[LDandPasquale]

Hi Ann, so sorry you have been going thru this. You must be exhausted cause you never full get into REM sleep! You poor thing. BUT the good news is you've finally been diagnosed and can finally get help for it. There are so many people who go on for years not being diagnosed and their health declines little by little.

You wouldnt be surprised how many patients i have that are on CPAP...and i'm a Pediatric Nurse who works overnights. Dont be afraid of the CPAP...there are soo many different kinds of masks out there and they are always improving on the machines. Most of the masks now have a gel base. So its not abrasive on your face. If you only need the nose part..thats even better...cause they make the tiniest little nose mask..its actually kinda cute from a nurse's point of view. You wont have a problem sleeping on your side...cause it secures very well on your face. And if it does break the seal...most machines nowadays have an alarm....now that may be your only problem. If your bed partner is a light sleeper....he may hear the alarm or in the beginning may be annoyed by the inhalation/exhalation noises.

If you decide against the CPAP and want to try the dental guard, that could be another option. They make the dental guards better than they use to. Not as bulky. The only thing i would suggest is...if you do decide on the dental guard....have another sleep study done WITH the dental guard on...that way you can see if your airway is open enough..sometimes the guards open the airway but not enough. ****If your insurance company tries to deny paying for this, just have your doctor write a letter of medical necessity.

I think the only option for surgery is as a last resort and you have tried everything else. It is very invasive and not 100%.

I cant even imagine how exhausted you must feel. I really hope things work out for you soon. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.