For most of my adult life I’ve slept on my back. About 20 years ago I began experiencing an occasional, but horrible, malady: awakening with a choking sensation. Quite unpleasant, even frightening. I thought I was the only person so afflicted. I’d never heard of sleep apnea at that time.

Then I changed to sleeping on my side, rather than on my back. And I never again experienced the choking sensation. When I go to bed I lay on my right side. After getting up to piss I switch sides; for symmetry.

Other folks with sleep apnea might consider my experience.

I sleep on my side and I encounter that occasionally - usually I incorporated into my dream as some sort of drowning. Never fun. I’m glad switching to your side worked for you.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Then I changed to sleeping on my side, rather than on my back. And I never again experienced the choking sensation. When I go to bed I lay on my right side.

It doesn't sound like you've actually been tested for sleep apnea. An apnea event is not breathing for 10 seconds or more, and just because it's not bad enough for your conscious brain to register (i.e. lesser apnea than the horrible choking version) doesn't mean it's not happening. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, etc.

I write this as someone who has had multiple sleep studies and can have an apnea event sleeping on my side (i.e. position I slept in during last sleep study), sitting upright, or sleeping on my back.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
After getting up to piss I switch sides; for symmetry.

Red flag that you may have untreated sleep apnea. Everybody I know who has sleep apnea and uses a CPAP can go months without waking up to take a piss in the middle of the night. Before diagnosis and the CPAP (ie 20 years ago), I was 1x or 2x per night. Ponder this - I'm 20 years older and still have a ~99% reduction in waking up to take a piss in the middle of the night.

One school of thought is that your bladder is always full and your foggy brain is drawing an erroneous conclusion as to why you woke up during the night. In other words, an apnea event woke you up but it's falsely attributed to needing to take a leak.

I had problems sleeping around 2007 and had a sleep study done. Back then, before sleep apnea diagnosis became popular and costly to insruance, insurance paid for a study at one of the sleep centers. It was like sleeping in a hotel, with a lot of wires attached everywhere while people watched you sleep.

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea but only had 2 incidents average per night. I spent two nights there with them monitoring me.

I was given a CPAP machine and it seemed to work well, at least once I got used to sleeping on my back. Back then the main mask they offered was the mask that went over the nose and mouth. I normally sleep on my stomach and that was not possible with this mask.

Anyway, I lost 50 pounds and stopped using the CPAP. It got to where it made no difference. I went back several years later, did the home sleep study test and was prescribed a CPAP machine again. It did not help my sleep issues so I stopped using it. Maybe I just needed to sleep on my back.

All that to say that they are quick to diagnose sleep apnea then tell you how dangerous it is if not treated. For some people that is true but I think it is a money maker for doctors now. Like many things, I think it is over diagnosed. How did we ever survive before sleep apnea became popular?

I know for some people it is life changing, but that is not the case for everyone (like me although i was diagnosed twice).

I still have sleep issues but it is not due to sleep apnea. Sometimes simple things (like sleeping on your side) may be the answer.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea but only had 2 incidents average per night. I spent two nights there with them monitoring me.

I was given a CPAP machine...

I'm shocked your insurance company didn't reject this expensive prescription for 2 events per night. I've moved several times over the years so I've had multiple sleep doctors and every one of them have said it's normal to have 1 or 2 events per night. Although most are central sleep apnea (i.e. your brain doesn't tell your body to breath) versus obstructive sleep apnea (i.e. your throat closes shut preventing your body to breath).

BTW, untreated I'm 28 incidents per hour so 160 to 220 incidents per night depending on how long I sleep. Even treated I'm still 0.8 to 0.9 per hour, but doctor is happy with the pressure settings at that.

True sleep apnea can cause a bunch of health problems, and if I remember right, can decrease life expectancy by 7 years … I’d be doing a sleep study if I thought I had any issues.

MDS

I wake up screaming, gasping for air, couple other random problems.

I only scored 15 out of 30 so I’m moderate apnea. Can’t imagine with a higher score goes through.

I feel so much better with my cpap. My doctor is certain my ones contributes to my high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

He said almost every symptom of low testosterone in men over 40 is also a result of sleep apnea. So most men thinking they need testosterone actually don’t, they just mask the problems.

Probably a lot of truth to that.

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Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea but only had 2 incidents average per night. I spent two nights there with them monitoring me.

I was given a CPAP machine...

I'm shocked your insurance company didn't reject this expensive prescription for 2 events per night.

It was the same doctor both times, maybe I should have tried a different one but it was easier to go to the same one. The second time he diagnosed me I thought I was having breathing issues outside of sleep. I had to go to him to rule that out. I also did a lung capacity test and a bunch of other stuff. I ended up buying a CPAP machine from someone here on the forum. It never helped so I gave it to a friend.

^^ Kudos for giving it away.

As a reference, here is the American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines:

Normal: Less than 5 events per hour.

Mild Sleep Apnea: 5 to fewer than 15 events per hour.

Moderate Sleep Apnea: 15 to fewer than 30 events per hour.

Severe Sleep Apnea: 30 or more events per hour.

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

I don’t do even travel for one night without a CPAP. Granted my last test I was having 98 events an hour. And they said 32 were from central apnea. That’s actually how mine started, I came back from a deployment and the now ex-wife kept waking me up. When I asked her why, she said that I was stopping breathing multiple times and freaking her out. Over time, I put on some weight and started having obstructive apnea as well. Even if I lost enough weight to have no obstructive apnea, I would still need the machine for the central. As much as it’s a pain in the butt, and I really hate wearing it the quality of life difference is huge.

Your airway is collapsing, it’s exactly what was happening to me in 2019-2020. I’d wake up in a panic gasping like I was being smothered or drowning and my heart would be racing too.

My wife pressed me to see a sleep specialist who had me do a sleep study and I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and I went on a CPAP in February 2021.

Took a bit to get used to but eventually I did and things got way better and I no longer have to fear waking up feeling that awful drowning sensation and my regular bouts of AFib also went way down.

OP: you need to get a sleep study done ASAP because you still may be having apnea but not realizing it. It’s literally a killer

I was a legendary snorer. Camping trips and other settings where more than just my wife was exposed to it would bring astonishment from those impacted. Waking up on a plane choking was embarrasing. A sleep study was inevitable and I failed it miserably. The adjustment to a cpap was not easy. The move to a bipap was a big improvement. Now I can't even nap in the recliner without it. The quality of sleep is drastically improved.

Yep…doesn’t matter what position I’m in, I’m gonna stop breathing without my BIPAP.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea but only had 2 incidents average per night. I spent two nights there with them monitoring me.

Based on this and the rest of your story, I would bet almost a zillion dollars that you have misinterpreted two incidents per hour as two incidents per night. Even that is remarkably low, but I challenge you to look back at the actual results of the test you’re quoting as definitive scientific evidence.

I get that you want to associate losing weight as being a way for fat-ass son of bitches not having this issue, and your superior being status solving that, but that’s not always entirely accurate.

Good luck.

It can work the other way. it's not at all usual for a "big" guy to watch the pounds melt away when he finally gets put on CPAP.
It would not surprise me in the least (as a physician) to see someone's sleep apnea improve dramatically with 50 pounds weight loss.

A few years ago one of our Civil Air Patrol members woke up to a dead wife. She fell asleep without turning on the CPAP.

Google query: “Does Apple Watch check sleep apnea?”

AI Overview
Yes, certain Apple Watch models can detect signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in users 18 or older with no prior diagnosis. Using an accelerometer, the watch tracks "breathing disturbances" over a 30-day period and notifies users if they consistently show elevated signs, providing a report to share with doctors.

Compatible Models & Requirements:
Models: Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, or Ultra 2.
Software: Latest watchOS and iOS required.
Usage: Must wear the watch while sleeping for at least 10 nights within a 30-day period.
Setup: Enabled via the Health app under "Respiratory" -> "Sleep Apnea Notifications". 

I just activated this feature via my iPhone. I’ll see how it goes. I wear my Apple Watch 24/7 except while it’s charging, or I’m bathing.

My Apple Health app also reports my sleeping heart rate and breathing rate at intervals through the night. I don’t recall settling that up. Must be the default mode. And also must be the Apple Watch.

Apple cautions against depending on the iWatch for diagnosis of HBP, sleep issues, afib, having said that it did find my dad was having AFIB and that led to him getting a doctor to check his heart out and find the widow maker blocked at 90%, mine has given out AFIB warnings starting last summer and finally confirmed with my PCP.

So there is, in my family case, a good result from wearing an iWatch... (Yes I know its an apple watch, but iWatch is better)

quote:

Apple cautions against depending on the iWatch for diagnosis of HBP, sleep issues, afib

Of course.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Apple cautions against depending on the iWatch for diagnosis of HBP, sleep issues, afib, having said that it did find my dad was having AFIB and that led to him getting a doctor to check his heart out and find the widow maker blocked at 90%, mine has given out AFIB warnings starting last summer and finally confirmed with my PCP.

So there is, in my family case, a good result from wearing an iWatch... (Yes I know its an apple watch, but iWatch is better)

I'm not in the medical field but have a risk management background. Therefore, the question that I'd want answered if I were the OP is "what is the percent chance that an Apple watch can accurately detect sleep apnea?" Here is what Grok had to say:

quote:

According to Apple's clinical validation study for the Sleep Apnea Notification Feature (available on Apple Watch Series 9, 10, and Ultra 2), the weighted overall sensitivity for detecting moderate to severe sleep apnea is 66.3%, meaning it correctly identifies the condition in approximately 66% of cases where it is present. This breaks down to 43.4% sensitivity for moderate sleep apnea and 89.1% for severe sleep apnea. The weighted overall specificity is 98.5%, indicating a low rate of false positives (it correctly identifies the absence of moderate to severe sleep apnea in about 99% of cases where it is not present).

These figures are based on a study of 1,448 participants comparing Apple Watch data to home sleep apnea tests (HSAT), with the feature prioritizing minimizing false alerts over catching every case. Note that this is a screening tool, not a diagnostic device—positive notifications should prompt consultation with a doctor for formal testing. Older studies (pre-2024 feature) suggested higher accuracies like 90%, but those used different methods and are not reflective of the current FDA-cleared implementation.

The part that I highlighted in red font is what jumped out at me. I'm at the top end of moderate sleep apnea per the American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines I posted earlier in thread and life is orders of magnitude better after diagnosis and getting a CPAP. I can't imagine relying on a 43% accurate tool to make a decision on something that has had such a positive impact on my life and health.