who has nearly died a few times from car accidents and various health issues directly related to apnea. Take this seriously. On the vanity side of things, apnea is often caused/worsened by weight and getting it under control HELPS LOSE the weight. Hey, I will take any assistance in that area! <br /><br />If your insurance company gives you a bad time, push them, you have to advocate for your own health. The CPAP company for my husband decades ago just sent the equipment and left him on his own, thankfully he managed. 20-some years later the company I am now working with for my apnea is amazing, they chart my sleep from the wifi built into the device that sends them reports when I use it, and check in to see how they can help me get better use from the device.My heart broke at the comment above that the insurance company took back the machine because the user wasn't using it, they should work with you to get the right combo to help you use it! Don't let anyone push you around, this is your life, literally, at stake. There are also many more options for masks, so for anyone who was not successful in previous attempts, talk to your doctor about trying again, it is a whole new world for CPAP machines and providers. <br /><br />Anyway, let us know how John is doing? This is a BIG DEAL. Thanks for educating folks. <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00173831982396253132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-46459434769401685932020-06-04T09:29:07.841-04:002020-06-04T09:29:07.841-04:00so glad to hear you are on your way to a cpap mach...so glad to hear you are on your way to a cpap machine! Had about the same results as John did for his test. Sir you are going to feel like a new man after you get used to your cpap and find the correct mask for you. I would sit up to sleep on side of my bed without even knowing it until my head smaked into corner of the wall. I have a bump in the bone of my forehead now from doing it over and over. I had a heart attack without knowing it until I went to E.R. because I felt so awful. Female heart attacks present differantly. I also was so sleep deprived that I had a grandmal seizure that threw me across a room from side of bed into dresser a desk. Glad you guys are taking it seriously alot of people don't. Jen you also can developed your own case of PTSD from waiting for him to breathe. You will sleep so much better as well! Also instant white noise machine!Sabrinafelberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11011810723362950162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-47801883436813681172020-05-16T00:35:57.481-04:002020-05-16T00:35:57.481-04:00 children can also have sleep apnea...my daughter... children can also have sleep apnea...my daughter was about 12 years old a little bitty slip of a girl.. .she was tired a lot I would drive her to school and she would be a sleep by the time we got there...we were seeing a dr about her possibly having surgery on her jaw ( very tiny jaw) he asked is she always this sleepy..YES... he ordered a sleep study...got a sleep apna machine..now this was like 30 years ago so I am sure they have improved a lot......The space between her upper lip and nose was so narrow the mask would not fit well<br /><br /> ended up having surgery,,,she also had VERY flat nostrils and had cartilage put into make them stay open.... and tonsils out..she had huge tonsils.....she was much better after all of that..........sleep apnea is very serouos many accidents happen from people having it and falling asleep at the wheellibby2130https://www.blogger.com/profile/12486958054538857207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-76259448274594045372020-02-23T18:33:31.465-05:002020-02-23T18:33:31.465-05:00Ohhh I'm so glad! And your solution is crafty ...Ohhh I'm so glad! And your solution is crafty perfection! I hope you get more answers soon from your doctor, and get all the best sleep in the meantime. <3 Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11888187687405622408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-59393336619375173982020-02-23T08:18:17.067-05:002020-02-23T08:18:17.067-05:00Yet another wife of an apnea sleeper. Husband didn...Yet another wife of an apnea sleeper. Husband didn't believe me when I said he had apnea (back when a child I'd spend the nights at Grandma's place, and remember the noises she made while sleeping). A sleep study showed us he'd quit breathing 350 times in 7.5 hours. He got a C-pap, and after a week or so took me aside and blurted out "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SLEEP FELT LIKE THAT?!?" We've since found out he has BOTH types of apnea: Obstructive, where your throat closes, and Central, where your brain forgets to tell you to breathe. caircairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749664135468506675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-22305005570201323182020-02-23T06:38:22.618-05:002020-02-23T06:38:22.618-05:00I don't know if you read new comments on old p...I don't know if you read new comments on old posts... but this one SAVED ME. I have been having headaches that last for weeks, and I go to sleep fatigued and wake up like I didn't get any rest, and worst- keep dreaming i'm underwater and can't breathe and wake up gasping. I read this post because of the dramatic headline, and IT ALL CLICKED. I made an appointment with my doc immediately, but while I was waiting, I devised my own back sleeping prevention device... I wore a bra backwards with two tennis balls in the cups. I had the literal best nap of my life, and have woke up 2 days in a row with no headache and so much more energy. Still need to see doc and get a more permanent solution, but wanted you to know HOW MUCH YOU HELPED ME!!!!! xoxoxoJenny B Goodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09060744838718089941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-57004790277985586942019-11-26T09:26:41.583-05:002019-11-26T09:26:41.583-05:00Hi, I was reading this post of Jen's again bec...Hi, I was reading this post of Jen's again because of today's post about John and noticed your comment saying you couldn't get to see the doctor until November. Well, here it is, almost the end of November and I was just wondering if you got in to see him/her, and if you've got your machine? Happy Thanksgiving!Betty Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02185785966008220637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-30327972161700258242019-08-26T18:26:59.568-04:002019-08-26T18:26:59.568-04:00I did the 'tennis ball thing', but I didn&...I did the 'tennis ball thing', but I didn't sew in any special pockets, just tucked it inside the waistband of my pajamas and it stayed in place just fine.<br /><br />It worked, too. Now I sleep on my side all the time. <br /><br />Good luck to both of you! That would certainly be scary!Kate Halleronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-27348511787327365372019-08-23T02:13:29.905-04:002019-08-23T02:13:29.905-04:00Oh, my heart hurts for your fear and your tears. T...Oh, my heart hurts for your fear and your tears. That had to be a terrifying experience, but the amount of love that you have for each other is so glaringly obvious here. Him promising to find a way to not ever scare you like that again and wearing all manner of things in the middle of the night to ensure this. And you, with your constant wake ups and your feverish searching to give him any relief. It bring tears to my eyes. Tears for your pain and fear and tears of happiness for the amount of love you have for each other. You both give me hope. I love you guys. Alexie Starhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12462464066536994125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-22007518121088938232019-08-22T20:58:10.810-04:002019-08-22T20:58:10.810-04:00My hubbot does well with the mouth guards. He got ...My hubbot does well with the mouth guards. He got a chance to do a sleep study at home with just a blood pressure finger cuff. Of course, he didn't snore at all that night so they figured he was fine ��Jennifer Shawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15541374376445997714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-83752948713432887372019-08-22T11:30:10.560-04:002019-08-22T11:30:10.560-04:00Angel, I love that you suggested this! You're ...Angel, I love that you suggested this! You're awesome!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-3614776990509016632019-08-22T10:56:00.511-04:002019-08-22T10:56:00.511-04:00Husbot had just been diagnosed with sleep apnea wh...Husbot had just been diagnosed with sleep apnea when we first met and I will never forget the look on his face on one of our early dates when he told me he had something he needed me to know. In my head, after many bizarre online dating encounters, I thought "he's married, he's got 12 kids, he's a serial killer", only for him to say that he has to use a breathing machine for his apnea. I believe my reaction was "is that all??" Apparently the technician that did his sleep study told him he should tell potential partners this info as soon as possible in case they have a problem with it. <br /><br />Thank you for sharing, I hope it can help someone else. Once John's machine arrives, it will be easier, as long as he remembers to pack the power cord for it if you travel or the entire machine for that matter (husbot has done both....those were very long vacations).Gigihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10297182004234941256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-67508573114359138752019-08-22T10:27:54.720-04:002019-08-22T10:27:54.720-04:00As a heads up, when I clicked on the link to the d...As a heads up, when I clicked on the link to the didgeridoo for sleep apnea website link it sent me to a scam site instead. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-64058699536497622132019-08-21T23:14:45.546-04:002019-08-21T23:14:45.546-04:00Wow, hope you both get all the needed sleep soon a...Wow, hope you both get all the needed sleep soon and keep on getting better! I've taught myself to sleep on my side due to becoming allergic to something in my building which makes my nose stuff up every night, and thankfully my husbot responds to loving nudges to make him roll over as he is becoming allergic too. (we'd move if we could!) I miss sleeping on my front!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-22464628631799929712019-08-21T01:30:38.120-04:002019-08-21T01:30:38.120-04:00Thank you for the follow-up!Thank you for the follow-up!heathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16665131414032686493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-52578597523993370312019-08-21T01:08:20.361-04:002019-08-21T01:08:20.361-04:00This does not beat Angel's didgeridoo suggesti...This does not beat Angel's didgeridoo suggestion, but my first thought was all the pregnancy pillows out there since folks are supposed to side sleep when pregnant as well. Found this one that looks comfy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5SMJQJ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_5bnxDbABARKX7 Might have to duct tape him to it, though...<br />Aunt Foggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09822854807566491775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-66709262086411196832019-08-21T01:02:29.701-04:002019-08-21T01:02:29.701-04:00I am SO sorry you had to have that experience and ...I am SO sorry you had to have that experience and can't even begin to imagine how scared you must have been! Kudos to you both for coming up with a stop gap solution. <br />I've had a CPAP since 2003 and can't sleep at all without it, not even a nap. I can't really remember but I was over sixty times in an hour as well, so I know how crazy that can be. The weirdest part of mine, according to the tech, was that he could stop the apnea itself at a fairly low setting but needed to crank it up to 16 to get rid of the snoring! My mom says I've always snored.<br />Best of luck getting the CPAP and fixing the problem! I'm sure once he has it, it will settle your anxiety as well. Kimmiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859152228977631331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-82975280607171078952019-08-21T00:54:31.799-04:002019-08-21T00:54:31.799-04:00A possible alternative solution for John's sle...A possible alternative solution for John's sleep apnea is for John to learn how to play the didgeridoo, the largest and oldest wind instrument. There was a study published in the British Medical Journal about the effectiveness of didgeridoo playing and the circular breathing technique it requires in the treatment of sleep apnea.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/332/7536/266" rel="nofollow">British Medical Journal article</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.didgeridooforsleepapnea.org/" rel="nofollow">Didgeridoo for Sleep Apnea website</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxDYY3xWnIg" rel="nofollow">Youtube video</a>Angel G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03752777998920025515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-40362216723347418092019-08-21T00:27:02.197-04:002019-08-21T00:27:02.197-04:00I remember that exact panic with my husband. It t...I remember that exact panic with my husband. It took some strong-arming to finally get him to get a sleep study done. As soon as he had one scheduled, it seemed like every man in our mutual contacts had already gone through the same thing, which helped him feel like it wasn't so abnormal. Turns out he was waking up 120 times an hour. His doctor said he was getting about 18 minutes of deep sleep per night, and then complimented him on still being alive. My husband uses a CPAP now and loves it, but he has central apnea so just side sleeping wouldn't be an effective solution for him. Where would these husbands be without their wives to tell them they stop breathing!?AmandaLouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09793395561601978315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-64450438094555222732019-08-20T23:52:23.558-04:002019-08-20T23:52:23.558-04:00I’m so sorry about your nighttime scares. I’ve ha...I’m so sorry about your nighttime scares. I’ve had several people tell me I stop breathing in my sleep, including a college roommate who threw stuffed animals at my head to stop the snoring and huddled inches from my face when there was no noise. I’ve got my sleep study test at the hospital this Thursday. Bad timing, though. I didn’t check the new school year calendar and school pictures are Friday morning. I would just have fun Calvin and Hobbes style if I wasn’t the teacher. Marniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10254240216101024881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-46712844858952532602019-08-20T20:32:46.116-04:002019-08-20T20:32:46.116-04:00Another option would be cup turner foam (ex: https...Another option would be cup turner foam (ex: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Cuptisserie-Cup-Turner-Foam/dp/B07Q7S7Y44/). I am not sure if the density is the same but the length is roughly the same.<br /><br />Another option would be a foam roller if you have one that has a hole in it. Not sure if the length would be an issue but could be worth a try?Raenoreply@blogger.com