Rest of the Sleep Disorders Forum Posting

Posted by Honest Expert (but only on mattresses!) on January 20, 2001 at 21:47:08:

In Reply to: Husband Snores posted by NeedSomeSleep on January 18, 2001 at 13:46:22:

Dear NeedSomeSleep,

I concur with the idea that your husband may have Sleep Apnea. Snoring is a big clue. Have you ever noticed that his breathing periodically stops for 15 to 60 seconds, then he gasps in some air? This would be the REALLY BIG clue!

As a rule, when one person in bed has a Sleep Disorder, BOTH people have a Sleep Disorder!

There are 5 parts to sleep. The fourth part, stage 4 (Delta sleep), is where we go into our deepest sleep and is how we get refreshed. It is also called "Slow-wave" sleep because of the way the brain-waves change at this time. If you have ever picked up a kid and it seemed you could toss him around like a rag-doll (Not that you would!) and he wouldn't wake up, THAT is stage 4 sleep! People are harder to rouse at this time, but much easier at all other times.

If your husband's snoring is continually disturbing you, you may never be able to get into that deep sleep where the best rest comes from. You may simply be hovering in stage 2 or stage 3 and staying easily roused. Which means that HIS possible Sleep Apnea may be causing YOUR Sleep disorder! (You, of course, would experience this as "Now I seem to be sleeping lighter!" You may have diagnosed your own Sleep Disorder without even knowing it!)

I would certainly get him started on curing the snoring. It may be a sign of a very serious ailment. The fact is, snoring isn't "normal." It is very very common, but it is not "normal." Air is supposed to come into our bodies without the obstruction -- the flapping tissue -- that causes snoring (Does anyone snore when they are awake?).

And be prepared to educate your primary care physician (gently and politely) about Sleep Apnea if you must go through him to get a referral to a Sleep Specialist. The odds are that your primary care physician won't understand enough about the problem, to know that he should refer you to an expert. He'll want to try some other remedy that will probably fail. Sad, but often true.

Hey, with a baby coming, maybe your pediatrician will give your husband the needed referral ... to treat YOUR Sleep Disorder!

You want to get this addressed before the baby totally destroys any hope of ever sleeping regularly! LOL! You don't want to go into it with a problem already started.

(((And, as a side note: For while you are pregnant, give serious thought about getting what's called a "body pillow." Trust me, you'll thank me someday! Many stores sell them for $10 to $20.)))

Follow Ups:

• 5 stages? a mysterious stranger 14:27 1/24/01 (0)

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