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Sleep apnea and attention deficit
Jamie Phelps | Feb 18 2006
I have been having trouble with attention deficit symptoms that have progressively worsened over the past 2-3 years. I was talking with a friend who said that he used to have similar problems and that he was finally diagnosed with sleep apnea. Once he started using a CPAP machine, his apnea was much better, his wife would not have to sleep on the couch, and his cognitive functioning was markedly improved. The research on sleep apnea that I have been reading indicates that sleep apnea can cause attention deficit troubles. I am pretty sure I'm a good candidate for sleep apnea, as I reflect two of the three common risk factors: overweight, middle-aged, male. I'm 25, so I'll let you guess which two I fit. I'm 5'10 1/2" and weigh in at around 230. The most basic treatment for sleep apnea is to lose weight. After that, tests and such have to be run that would be a strain on my student budget. I have health insurance, but $300 for a test that I wasn't planning for is a little steep. So, all that being said, anyone here have experience with sleep apnea? Did you experience attention deficit troubles as a result? How much did correcting your sleep apnea help your attention deficit symptoms? What treatments helped you? Did simply losing weight help or do you use a CPAP? I don't think I am a candidate for SA surgery, but if anyone has any experience with that, I would like to hear about that as well. I have contemplated taking medication for the attention deficit symptoms, but I would much rather fix the problem than treat the symptoms. Thanks in advance. 32 Comments
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 So, all that being said,...Submitted by jabba on February 20, 2006 - 1:08pm.
Berko wrote:
So, all that being said, anyone here have experience with sleep apnea? Did you experience attention deficit troubles as a result? How much did correcting your sleep apnea help your attention deficit symptoms? What treatments helped you? Did simply losing weight help or do you use a CPAP? I don't think I am a candidate for SA surgery, but if anyone has any experience with that, I would like to hear about that as well. I have contemplated taking medication for the attention deficit symptoms, but I would much rather fix the problem than treat the symptoms. I believe my ADD symptoms are more than 50% Sleep Deprivation. The only symptoms I showed before I had children was an ability to completely lose myself in a task, to the detriment of Getting Things Done (tm). I have 3 factors for Sleep Deprivation - 6 children, overweight to the point of causing me sleep problems, and a bad Computer Habit. In the last 2 years my ADD-like symptoms have increased, and am looking to GTD as a way of mitigating the problems. Obviously, weight loss is critical, not just for the ADD but also to keep me alive. I'm supplementing a weight loss campaign and GTD with GABA, which is marketed as a weight-loss supplement but I am finding that it's affect as a neurotransmitter helps me stay more alert and on focus. If I can get 6+ hours of sleep and take my GABA, I can usually have a productive day. » POSTED IN:
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