Sleep apnea and driver license

[daught]

I had my sleep study last night. I went to Toronto Sleep and Pulmonary Centre at 180 Dundas. The beds were terrible. I can sleep on foam sleeping pad camping without issues, and they are far from comfortable. This was brutal. My hip and back were aching by 00. Usually I am a side sleeper but because of the pain I kept turning to my back. The attendant kept paging me to turn to my side. At 1am someone came in my room with a fan because it was too warm. The whole place looked like a seedy motel. Dunno if the study has any value, it was far from a representation of my regular sleep.

I should get the results in 3-4 weeks. Thanks for the input everyone.

I have a theory:
do you breathe using your chest (intercostal muscles)
or do you belly breathe?

I'm not sure where this is going but I am curious, please develop.

 

[Trials]

... I'm not sure where this is going but I am curious, please develop.

This is just a personal observation and theory so don't blast me for it!
Breathing is a function of involuntary muscle action using your diaphragm and external intercostal muscles. I breath using my chest, (when I breathe in my stomach goes in, not out) but from personal observation the people that I see having sleep apnea issues are belly breathers, they appear to breath using extensively their abdomen or belly (belly expands when they inhale). Many would consider this to be the wrong way to breath and my theory is that if you are having issues with breathing during sleep, it may well relate to the way you breath rather then the body chemistry that tells you when to breath.

 

[hedo2002]

Also be prepared for the "reinstatement fee". I believe it is not at least $150, (payable at Service Ontario), to have her licence reinstated. Even if she is cleared and has the doctor's note her licence is NOT reinstated until the fee is paid. Yet another cash grab, Not sure but it was either Rae or Harris in office when it was implemented.

WARNING: Be very careful about what you say to a doctor regarding drowsiness and driving. In the middle of August, my daughter went to the Waterloo University campus clinic complaining about falling asleep in classes. This was during exams, and she figured she was just stressed. I don;'t know if he asked, or if she volunteered, but she told him she also felt tired while driving for a long time on the highway (NOT falling asleep, not nodding off, just feeling tired during the two hours it takes to get home when she comes to visit). Well, two weeks later she gets a letter from the MTO suspending her license. We've been struggling to get the suspension lifted ever since. She's had to go to multiple sleep studies, all of which were inconclusive. Problem is, the doctor won't write back to the ministry until she is conclusively cleared. What a f'n pain in the ass. Just this week the latest test came back clearing her, and her doctor is updating the MTO, but it will still take about a month for the paperwork to clear...

 

[Deanmac]

I just recently purchased a machine. I was told 7 years ago in a sleep study that I had severe sleep apnea and I couldn't stomach the thought of wearing a mask to bed with all the tubes. Fast forward to a couple a months ago and I was having panic attacks in bed so the machine felt like a better option. The biggest adjustment was the mask. I was given a one month trial and went through 5 masks over that period and found two that worked (side sleeper, many masks dont like you doing that). This was not the point of my reply. The OP was concerned about not having a machine while on trips. There are portable ones, the size of a pair of glasses, that you can buy. Resmed has the Airmini. It's not covered by OHIP and, if you buy in store, be prepared to mortgage your house. I bought mine on KIJIJI for $500 and it looked brand new and I sense that it was. Let's just say that many selling masks and machines on line work in the industry and I think a few fall off the truck from time to time.

 

[Joe Bass]

@daught if you use my referral code to buy a CPAP, I get a Tim's card

If you are not overweight, I would investigate a dental dam.
You will always get pushed to CPAP as I believe the dr will get a referral fee.

As far as the reporting, yes, the newest machines have wifi and they send reports to the clinic for them to "adjust your treatment".
Just don't hook it up to the wifi.
The old ones had SD cards that you were supposed to bring in. I never did.

Also, everyone with a machine should see if their clinic offers free monthly cleaning.
Mine does.
They run it through the SoClean machine.
Mold is bad. Very bad.

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[Riceburner]

not good if a face down sleeper then.....

 

[Joe Bass]

not good if a face down sleeper then.....

They sell CPAP pillows.
Spot for the mask if face down or side.
That being said, iirc airway has least restriction when sleeping on side.
Bad part is when you weigh 250+ lbs and have all that weight on your shoulder plus my frozen shoulder....yeah, I'm a bucket of health.

Btw op, I used to nap daily before the CPAP, now, the naps are few and far between (unless I'm ill)

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[Mad Mike]

They sell CPAP pillows.
Spot for the mask if face down or side.
That being said, iirc airway has least restriction when sleeping on side.
Bad part is when you weigh 250+ lbs and have all that weight on your shoulder plus my frozen shoulder....yeah, I'm a bucket of health.

Btw op, I used to nap daily before the CPAP, now, the naps are few and far between (unless I'm ill)

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Back sleepers suffer the most, I remember my dad used to wear a tee shirt that had a tennis ball sewn to the back -- it caused him to roll to his side and that was enough to provide restful sleep.

 

[Joe Bass]

Back sleepers suffer the most, I remember my dad used to wear a tee shirt that had a tennis ball sewn to the back -- it caused him to roll to his side and that was enough to provide restful sleep.

My balls keep me from sleeping on my stomach.

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