 Topic Name: Sleep apnea
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on: March 29, 2011, 06:28:41 PM
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riverfever
Location: Woodland Park, Colorado
Posts: 257
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« on: March 29, 2011, 06:28:41 PM » |
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Does anyone suffer from this? I was officially diagnosed with this today and, apparently my condition is pretty bad. I have as many as 17 apneas each hour when I'm in REM sleep and have enough of a decrease in my oxygen levels that my doctor wants me to be on oxygen as well as a CPAP machine. Everyone I've talked to who uses a machine raves about how refreshed they feel. I've been living with this for as long as I can remember. I'm always sleepy. Obviously, my concern is how this is going to impact my doing ultras.
-Chris
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Topic Name: Sleep apnea
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Reply #1 on: March 30, 2011, 06:18:45 AM
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Done
Posts: 1434
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« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2011, 06:18:45 AM » |
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The fastest guys don't sleep much, if at all, anyway, so maybe you'll go faster?
All kidding aside, that sucks. But I suppose that sleeping better when you have access to your machine will help you train harder, think more clearly, and enjoy life more--so maybe you WILL actually ride faster during races?
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"Done"
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Topic Name: Sleep apnea
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Reply #2 on: March 30, 2011, 03:50:30 PM
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tonymason
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Posts: 44
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« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2011, 03:50:30 PM » |
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Chris,
I don't have sleep apnea but as a family physician I treat a lot of people who do. Sleep apnea is a chronic condition with cumulative effects. Treating with CPAP will reverse these and improve your physical condition. Going without on a ultra you may notice a slight decline in function (perhaps more on multiweek race like the GDR) but overall I suspect you'll perform better than you are now.
Tony
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Topic Name: Sleep apnea
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Reply #3 on: March 30, 2011, 06:43:25 PM
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riverfever
Location: Woodland Park, Colorado
Posts: 257
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« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2011, 06:43:25 PM » |
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That's some sage advice there Toby.
I sure hope you're right Tony. Like most people, I thought there was no way a skinny guy like me could have this kind of issue. I can't wait to see how I feel after using it for a while but I am nervous about the impact it will have on my racing.
-Chris
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Topic Name: Sleep apnea
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Reply #4 on: April 05, 2011, 12:06:17 PM
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dkirk
Location: Yakima Washington
Posts: 55
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« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2011, 12:06:17 PM » |
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Hey Chris,
Just a note of encouragement. What Tony says is right on. I'm a PA in sleep medicine. If you adapt to CPAP (and I'm sure you will) it should help with your sleep. This in turn should help with daytime performance.
Another positive is it will train you to breathe through your mouth which can lessen symptoms for a few days when CPAP isn't used.
If you do find improvement in your sleep with CPAP, you might consider a mandibular advancement device. This is placed in the mouth and advances the jaw forward while you sleep, thus helping keep the tongue from collapsing the airway. They are custom made and therefore expensive. But they can be used easily on bikepacking trips.
Good Luck,
Dave
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Topic Name: Sleep apnea
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Reply #5 on: April 05, 2011, 06:02:27 PM
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riverfever
Location: Woodland Park, Colorado
Posts: 257
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« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2011, 06:02:27 PM » |
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So far it's been a rough transition. I am now on my third oxygen machine. I get about 2 good days in and start to really notice a difference and then an issue has popped up and I'm kind of back to square one. Without the oxygen, I feel wrecked.
Thanks for the positive information. I'm anxious to see how training goes once things get sorted.
-Chris
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