Overnight Success after 7+ Years of Snoring/Apnea
I am a 34 year-old, reasonably healthy male (though probably carrying a bit more stomach fat) than I should. Over the past 7+ years I have dealt with an increasingly severe level of snoring and sleep apnea. Often falling asleep within a minute of getting into bed, snoring loudly, waking up feeling like I’ve barely slept, taking 1-2 hours to feel any sense of normal/awake, though remaining fairly exhausted and foggy most days. For the past 2+ years I have recorded my sleep using iPhone and iWatch apps.
I’d tried the following and almost every combination of:
- Humidifiers
- Dehumidifiers
- Nose strips
- Mouth taping
- Sleeping in various beds, in upright positions, sideways positions, and downright ridiculous positions.
- I had full nasal surgery to open up those passages more
- A medical-grade custom mandibular device
The one thing I hadn’t tried…
A $27.99 soft neck brace.
What. The. Fuccccccck.
Every, and I mean every symptom disappeared overnight. I have snored for a grand total of 0 minutes for the past six nights; waking up feeling rested and awake, which has continued (to the extent one would expect) throughout the day.
In this process, I’ve realised that my general posture during the day hasn’t been great, and with the nature of my work, which includes a lot of time on computer and phone, it’s likely become worse and worse over the past several years. Clearly not a coincidence.
Note: I am still using the mandibular device, and am side-sleeping on, surprisingly, a lower pillow than previous, ensuring that when I fall asleep, my back and neck/throat are in a reasonably straight line. Either way. Any movement I’ve made during the night clearly hasn’t impacted the quality of my sleep. I’m now also making a conscious effort to correct my posture during the day.
When I woke up after the second night, I cried. It’s been a journey, but most importantly, I feel like a completely different person and my wife and I can sleep in the same bedroom again.
I hope this helps.