Sleep apnea?

CoachJen71
CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
edited November 2021 in Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
My doc says losing weight will help somewhat. (Mine is not just obstructive, but my brain forgets to tell me to breathe.)

Any success stories of shedding both pounds and apnea?
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Replies

  • sljohnson1207
    sljohnson1207 Posts: 818 Member
    My husband lost weight, but it didn't help his apnea. Still needs a CPAP (not sure of his exact diagnosis...he even has it sitting up, laying on his side, and on his stomach), but that helps tremendously for the quality of our (both of us) sleep.
  • peter_rotten
    peter_rotten Posts: 28 Member
    My wife, very politely, told me that the fatter I get, the more I snore. After slowly losing 45 pounds, she claims that I don't snore anymore. Personally, I don't believe that I ever snored. :tongue:
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    Guess it could go either way then. :^)
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    My husband lost weight (just 20 pounds, but losing more). Apnea and snoring gone (bless him). Part of it was that he was more comfortable sleeping in different positions. The other part just how his throat works with more weight.
  • MarthaQ2
    MarthaQ2 Posts: 47 Member
    You can do things to help your sleep apnea like losing weight. Excess weight and sleep apnea~people who are overweight have extra tissue in the back of their throat, which can fall down over the airway and block the flow of air into the lungs while they sleep. My hubby has sleep apnea and lying on his side helps. He had sleep studies done and uses the CPAP every night. That is also the only way I can sleep. I can't sleep if I hear him gasping for air and snoring so loudly that it wakes me up.It also frightens me so! I love his CPAP! It means a Silent Night for both of us!
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
    After I lost weight (about 40lbs) I noticed mine seems to have gone away. I used to have it happen to me all the time and now its been months. :) Good luck!
  • janerfitnesspal145
    janerfitnesspal145 Posts: 55 Member
    So very true (above)! I definitely couldn't sleep w/o my husband's CPAP. His snoring would make a banshee jealous and the not breathing scares the crap out of me, which made it impossible for me to get a decent night sleep. But to answer the original question, I have noticed over the years (he's been using a CPAP for 14 years) that when he gains weight he starts snoring and he has to have the CPAP set to a higher level.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    Mines gone :)
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I've lost 100ish pounds and mine hasn't changed a bit. I still need about the same CPAP setting.

    I will say that the combination of CPAP and weight loss has made me feel like a different person. I wouldn't give up my CPAP for anything!
  • enicus91
    enicus91 Posts: 16 Member
    Sleep Apnea can happen to anybody; my doctor has seen it in toddlers. Losing weight can help with snoring, but it won't necessarily get rid of the sleep apnea.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    My youngest had sleep apnea until he had his tonsils removed (they were obstructing his airway).

    I used to have sleep apnea. After losing weight it is completely better (but I still grind my teeth).
  • bobkat80
    bobkat80 Posts: 347 Member
    After losing about 50 pounds I noticed that when I slept on my back my throat wasn't obstructed any more, but I still use my CPAP machine because I like to sleep with my head under the covers. (I work nights and sleep days so it this makes it darker for me.)
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    Used to have it .. lost 50 lbs of ugly fat and several inches off my neck (really the issue here) .. and no more issues.

    They say 17 inches for men and 16 inches for women is the danger zone when it comes to sleep apnea.
  • Athena98501
    Athena98501 Posts: 716 Member
    My doc says losing weight will help somewhat. (Mine is not just obstructive, but my brain forgets to tell me to breathe.)

    Any success stories of shedding both pounds and apnea?

    Losing weight will certainly be great for your health, but I've personally never heard of it benefiting central apnea. I have mixed apnea, but predominately obstructive. I wasn't substantially overweight when diagnosed, and required surgery for cpap to even work for me at all. I'm not sure what will happen with mine when I lose more, but that's on hold for pregnancy.

    I hope that your doctor is correct, and that you see improvement.
  • BeardedYoung
    BeardedYoung Posts: 229 Member
    I have very severe apnea (116 per hour) and I am very curious. My sleep doctor said they would retest me if I lost 100lbs but with my apnea they don't think that I will ever be off the CPAP. Apnea is awful, I may never be rid of it, but I know dropping weight will help me with the other affects. I sleep so little (between 3-5hours) that it for sure takes a toll on my body. I need to make my body healthy if anything with my apnea gets better that's a bonus.
  • gertudejekyl
    gertudejekyl Posts: 386 Member
    Used to have it .. lost 50 lbs of ugly fat and several inches off my neck (really the issue here) .. and no more issues.

    They say 17 inches for men and 16 inches for women is the danger zone when it comes to sleep apnea.
    I'll measure later....
  • Cby60
    Cby60 Posts: 38 Member
    I lost. 25lbs and my husband says the snoring and apnea are gone!
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    Being overweight is definitely a cause for sleep apnea. Fat around the neck squeezes the throat, and disrupts normal breathing. Sometimes so bad that they're put on oxygen with tubes in their noses while they sleep. Heavy snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea. It's a vicious cycle because when you're not sleeping well, a person tends to eat more, because they're tired all the time.
  • ANTlSOClAL
    ANTlSOClAL Posts: 47
    80 pounds lost since my OSA was first diagnosed. It has improved but not gone away. My sleep doctor says there is no guarantee but to keep losing the weight.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I did not have apnea per se, but I used to snore. I recorded it often on my phone sleep app. After losing weight I'm quiet all through the night apart from the occasional mumble.
  • 2BeHappy2
    2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
    My wife, very politely, told me that the fatter I get, the more I snore. After slowly losing 45 pounds, she claims that I don't snore anymore. Personally, I don't believe that I ever snored. :tongue:

    :laugh: That's exactly what my husband would say :laugh:
    We've seen those machines and they don't look comfortable, he gets overheated when sleeping (plug in fan and overhead fans are on) because he works w/ lead and sometimes he has to wear a mask is why he doesn't want to use 1 for sleeping.
    He doesn't stay in 1 position is really his main reason...he'd end up pulling the tub out or getting tangled up in it...he'd probably "try" it as something new and then it would get put somewhere to collect dust :ohwell:
    I have recorded him snoring for 10 minutes for him to hear what I have to endure....he laughed & said that was probably me making those sounds or the dog.
    The funny thing is...he has snored so loud before that he's woken himself up!
  • flowrgal23
    flowrgal23 Posts: 33 Member
    I've lost 45 pounds so far, but I still use my CPAP. Come to think of it, I've never tried sleeping without it since it's such a habit. I guess I could try an experiment and tape record myself some night to see if I snore again. I remember the first time I recorded myself before apnea diagnosis; I was stunned at how much I fought for breath at night. I couldn't believe all that noise was coming from me. :embarassed:
  • Luv2eatSweets
    Luv2eatSweets Posts: 221 Member
    My big fat neck has slimmed down....which in turn my loud snoring has mellowed a lot:bigsmile:
  • Spiderkeys
    Spiderkeys Posts: 338 Member
    Well being half the person I used to be, sleeping has never been easier, I no longer need to take fequent naps during the days and better still, I no longer snore, and also it's more comfortable to sleep on my side, and no longer have to sleep on my back.
  • BIGBMF
    BIGBMF Posts: 50 Member
    I had it real bad. Sometimes if wake myself up. Lost over 130 now the woman says it's gone.
  • srl32000
    srl32000 Posts: 29 Member
    I got sleep study tested and was overweight with severe apnea. My doctor/nutritionist explained that I had to get deeper sleep or I would have a hard time with weight loss. I got the machine and was dedicated with it. After I got used to it I slept better and lost a lot of weight. I still snore but wake up very rested and lost a lot of weight since. My trouble with the c pap machine was that it caused dry mouth on one side and a year into it I had problems with many teeth on one side. Its important to moisturize your mouth and make sure yo keep the water reservoir filled to avoide this. Sleep is critical. Do whatever you can to get deep sleep.
  • smitaosunsade
    smitaosunsade Posts: 6 Member
    My husband lost weight especially in the mid-section area but it didn't help his sleep apnea - he would keep me awake cos for some reason I wouldn't hear the snoring and jerk awake and would have to wake him up - he now uses a cpap machine (its not the Hannibal lecter looking one) and he sleeps better than me now!
    go do a sleep study and see what they say - he was stopping breathing 300 times a night!
  • fitwithin
    fitwithin Posts: 210 Member
    My husband has lost 30 pounds and doesn't snore as loud as he did. He still wears his CPAP, but when he kicks it off, it is not nearly as bad. The first time we cruised together, he left the CPAP at home and it was so loud that I slept on the floor in the tiny bathroom until I could get ahold of some ear plugs. Best of luck!
  • Cher1e1n2
    Cher1e1n2 Posts: 22 Member
    I have central sleep apnea and there is really nothing that can be done about it other than the CPAP. (my arousal was 272 times and 16 "apneas" of >30 seconds which is considered moderate altho I signed a medical waiver to refuse the equipment).. For obstructive weight loss and tilting your bed will work. I've never been over 200 not pregnant and am 5'9.. I'm in nursing school with a sleep tech and she warns me all the time about central apnea.. but obstructive can/does improve with lifestyle modification.
  • freakhazerd2424
    freakhazerd2424 Posts: 611 Member
    I think I will have sleep apnea till I die. I had the symptoms when I was a teen in great shape. Anyway to your question.

    I have auto cpap(if that's what it's called) it changes my pressure automatically. I went from 14 to 15 down to 10 or 11 after I lost 25 pounds. I can now sleep comfortably with my mask. Before It was like a gail force wind hitting my face. Now It's more of a relaxing Breeze.

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