You are here:

Sleep Apnea/Stop breathing at night

Advertisement

Expert: Dave Walsh RRT - 9/30/2009


Question
I was just diagnosed with sleep apnea today just got my results from my sleep study. last night i woke up not breathing at all for 30 seconds. it seemed forever just to get my breath back. What can i do until i get my mask if this happens again.

Answer
Hi Paul:

About the only advice I can give you in order to minimize the effects of sleep apnea until you get your mask is to not sleep on your back.  Try putting a few pillows behind you as you lie on your side before going to sleep.  Other methods of minimizing the effects are to refrain from alcohol in the evening along with smoking cessation (if either apply to your situation).  And above all, stay on top of when the CPAP system is going to be delivered.  The squeaky wheel gets the attention, right? :) Good luck and I hope you get a lot of relief when you start your therapy!

Sleep Apnea

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Dave Walsh RRT

Expertise

Registered Respiratory Therapist and Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioner (IL). Thirty-five years in the field of Respiratory Care with the last twenty-five years spent concentrating in the area of sleep disordered breathing. Established the first hospital based compact multiphysiologic recording program for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). I`ve been fortunate to have the opportunity over the past fifteen years to travel across the country and train fellow heath care practitioners in the scoring and analysis of compact sleep apnea studies.

Experience

I'm proud to have built a comprehensive sleep disorders center in Chicago during the '80s and to then go on and build the first hospital based compact multiphysiologic recording program in the country. I now operate DRW&Associates Inc, providing sleep disorders case management services to the community along with both attended sleep studies in sleep labs along with unattended sleep studies done in the home.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.