u/ZooTycoonBuffoon

Hi all, I got a diagnosis of mild sleep apnea from an at home test. I’ve been tracking my sleep myself with a newly purchased Apple Watch since the diagnosis and they do not match up at all. The test said I snored and I have been using a snore tracker since, not one snore. The night I took the test it was storming out and the wind made my window make some funny noises, so it could have been that. I’ve also got sleep apnea notifications turned on and haven’t gotten one either, I’ve had no elevated breathing disturbances.

I’m on cpap but it’s been less than helpful; consistently feel like I’m fighting the machine to breathe. I’ve done both a nasal and full face. The full face is better because I’m not having panic attacks anymore, but I’m sleeping even worse with it on and have to take it off halfway through the night in order to get some meaningful rest. My doctor won’t order a lab test until I also try an oral device too. My appointment for that is next week. I guess I have to prove every treatment out there won’t help for the lab test will be approved. Health insurance in the US sucks!

I’ve still definitely got sleep issues, I can easily sleep 18 hours or more a day and I’m jumping between sleep stages like crazy. I’ve recorded me going from core sleep to REM and deep within 10 minutes or less. Also had a full on cataplexy collapse in public. Definitely suspect that I have the disorder that starts with “N”, but as l’ve said I’m having to fight the get the test.

Is it even possible to get a false positive from an at home test? I feel like I’m going crazy and my doctor isn’t listening to me.

Hi folks, I am 30 years old. I do not currently have a narcolepsy diagnosis, but I do have a diagnosis of OSA from a home test (not sure if it is accurate!). CPAP has not helped me at all. My neurologist is insisting I try mouth guards and keep on the CPAP before they will do a lab test for narcolepsy. I have the following symptoms:

1. EDS. I am always exhausted no matter how much sleep I get. There are times I am starting to nod off while walking or driving.
2. Cataplexy. This is a new one, I just recently was at a baseball game and the game ended with us winning in extra innings. I was mid-celebration and I completely lost control of my body and was fully leaning on the bleachers in front of me. It took me a few seconds to get my bearings and be able to become vertical again.
3. Sleep inertia. When I am asleep for long periods, I remain half asleep for several hours after waking. There was one time I was falling asleep while shoveling snow off my driveway in the freezing cold. My head feels like it is floating and I get very dizzy. I also sometimes feel like I can’t move upon waking. Sometimes something as simple as moving my thumbs to text someone feels like a monumental effort.
4. Insomnia. Sometimes I can’t sleep at all, like my brain won’t shut off. This is more rare.
5. Unexplained weight gain. I can never lose weight no matter what I eat, and can gain weight at the drop of a hat.

The issue: My mom does not believe I have a sleep disorder at all. Because I didn’t have narcolepsy or sleep issues fresh out of the womb, she is convinced I am making it up. I developed them in my teenage years, but they have gotten much worse recently and I also have depression, which probably masked my symptoms. I am effectively treating my depression and my sleep issues are still getting worse. She says that I am just lazy and I “need to grow up”. While I am an adult and don’t need to rely on her for medical care anymore, it’s hard living with someone who does not believe your chronic illnesses exist. Does anyone have any tips for dealing with unsupportive/unbelieving household members?