Screening for sleep disorders, fatigue etc

Jenny15

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The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a very good tool for seeing if you might have a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnoea,(OSA) chronic insomnia, narcolepsy (rare) or one of many others.

OSA is one of the most common disorders that can be linked to Type 2 diabetes, or hypertension, or depression, or fatigue, or even gastric reflux/GERD. I don't know which comes first out of OSA and diabetes but there is definitely a higher chance of having one if you have the other.

The most obvious symptoms of OSA are loud snoring and a severe headache as soon as you wake up in the morning. BUT some people do not have these. Some people with OSA are not overweight and not over 50. Even children can get it.

The ESS tool takes a few minutes to complete. If you had a high score, you should see your GP and discuss the ESS result and ideally be referred for an overnight sleep study.

I have had OSA for several years and if you'd like to ask any questions below, please feel free.

http://www.sleepmed.com.au/epworth-calculator.html
 

Jenny15

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There is some newer technology available to perform these sleep studies in the home.
http://www.sonomat.com/solutions/
Thanks for the info, that looks interesting. I was initially screening using a smaller take home kit but eventually needed an inpatient test. The sleep lab type of study is the gold standard, because it traces something like 30 different parameters, includes video, and HCPs watching the instruments and you as you sleep. For people with very severe OSA, they need to be in a lab in case they actually stop breathing altogether.
 

Jenny15

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Crocodile

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Hi Jenny, I'm familiar with CPAP although I don't use it as I don't snore. The Sonomat is the brainchild of Professor Colin Sullivan, Head of Respiratory Medicine at Sydney University who coincidently is also the inventor of CPAP. I was one of the engineers involved in the design of the Sonomat and still have an interest in the technology. I've seen some amazing results from the studies especially in paediatric asthma and heart failure in the elderly. Colin recently completed a two year study involving pre-eclampsia and its relationship to sleep disorders. We can read about it when the paper is published. There is much to be learned from sleep.
Glenn
 

Lamont D

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I do not have diabetes
I have had a couple of sleep tests including what you have described above, no sleep apneoa.
Mine was sleeping deprivation from hypos or fluctuating bloods occurring in rem sleep.
I have never had problems falling asleep, just used to have trouble staying asleep because of the hypos which caused vivid colourful dreams.
I have also had these not so quite nightmarish dreams when running a temperature or feverish.
Since getting control of my blood glucose levels, the, sleep deprivation has lessened dramatically. I still get the odd night due to normal dreams, but my regular sleep patterns are six to seven hours, with pit stops every few hours!
 
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Jenny15

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Hi Jenny, I'm familiar with CPAP although I don't use it as I don't snore. The Sonomat is the brainchild of Professor Colin Sullivan, Head of Respiratory Medicine at Sydney University who coincidently is also the inventor of CPAP. I was one of the engineers involved in the design of the Sonomat and still have an interest in the technology. I've seen some amazing results from the studies especially in paediatric asthma and heart failure in the elderly. Colin recently completed a two year study involving pre-eclampsia and its relationship to sleep disorders. We can read about it when the paper is published. There is much to be learned from sleep.
Glenn
I am sure Prof Sullivan knows that polysomnography in a sleep lab is needed for some patients because the Sonomat doesn't cover all parameters. It's a great invention for initial screening of the general public, though.

Some people with diagnosed OSA don't snore but they use CPAP and it reduces their apnoea events to a healthy level. IMO the only way for someone to know whether or not they need CPAP is to have a sleep study. Even a low number of apnoea events can cause health issues.
 

Chronicle_Cat

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I'm also someone with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I've been using a CPAP for the past 10 years. It's made a world of difference for me, before I was also exhausted and always waking up with a headache or choking.

I've also made a lot of noises/snored loudly all my life, I suspect I had it many years before I was diagnosed (via a sleep study - halfway through the night, they put a CPAP mask on me and it was the best sleep for years.) . As a child, I had my adenoids out twice (they grew back) for this reason) -that didn't help.

I'm in the very severe range (87 apnea events or near apnea events every hour). I always take my machine with me when I have a medical procedure where I'll be sedated (have to have frequent colonscopies because of family history).

BTW, I wish medical professionals would stop assuming it's solely tied to weight. I had one anaesthesiologist make snarky comments who didn't believe that my throat is smaller than average until she checked it - then she bitterly complained. Fortunately she was just the screening anaesthesiologist the one I got for surgery was much nicer (and told me I wasn't that difficult to intube provided I'm properly positioned.) . I told the snarky anaesthesiologist that even when I've lost weight (75 lbs previously), my numbers did not change at all. I'm losing weight again but don't expect to see a change in numbers.
 
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Moggely

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I have had insomnia for so long now i am use to it. Don't think i have sleep Apnea though. When i say "use to it" doesn't mean it gets any easier, nothing worse then staring at the walls most of the night and finally having a few hours sleep and feeling like garbage the next day.