Sleep or Not to Sleep?
Have you ever noticed that fixing one problem can stir up another? It can feel like a never-ending battle when it comes to getting stronger. It seems to happen every time I address a problem. When I fixed my squat depth, I uncovered a hip issue. When I fixed my elbows, I uncovered a strength deficiency in my wrist that I’m now addressing. But, most recently I addressed a long-ignored issue with my sleep.
For as long as I can remember, I struggled to get a good night’s sleep. I fell asleep quickly, I just don’t stay asleep. Actually, one of the problems is that I fall asleep too well…more than once behind the wheel. At night, I sleep for around an hour and then it’s up and down all night. I know I snore, but until recently, I ignored how bad it was. With some encouragement, I pursued a sleep study and was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. It wasn’t horrible, but more than enough to affect my mood, energy level, and mental clarity during the day. I was falling asleep fast, and in stage four within 20 minutes of falling asleep, I stayed in stage four for only 15 minutes, but came out and never made it past stage two again the rest of the night. Nothing life threatening was happening, but clearly enough was happening to screw my day up.
CPAP
Now that I have a CPAP, I’m beginning to feel better. I’ve been sleeping with it for about two weeks. For most of the first week, it would end up lying neatly on the night stand with me having no recollection of how it got there. At some point in the night, I would simply take it off and put it away. I wondered if I’d ever be able to sleep with it. Two weeks in and I’m not taking it off as often, but it does still wake me up once or twice a night. I’m just not use to the mask yet. The last two nights, I slept uninterrupted for longer than I have in any recent history and I feel great. Even though I was still taking it off some earlier in the second week, my output at work and in the gym vastly improved. Over the last two nights, I took the mask off only once during the night, and put it back on as soon as I was aware of it. I’m sleeping so well that I don’t toss and turn like I am used to, and therein lies the problem. I slept so well, for so long, and in the same position the last two nights, that my right shoulder is killing me. I prefer sleeping on my side, but I’ve never had the problem of being on one side to long. Remember what I said in the opening, “It can feel like a never ending battle…?”
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So what do I do now? I know I feel so well that I can’t do away with the CPAP. It’s way to valuable in terms of the way I am feeling. I’m going to start by trying to back sleep and see how that goes. I will also throw in some light shoulder work to compliment my arm “prehab” work. I need to get some blood flowing through there to keep them fresh. If that doesn’t help at least I’ll have some cut up shoulders and arms to compliment my incredible calves. And if all else fails, I’ll do what all other powerlifters do with nagging injuries, I’ll ignore it.
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Adam Driggers is 38 years old and has been lifting for 14 years and competing for 10. He’s currently training to squat 1000 pounds at 198, and wants to press 700 at 198 and pull 700 at 198. At his last meet, Tampa Barbell Invitational, he totaled 2210, for a five-pound meet PR total. Adam trains at his home, Team Samson Powerlifting.
View Adam’s Training Log 
http://www.proventtherapy.com/ventus_medical/
Sleep apnea is horrible man… glad to hear you got it under control! Consider the Provent version above if you ever get tired of the “alien” mask or the significant other gets tired of the noise.
I’ve had to use a cpap for about 5 years now. It does take a good month + to get used to it. Learn to sleep on your back as well instead of your side. Loosing weight helps.
Good read, a couple Qs though —
Do you take ZMA or anything like that, and did it enhance/detract from how well the CPAP worked?
Second, what exactly are you doing for your wrist strength? I’ve been using Fat Gripz quite a bit, but have come across such a wide variety of wrist exercises it’d be great to hear some movements that you’ve used/are using and find effective.
Thank you for this, Adam! I was diagnosed with SA as well about 2 years ago and could never make it past the first two days with a CPAP and eventually just stored it away before giving it back to the sleep center.
Reading this in your log last week really helped me to realize the problems I’ve been experiencing; fatigue, low to no productivity at work/in the gym, etc.
Because of your log entry, I’ve contacted my physician to arrange for another sleep study so I can get this under control… And I’ve made it my goal to keep the mask on this time!
Thanks for the replies. I only have a minute so I’ll be back tomorrow to address some of the other things, but I wanted to get this in. I’m leaving the mask on all night now. I don’t have an issue with it at all at this point. My energy level and productivity, in comparison to before, are completely off the charts. I actually look forward to going to bed. Stick with it this time Mike, it will make a huge difference.
Adam, as a side sleeper myself, I know exactly what you’re talking about. Try a firmer, more supportive pillow, or try using 2 pillows, and make sure they support your neck so not all your weight is on your shoulder.
Hated the CPAP, used it for about 6 months. Tried “oral appliance therapy” for about a year, which is like a top and bottom retainer that snaps together than you crank the lower one forward. Was better, used it more often, but some slight jaw pain, and it’s expensive. Still way better than the CPAP. Now using the Aveo TSD for about 6 months now which is a little silicone thing that looks like a pacifier that holds your tongue forward by suction. By far the most comfortable of the 3, I wear it every night without fail and it was only $150 through my dentist. The first two methods were verified by the sleep study to work, but I feel just as rested with the Aveo so I havnt bothered to get back in the sleep lab to test it. I have no connection with aveo, just want to share my experience. Jamin’s thing looks good too, might give that a shot.
As a disclaimer though, my OSA comes from having a fat tongue at the base in a smallish airway, while most of you guys probably have it from big necks that collapse you airway when your muscles relax during sleep, so your mileage may vary.
I’ve been using a CPAP (I refer to it as the fat boy machine) for about 9 months now. When I first started using it I found I was ripping the mask off at night gasping for air. It turns out the prescription for air – seriously why do you need a prescription for air? – my doctor wrote was too low. I told him about what I was doing in a follow up appointment and he wrote a new scrip for more air. It’s been helping me since. I also found I was sleeping on one side over the other. It will take some experimenting for you, but I found a way to angle my body and sleep mostly on my stomach with my face tilted just enough so the mask isn’t uncomfortable and still works. It has helped alleviate joint pain from sleeping on one side too much. Now I just hurt from old injuries and training.
Important subject. Really important to those that have it. OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) over time leads to hypertension and stroke. Immediately, it causes significant impairment in performance. The lack of normal sleep patterns causes memory impairment, fatigue, and emotional problems. Additoinaly, OSA can cause a certain testosterone deficiency.
Here is a simple questionaire that has been validated in research
http://www.cmc-northeast.org/workfiles//STOPforSleep.pdf
I keep it simple.
Do you snore?
Dose your snoring affect others? Wife tells you to quit snoring…
Do you feel tired thoughout the day and fall asleep easy when you do not intend to?
I have recently begun to use a mouthpiece that positions the mandible in a slight underbite. Problem solved. I sleep great now. My wife quit wearing ear plugs. My mood is better, performance is better. There are mulitple mouthpieces on the market. You may notice some teeth soreness the first few days buth that goes away. Some people are not good candidates. I have reviewed the medical and dental literature, which offers support for this simple and inexpensive solution.
Oh Yeah, lossing weight helps.
Great article Adam. I was diagnosed with SA approx 11 yrs ago when I was 21. I suffered from all the same symptoms as you, dozing off in meetings, falling asleep at the wheel, I even dozed off when on the can one time. But getting it diagnosed has improved my quality of life no end.
Stick with it, the mask is awkward to begin with, but you will soon get used to it, and eventually not even notice it when you start to fall asleep. I think back to how exhausted and run down I used to be all the time and it sucked. Enjoy the improved energy levels you will have. Just watch out for those really vivid dreams you will get over the next few weeks.
I strongly feel I would no longer be alive if it were not for my cpap. Same stuff, falling asleep everywhere including the car, always tired, plus I used to be sick frenquently. My life has changed dramatically for the better. Keep in mind this will not happen over night. With sleep apnea I know I guilt up quite a bit of sleep deprivation. Little by little I felt better, then one day down the road I realized I felt like a brand new person.
I have had many friend’s parents being diagnosed with sleep apnea lately, and now here is another story. What do you think happened back in the olden days? Back when people couldn’t sleep and just thought it was a bad dream or something.
Thanks for all the comments guys. I have actually begun to look forward to going to bed, something I did not do before. I have been sleeping through most nights without messing with the mask. Only sometimes am I still pulling it off. I have found ways to stay comfortable through the night without the shoulder and back pain, while keeping the mask on. My output at worked has increased incredibly. I’m really surprised at how much I get done. I have spent 3 weeks catching up on things I didn’t realize needed to be done.
Dr. King,
I personally know a young man that passed away in his sleep. He had untreated OSA. He left behind a wife. Thank you for your input.
If you have the symptoms he mentioned, see your doctor.
I have been using a CPAP for over 7 years. It takes time to get used to it. It can take even longer to find the right position to sleep in. Now I just naturally move into a position that allows me to sleep on my side without putting a lot of weight on my shoulder. I can sleep on my back as well-if the prescription is right you should have no problem. Remember that the mask and hose needs to be replaced every so often and also the machines where out after a few years. Good luck with it!
Vincent,
I seen a clip of you talking about the cpap at the learn to train seminar. Kinda what made me write about it.
Good article and spot on…I was diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea about 2 months ago. My symptoms were similar to Adam’s and started last summer. After snoring loudly and feeling like crap all summer and fall, I finally had a sleep study done. I felt like an entirely new person after about a week of using a cpap, and that was with taking it off halfway through the night like Adam mentioned. I too started actually looking forward to going to bed… that tells you a lot if you’re someone who listens to your body. I use the nasal pillows, not intrusive at all. If my allergies are acting up and my sinuses are a mess… then I’ll use the mask. With either one, it takes a few weeks to get used to it. Stick it out… I can’t believe how much better I feel… all those things we lifters want… growth hormone release, muscle repair and recovery, etc. happen when you’re in that deepest stage of sleep. If you’re not getting there for any length of time, it ain’t happening.
Great article. I have a lot of these symptoms. I always knew I never made it to stage 4 often, but didn’t realize I hit it once throughout the night and then not again.
Dr. King,
Can you elaborate more on the mouthpiece you use? A CPAP machine is not possible for me at this moment and I feel your solution could be exactly what I’ve been looking for.
I have worked in sleep apnea for about 10 years now and I have it myself. Rocking an AHI of 78, which is pretty bad, and I have tried all the “alternatives” to cpap.
Do youself a favor, stay with cpap. All other forms of treatment that promise miracle breakthroughs only work on a very very very small percentage of the population if they work at all. But since apnea is a very misunderstood disorder, and sleep in general, its easy to market to my patients. I’ve tried provent and I went back to cpap the next night. I let my patients try it and they show very little improvement. If you are dead set on trying one of these devices consult with your sleep DR and they will probably setup another overnight study to test its efficiency. My guess is that they will tell you it sucked and continue with cpap.
Would it be easy to not wear the mask? SURE! But you would be making a mistake. And since when has an Elitefts reader ever taken the easy way out?
Stick with cpap, its nearly 100% effective for everyone. Thats all I need to say.
Curtis, I will respectfully disagree. Had a sleep study with my OAT device, and it passed with flying colors, as well as being more comfortable, a fraction of the maintenance, portable and bearing no resemblance to Darth Vader. My Aveo device is as yet untested, but I know my sleep well enough that it is working fine, so I don’t feel the need to get into the sleep lab again. I don’t know why you would dissuade anyone from trying alternatives to such a monster pain in the ass.