Why I Screw Up Now And Then, I Recall

So sorry to hear about your difficulties, Jerry. I hope that you're able to get some answers to resolve your concerns. Keep in mind that even if the correlation between sleeping longer hours and Alzheimers is true, correlation doesn't mean causality and a lot of people who do sleep longer hours don't necessarily have or develop Alzheimers.

Jerry just this week was talking to my brother that uses a CPAP and he was having similar concerns, but when he checked with the Dr. he was told it was likely due to him not having his CPAP calibrated each year. . The Dr. stated how important to keep calibrated, my brother had let his re-calibrations go for several years. . . Hope you don't let this claw at you until you have it all checked with your Dr.

One of the things i have learned is not to give too much energy to things like this until one really knows what is going on. . . I learned the hard way. . .Once while in rural Africa i was really excited about an invitation to share the evening meal with a family, until a the young son of the family ran up to the parents with the biggest rat i have ever seen. He was excitedly exclaiming, "Meat for supper, Meat for supper". . . .So all day long i thought about eating rat. . .all i could think about was eating rat. . .and by the time i returned for the evening meal was mentally and emotionally exhausted from eating rat. . . .But once it was served it wasn't so bad. . . it tasted like chicken. . . But what i did all day before i ate the rat was suffering i did not need and would not wish on anyone. . .Things like this can be really scary. . . i am sending good thoughts and prayers for the best outcome and this understandable fear does not take you into suffering or worry. . .

May you be wrapped in peace and goodness. . .

Spanish researchers found that among nearly 3,300 older adults they followed for three years, those who slept nine or more hours per day, daytime naps included, were about twice as likely to develop dementia as those who typically slept for seven hours.

If that's true, my risk for getting dementia (which is actually a fear of mine) just dropped, because I never sleep. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but not much of one. Here it is 2:40 am, and I am still typing merrily away. And when I do finally get to bed, I will not sleep. Around 6, 6:30, 7 am, I usually drift off, and then I sleep fitfully until late morning or early afternoon.

I am told this is a typical pattern with depression. People go to bed later and later until they're staying up all night and sleeping most of the day. But the thing is with me, even when I do sleep, I don't sleep soundly or uninterruptedly.

Somehow, I seem to get by, though.

Hi you Jer, you. First of all, as sparrow says: get the dang CPAP calibrated. Secondly, ask your doc if you need oxygen along with the CPAP at night. Do you wake with headaches sometimes?

You will sleep like a baby if you get cpap callibrated and IF you need oxygen, get it. I know it's all star trek looking and all, kinda weird and kinda sexy at the same time. But, most of all, apnea is nothing to mess with. It's here, and alzheimers is unlikely. Listen to CStanley, she has a science background, and I'd add, possibility is no sure correlation to outcome in most health issues. But it IS, psychologically.

Taking oppty to think positively about your health future is one useful form of psychological armor, and given that it is said/ shown in quite a few evidence based studies that high cortisol can adversely affect health and it goes high in the body when people are under stress or thinking fearfully or negatively unecessarily.... then, you know, not giving ourselves, 'the med student's disease' thinking we have everything under the sun... it's good to avoid that pit and backfill it in with your version of sunlight and determination for best health possible, which means aiming toward best outcomes possible.

You and I know we have 'delicate' health, but strong spirits. That's a good thing... even though last time I had medical student's disease I thought for sure I had leprosy (Loss tiny area (size of pencil pont) of pigment on arm)... and before that, I thought I probably had bartlett's or barrette's (one of those) syndrome when I read that a sore throat isnt always a sore throat, it could be dum dum dum , some horrible precurser to death and worse.

I hope that made you laugh. I seem not to have leprosy or barrette, bartlette's syndrome. And I think you need more oxygen/ breath without interruption in your sleep cycles so you STAY asleep in the deeper brain wave cycles where cells are repaired and renewed, and true deep rest takes place, instead of coming to theshhold of waking completely in beta cycle brain waves hundreds of times a night, not to mention that one second struggle for breath that goes on many times an hour with apnea.

Let us know. Dont make us come up there.

with kindest regards,
dr.e

P.s. Jer, people I've known who suddenly are sleeping 10-12 hours a day, are sleep deficit, from not enough sleep several nights or weeks or months running. Though it seems we cant 'make up' for lost sleep, the body metabolism tends to go kooky without 7-8 hours a night regularly. Are you testing your blood sugar too? Not enough sleep can make it go high. And catch22, too high can also make us so tired.

Jerry - For accurate information on Alzheimers and related forms of dementia, I recommend you check out www.alz..org/alzheimers_disease_causes_risk_fact... . The Alzheimers Association is the largest private funder of dementia research in the wolrd and maintains an extensive data bank and library on worldwide research, some of which is valid and some not.

If you don't find what you're looking for from the web, please call Dr. Bill Thies (pronounced Theez). He is the VP for medical and scientific research, has been with the Association for about 12 years and is up on most valid research. He is also very kind and doesn't mind taking a phone call. The internal number at the Association is 312-335-8700. Don't call the 800 number as that is a "helpline" & fundraising number. Tell Bill you were referred by (former board chair) g. c. healy. He'll know who that is.

Chances are very good you are worrying for nothing, but look beyond one study, to ease your mind. For what it's worth, I sleep maybe five hours a night and have brain farts galore. Take care of the apnea...that sounds like the real issue.

God bless

Tidbits, you're a gem.

Carthage forever.

dr.e