British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association

I am not sure that one night is enough data to go on. Strangely, on the night I used the sleep testing machine my husband woke me up with his snoring.
Although I dozed a bit I was awake for the best part of two hours. I removed the finger oxygen monitor some time during the night too. Just need to wait and see.

When I took the monitor back the following day I had to hand it to a receptionist in out patients so no one to ask for faster information.

Why not give them a ring during the week. Explain your concerns about removing the finger detector and see if they got enough info. If not, offer to repeat the study as soon as possible .... and then ask about the results .... GOOD LUCK!

That's good advice Alsa' gave you, I would follow that course of action.

I have received the results of my sleep study. It says I have significant sleep apnoea when sleeping on my back and that when I was on my side I was fine. I remember being awake when on my side that night as it was so uncomfortable.

Before the study I knew I snored when on my back but also have had lost of incidences when I have woken up gasping for breath on my side too. When I had the study I had quite extreme pain in my side from the sprained ribs from when I fell on Maundy Thursday. ( I remember which day it was because we had plans for the weekend and had to shelve them). My appointment was in the morning and I have to admit I was really sleepy and forgot all about the ribs. When I phoned there was no one there so I left a message.

The letter says that I have to fasten something to my nightwear to stop me rolling onto my back. The problem with that is that because of my FM and cervical spondylosis I am unable to spend much time at all on my side as it is so painful. I tend to sleep on my back with my knees bent to take the pressure off my lower back too. My husband says that although he frequently nudges me to turn me onto my side I turn back really soon and that my sleep position of choice is on my back.

I feel as though I am making excuses for not sleeping on my side and that I should try harder to do so. I am really not sure what to do. I am now really aware of some of the times I wake gasping for a breath. It is really quite frightening. The sleep specialist said it won't kill me and that I will always draw breath because of an automatic response in the body to breathe when oxygen levels get low. But I am really scared and each time it happens when I am aware it then keeps me awake for ages. I feel as though I am afraid to go to sleep.

The specialist said I could phone anytime but there is never an answer and today there is no answerphone either.

I also know that it is okay and it happens to thousands of people but because she told me of all the complications it can cause it makes me a lot less happy than I usually am.

Oh poohbear I do feel for you. You've finally had your results and yet still feel that you're in the quagmire.

Yes, it might be helpful for you to sew something into your nightwear ... EVERY one(!) .. to stop you from sleeping on your back BUT it doesn't sound particularly convincing! And what about the nights when it's too hot (weather-wise!) to wear a nightie?

The advice is sound but it very unlikely to work on a long term basis, and as you've already discovered makes you feel scared even before going to bed.

I'd suggest that you push hard for a CPAP machine, not least because you have been proven to have SIGNIFICANT OSA when you sleep on your back - which is likely to be the standard position for you - and I've never heard of anyone being able to 'train themselves' to sleep on their side 100%. And you should make it clear than your other serious and longterm medical conditions make it almost impossible for you to sleep on your side.

If the answerphone approach doesn't work, if the clinic/hospital is close enough, go in and make an appointment to be seen urgently face to face.

In the meantime, try not to worry. OK so I could ask water to flow uphill with the same effect!! But you WILL breathe again safely once you've woken. However, waking so often will make you very tired as you already know. Try to get an appointment and be kind to yourself as the time passes between now and then. I hope your poor old ribs are starting to heal ... you must have been in substantial pain to cancel your plans.

Hi Alsacienne, thank you for your understanding. I have just shown my son what I wrote on here because I don't think anyone here has any understanding of how it feels. I have just fallen asleep sitting here with laptop on my lap. They (sons) are sometimes not very supportive and get annoyed when I have totally forgotten something or repeat myself. I will try not to worry.

I have had a thought, that maybe I should go back to my GP and she will probably write a letter for me.

I am at the age where I am frequently too hot at night so I can imagine discarding nightwear in my sleep. Maybe that is too much information

Your present situation is not acceptable. You need to go back to your GP as soon as possible and ask for a very strong letter. Ask for a referral to another sleep specialist if you need to. Simply telling you to sleep on your side is not good enough.

Sadly if a person has never been in a situation they can't understand just how horrible it is for the person suffering. And that includes your sons who love you dearly even if they don't express it in ways you'd prefer to hear or see!

All the very best ... and please keep us up to date.

I will make an appointment to see my GP as my next appointment at the sleep clinic is the end of May. She will probably be happy to write to the sleep specialist giving more details about my other conditions which make it virtually impossible to sleep on my side.

Originally I thought I was very sleepy because, as I knew I snored when on my back, I was trying not to sleep on my back, which was stopping me from going into a deep restorative sleep. I really thought I was going to receive some help straight away. I have tried all the other ideas already. If there was anyone there to answer the phone I could have told them.


It is odd as they gave me a number when I was at my appointment and said to phone if I wanted to ask anything and that they had local people with the condition who would be happy to talk to me about it.

Must go and give a hand as my husband is making dinner as he came in from work to find me asleep again

I tried sleeping with a golf ball sewed into the back of my t shirt last night. I still managed to sleep on my back!! With a golf ball wedged into the side of my spine I have a lovely round bruise. My hubbie had to wake me. he asked me how I was lying on my back, he thought I had removed the golf ball! No alcohol taken last night but some pain killers.

Has anyone else experienced anything like that?

Hi,

I have just been reading your posts and the above quote puzzles me , they have said you have significant sleep apnoea !!!!!!! hello they have fobbed you right off with the sleep position rubbish.
You have been diagnosed with osa its cpap therapy time just think if everybody who went for a test was told not to sleep on there back it would save the NHS thousands of pounds .

Perhaps look into the N.I.C.E guidelines on cpap therapy -

http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/TA139Guidance.pdf

Have a look at the link and go back and raise hell with them and demand cpap therapy .
Don't be fobbed off fight and get cpap .

Your health is at stake here not theres so get shouting girl .

Best Wishes ,

I pestered the hospital again today and actually had someone phone me back. She agreed that I should 'give CPAP a try'. So I should have a new appointment sent through to me soon. I still don't know what happened to all my previous messages that I left for them

I have to thank Alsacienne for helping me to realise I wasn't making a fuss about nothing.


In case anyone else fancies trying a golf ball I can tell you it leaves lovely matching circular bruises on your back when you sleep on it

maybe I should post a copy of the letter from the sleep team telling me to attach a golf ball to my nightwear. Maybe they have to jump through hoops too.

Great News ,

How about sending the sleep team some balls instead, poohbear...

Now that is a good idea Tired Tracey

Nuneatonman, thank you, I have just read the NICE guidelines, no mention of golf balls at all But seriously it is useful to have the correct information when I go back to the sleep clinic. The letter also suggeted special sleepwear The mind boggles.

After a few days of panic (and I wish I posted on here as soon as I had the results and recommendations) I am feeling a thousand times happier.

Thank you all