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I have minor apnea, the narcolepsy is the main issue for me but still did the study and tried the CPAP.
Just as a confirmation, the weight is the most important factor when it comes to Apnea. It is rare for someone underweight or at a decent weight to really have an issue with it unless their is a weird structural issue due to trauma or birth.
Find your happy medium for sleep time. Not everyone thrives off of 8 hours. I have patients who feel so much better getting 4 hours rather than 7-8.
The other thing is getting to bed at the same time each night and waking up around the same time. You can sleep in of course if you need it but it is IMPERATIVE to go to bed at the same time. You can jump into deep sleep faster and get more rested that way. Also, if you can't go to bed at the same time each day due to work or something like that. Then try to go to bed at the same time on those days (i.e. Monday through Friday go to bed around 9 but Saturday and Sunday you can't do that so you go to bed at 11).
Caffeine may actually make it worse as far as feeling groggy and exhausted. Everyone is different. Caffeine makes me slow but it speeds up my girlfriend. I had a math teacher with sleep apnea and chugged coffee out of desperation and it just did nothing but make his day worse.
If you get up to fish, take a quick nap after with the CPAP or don't go to bed until the normal time. It will knock you off balance a few days if you try otherwise. If you go night fishing, sleep in at home to a cut off point so you can sleep that night. Naps are really hard on the system without CPAP and also mess with cognitive function the rest of the day and can also cause you to have trouble getting back in your nightly rhythm.
Diet wise: If you tend to wake up and feel groggy or notice you are getting a bunch of mucus or phlegm in the morning, cut down on dairy, heavy food, sugars, carbs. Eating Red Kidney Beans (typically I make chili with them and black beans) will help this out as well.
Just be careful not to get hooked into supplements! I'm sure Melatonin has been brought up and it's OK but always start with the minimum dosage to see how it goes. Past that, rely on your lifestyle and diet!
Any other sleep stuff you can ask me, I'd kill to have major apnea over this narcolepsy...
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