Saturday, January 26, 2008

Sleep Disordered, Part 2

I've now done the sleep study I mentioned in a post last month, and it appears that the Resmed "VPAP Adapt SV" (see illustration) will be an effective remedy for my problems with complex sleep apnea. I'm grateful for having that treatment option, although I have additional issues to resolve. The most acute is the need to wean myself off prescription sleep meds, which is going to take some time and cost me additional sleep. I also really need to see an allergist about a remedy -- hopefully, more immunological than pharmacological in nature -- for my nighttime nasal congestion. Next, it would help to buy a better bed. (I won't mention my wife's snoring again, as I've found some earplugs that do a good job of blocking her out.) Finally, my sleep disorder also has a psychological component that I'm not sure how to resolve fully; it isn't clear to me whether my chronic low-level depression is aggravating my sleep difficulties or vice versa. I'm simply not a particularly happy or fulfilled person, and the basis for a transformation -- say, winning the lottery and thus being able to quit my job, move to a new locale, and make a new start -- isn't exactly looming on the horizon.

Nonetheless, resolving the sleep apnea thing is a good place to start. The "VPAP Adapt SV" differs from CPAP in that (a) it doesn't involve the constant inbound flow of air that I find so difficult to breathe out against, (b) it memorizes your short-term breathing patterns to provide inbound pressure at the right times, and (c) it really ratchets up the pressure when it senses you've stopped breathing, such that you literally cannot have an apnea episode, central or obstructive, while using it. The only drawbacks, all minor, are: (1) you have to use a full-face mask (covering both nose and mouth) with it; (2) like CPAP, it restricts the number of positions you can sleep in; and (3) it does seem to cause you to swallow a small amount of air. Otherwise, it didn't take much to sell me on it -- from my perspective, it's definitely the "pap" treatment of the future.