Hey fellow sleepy people. I had my entire story typed out to relay to you all, but after writing it I realized that it wasn't all that pertinent to know the details of my storied history with the battle of Sleep Apnea. It felt good to write it all out, so all was not lost, but i'll just give you the need to knows. Please feel free to follow along (Or skip to the bottom to read about my experience w/ a dental device): (Yes, this is the brief version..heh)

I was diagnosed w/ sleep apnea almost 4 years ago. This after several years of treating depression and anxiety. After college I got off the pills (zoloft) and wanted to take the "natural" approach. After about a year of that with no success, I went back to the docs....had another sleep study...and voila. "son, you stop breathing about 30 times per hour in your sleep".... Great.

I was 24 at the time. Not overweight. Relatively healthy as the gauntlet of tests would come to show. CPAP was given to me as the first option. I denied that and only kept it at my house to pacify the insurance companies in order for them to pay for my surgery. The dreaded UPPP. My ENT actually did a very nice job and created a sort of faux uvula out of the remaining soft palate. And while i dont suffer from most of the problems that some people have reported, and while it drastically reduced my snoring, I did not feel one ounce better. Another year passes by.....

I met someone. A very understanding, and caring woman and she moves in. I was 28 and staring life at the face again. No longer hiding in my parents house under their wing of support. (No not in the basement!). They move out, she moves in. I'm still too tired to even fully support a full time relationship, job, and a normal life. Amongst the myriad of other symptoms, and the basic loss of the lust for life, I vowed to defeat this. First step, REALLY try CPAP.

I ordered 2 more sleep studies to absolutely 100% confirm that i REALLY had Sleep apnea. Sure enough, the results were in. So back to CPAP. 5 masks, 1 APAP, 3 months of hell. The fighting with the masks and seals and pressures caused me to lose more sleep than I would without the machine, making matters 10x worse. I felt defeated.

Another 6 months go by until i had an incident where I nearly fainted from an acute dizzy spell. Back to the Neurologist that I hadnt seen since my initial diagnosis 3 years prior. He says "How was the surgery? How was CPAP?". We talked in length and decided that dealing with sleep apnea was the at the utmost priority. And, since the 2 previous solutions were clearly not successful, the next step would be to try a.... :drum roll: Dental Device.

I'd looked into it before but never gave it much thought. I'm one of those people who research the ever living @(#* out of something before i even think about doing/buying it. How is this not at the forefront of solutions before Expensive, painful and wildly unsuccessful surger such as UPPP!? How is this not the FIRST option (For mild to moderate SA) BEFORE expensive and wildly Uncomlied with CPAP THERAPY!?!! Wow.




MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE DENTAL DEVICE:

I got a couple referrals but knew it was back to the almighty Google to find my pot of gold. Back to the forums and reviews. I landed on the OASYS. Went do a Dentist in East BF only to find he doesn't recommend the OASYS and preferred the SUAD. Discouraged I went back to the reviews and spoke with a well renowned Dentist Doctor Kent Smith. He was EXTREMELY kind and helpful and very very insightful. Thank you Doctor Smith. I researched some more and discovered the highly touted Somnomed MAS device and, through several recommendations, Found the Only Doctor in NH who makes them. Dr Scott Bobbitt.

Dr Bobbitt, another compassionate and intelligent Doctor met with me and told me about his practice, his motivation and his plan for me. He too wears the Somnomed and has fitted several of his clients with them with an amazing success rate. I knew I was at the right place.

His plan for me involved being fitted for the Silent Nite Device, and then, after a short time, be fitted w/ the SomnoMed MAS Device. His reasons were threefold:

1. The Silent Nite is Cheaper to make: $600 vs $1500 for Somnomed
2. Wearing the SilentNite as an experiment will help determine if I can tolerate being protruded. (some people can't)
3. If and when I get the Somnomed device, this will service as a good replacement should the device be lost/stolen/out for repair/etc.
4. I need dental work. If i got the Somnomed and then had dental work done, it's possible the device would no longer fit. This was not an option. I would rather the 600 device not fit.

At first I thought this to be a clever ploy for making more money. But I saw that he was being honest and came to agree with his plan. I made the impressions for my SilentNite that day. 1 Week Later.... I got my Silent Nite and i'm as giddy as a school boy (when the final bell of the school year and i'm running out the front of the schoolhouse door throwing books and pencils in Glee on my way home for summer!)


This thread will serve as a sort of blog for my experience with my dental device and my quest for the oasys that is a restful night of sleep. Please follow along if you would like and feel free to ask me questions or just leave your thoughts here. I'm sure i'll have plenty of questions for all of you. Any and all insight would be helpful.

It is with this story that I hope people will find their answer. And FINALLY, get their lives back. Thank you to all who read. Wish me luck and good luck to you![/i]

Ok, I couldnt wait to get to sleep! I put in my SilentNite and went to bed w/ my woman around 10. She was pretty ecstatic that I didnt look like Snufulufagus and sound like Darth Vader.

My SilentNite was comfortable and snug. My teeth werent quite even yet but the doc said that we will be working the jaw out SLOWLY and over the next several weeks. I was a little disappointed at first because i've just waited SO long for a good night's sleep I wanted to put the short straps on an go for it! But, i was a good boy and listened to the pros. And, after reading some other advice around the forums, it seems like it's a smart thing to do.

So, I fell asleep rather quickly. However, i did wake up and tossed and turned quite a bit. I had some slight throat, mouth and lip dryness but nothing too uncomfortable. I was able to lick my lips through the SilentNite, which was nice. I may try some chapstick tonight. I woke up at my normal time around 7:30am and, while i dont feel refreshed, i'm not discouraged. I realize that it's going to take some time and it's probably going to take the shorter straps in order to get my blowhole open to where I need it to be.

I took the device out, my teeth wanted to stay out but after about an hour my teeth are back in place. No jaw soreness, no teeth soreness, just a mild muscle tightness around the lower jaw. Nothing to complain about. Overall, I think my first night was a success.

On to night 2!


NOTE: I knew that I would be a good candidate for Oral Appliance Therapy because:

1: I am not overweight
2: I have moderate sleep apnea (AHI of 29)
3: When laying on my back at night and almost sleeping, I can feel myself starting to snore and gasp for air. I protrude my lower jaw and can breath freely.

I'm hopeful this is it. I did not mention in my story but my ENT recommended to get my slightly deviated septum repaired in order to get full benefit from any therapy whether it was the UPPP, CPAP or otherwise. My Dentist (Dr Bobbitt) who also has the same issue i have with his septum, confirms that this would be a good idea. You gotta clear the path of air! I'm gunna roll with this for now.....

My husband got the Silent Night device about a year ago at my request for his snoring.  He sleeps like a baby and his snoring disappeared. Just a note to everyone about the cost - Shop Around! The $600 price tag mentioned above seems a bit overpriced. My husband got the device from our dentist and paid $385 which includes adjustments over the life of the device. I am sure the cost may differ by location but it never hurts to shop around for the best price.

Peace. Melissa

Thanks for the insight. Actually, i went to this doctor because of his affiliation with the Somnomed MAS Device. As mentioned above, this is just his precursor to getting the Somnomed, which I happen to agree with. He was the only doctor in NH that makes the Somnomed and, so far, i've been very pleased with the service. He leaves his home # on the company answering machine in case of patients have problems. He himself uses the device. I feel very good about my choice. I know I probably could have found it somewhere cheaper, and normally I'm a fanatic about price shopping (just bought a TV that took me 6 months to finally pull the trigger on!), but when it comes to finding the answer to all of my problems.... it's much more important to me to find a reputable practice with a stand up doctor who works with top notch equipment making highly regarded devices....

I'm glad the silentNite has helped w/ snoring. I'm hoping for a bit more in my device, but will remain patient.

Thank you!

PS - it's 12:30 now and i feel tired as usual, but no MORE tired or out of it as was the case after a bad night w/ CPAP (aka - every night w/ CPAP)

Went to bed at 1:00 after getting home from the late show of "Cloverfield". Ok, the movie leaves you in such a weird state it took me a few to wind down and get to bed.

Through some suggestions I ran the SilentNite under warm water for about 30 seconds prior to putting it in, and noticed it went in a bit smoother than last night, but probably just because it was wet. I fell asleep again pretty quickly, mostly from being completely exhausted yesterday (what else is new).

Again, the tossing and turning but I dont think as much as the previous night. As of right now (10:30am) it's been 45 minutes since I dragged myself out of bed and I feel pretty !@#!. Sore neck/back, pretty major head funk (fog). But, no soreness in my jaw or anything. I do notice that my bite seems to want to stay out though. I'm thinking this is a problem so I posted back out on the forums about Jaw Excercises that people do. Please go there if you have any suggestions so that other people can find the answers quickly as opposed to burying them deep in here.

http://www.apneasupport.org/viewtopic.php?t=14594

Even though i'm tossing and turning, i do feel that i'm breathing better. No gurgling when completely relaxed or outward resistance when breathing out anymore. I think that i'll definitely need to get the shorter straps (right now i'm at 24mm and the shortest strap is 21mm, i THINK. My dentist said that if the 21mm strap doesn't provide enough protrusion for releif, he can actually send the device back to the lab and they can move the reference (starting) point out further so that our range starts at 80% full protrusion as opposed to the recocgnized 70%. Right now i'm just trying to get through the 1st week without any major problems.

However, I know from experience w/ CPAP that I can't take too many back to back restless nights. As bad as sleep apnea is, it's not as bad as tossing and turning all night. My thought is that it's normal for my body to be freaked out about this new thing. Although, it feels nice and comfortable in my mouth and I fall asleep just fine.

Any insight as to people's initial nights with their devices would be helpful.

Has anyone taken a sleep med during the first few nights just to make sure they stay asleep to get the benefits? Is this a good idea? I know we're not doctors but personal reviews I feel are more important than a pill pushin doctor who's never even taken the things he sells.....

Thanks for reading!

First of all, thanks for the kind words, K. Please hang in there, and we will get you feeling refreshed, but it may take a while, and may take some additional help outside the dental arena. Let me address a few of your concerns:

1. It sounds like you have found a very competent dentist. The Silent Nite won't last too long with grinders, but if the straps break, don't get discouraged. As you mentioned, you can always move to the shorter ones, and will need to do so anyway. You were right in not finding the cheapest Silent Nite out there. Some dentists use ONLY that appliance, because they do not have the proper training to get the i's dotted and t's crossed. They will do it WITHOUT a sleep study, which, in my opinion, is very close to malpractice. Treating snoring without testing can lead to a silent apneic, and the patient will never know he or she has a problem. OK, off my soapbox.

2. Yes, you can take a sleep aid to help you get some restful sleep for a while, and it should not be a problem. You can get a prescription for some Lunesta, etc., or try a natural aid such as valerian or chamomile tea. The orexin receptor antagonists are about to roll out with three drug companies racing to be first, and these will take over the market, in due time. They keep you asleep without sedation and have no ill effects the next day, so stay tuned.

3. As far as jaw exercises, the first thing you need to know is that the amount of protrusion you have with the device has NO bearing on whether or not you will have any permanent occlusal changes. Even if you do all the correct exercises, about 35% of patients have at least a modicum of change. However, I have not, in the last 10 years, had a patient complain of this. What's more important? Breathing and feeling good with a funny bite (that can be fixed, if necessary) or feeling like !@#! and dying early with a good bite? I know you want this discussed on the other thread, but it's not too long - use the bite tabs that come with appliances such as the TAP and SomnoMed; use the AM Positioner that comes with the SUAD; chew a piece of gum when you're taking a shower in the morning; or lean on your chin in the correct direction to push it back in place. Try to get it back within the first 30 minutes of waking.

4. I agree completely about the nasal septum. I have a patient whose nose was itching so bad, that in her attempt to make it go away, she pushed her septum back in place. Don't try this at home. See a good ENT.

5. I can't remember from our discussions, but did you see a sleep specialist? I will presume that the neurologist you saw was a board certified sleep specialist who looked at your study and ruled out any other sleep disorder such as PLMS or narcolepsy, but I wanted to make sure.

6. Lastly, after enough time has passed (maybe 6 months?) and if you are not feeling refreshed with the SomnoMed, it might be time to try a combination oral appliance/PAP that uses the appliance for retention and has no head straps. Do you think you would do better with positive air pressure if you did not have to wear anything on your head?


_________________
Kent Smith DDS

Dr Smith, as always, thank you for your valuable insight and your dedication to helping others. It means a great deal to me and I know i don't just speak for myself. Thank You.

Firstly, I went to bed at about 1am again last night, not too untypical of a weekend night, except that I have been refraining from drinking any alcohol. I'm doing this until I get the correct setting on my SilenNite and start feeling better, as alcohol makes my apnea considerably worse. I want to give it as good a chance to work as possible.

I don't remember tossing and turning as much as I had the previous 2 nights, but I'm still feeling quite tired and foggy. WIth some of the excercises described by Dr Smith and some other users here, I was able to get my jaw back to it's original position within an hour. I think my body's starting to get used to the device and my jaw is rebounding nicely. Again, no soreness and I don't think i'll be suffering from a bite change...at least not w/ this device and this strap length... I agree w/ Dr Smith in that I would rather have an off-bite and sleep! I have a mild underbite so a small bite change wouldnt be too big of a deal anyways...

To respond to some of your questions:

My dentist required a prescription from my PCP for a dental device. I've had several sleep studies, surgery and two unsuccessful trials with CPAP. He was pretty convinced that this was the next best step. I'm not sure what he would have had me do had I not had these precursors. My bet is that he would have still required a prescription. To date, he has not asked me about getting a follow up sleep study. I will be getting one at some point down the road, but it will be on my own accord. I think it's difficult for dentists (at least the one i'm dealing with) to request their patients to have a sleep study. He was careful to say that the silentnite device was for treating snoring. I think he was just trying to cover his butt....

I'll try the sleep aid if I have another night like the 1st 2 nights. I still have some ambien left over from when i was using it to help w/ CPAP. I was never too psyched about taking a sleep aid because I didnt want to feel any ill effects the next day, especially when that's precisely what i'm trying to resolve in the first place. I'm interested in the orexin receptor antagonists you speak of. I have a friend that works at Pfizer, i'm goin to see if he has any word on that.

I'll probably address the septum after my battle w/ the insurance company. If they dont pay a significant amount of the cost of my silentnite and/or somnomed, it might take some time to recoup the funds in order to pay for surgery, unless they pay for that... who knows. But one battle at a time.

I've seen 3 "sleep specialists". 2 were pulmonologists and the 1st one, and current one, i've been dealing with is a neurologist (board certified) and has recently switched his practice from general neurology to focusing specifically on sleep medicine. He's reviewed all of my sleep studies and, prior to sending me to get a dental device, requested i go through an MSLT test, in which you go through a normal sleep study, and then stay the following day for a series of nap tests to rule out narcolepsy. Not sure about PLMS. I did the overnight sleep study, but in the morning, he saw that I had "too many apneas in order to perform an accurate MSLT test". Duh. He wanted to put me on CPAP for the night to ensure I had a "good nights sleep", but I can't tolerate CPAP, so... it was pretty much a waste of time. However, I was happy to have the test to even further confirm my current situation and to get a new, and more accurate test (all new equipment since my last sleep study).

My last test result was an AHI of 29, mostly supine, and the apneas were short, but enough to chop up sleep to where i feel like !@#!. I'm now 99.5% sure that this is my problem.

As of right now I just have the SilentNite. The somnomed will come after my SilentNite has been "titrated" out, I start feeling better, and i find out what, if anything my insurance company will pay. My dentist has yet to submit the claim as they're waiting for the prescription and other documentation they sent to my PCP.

On to Night 4! But not before we see the Pats take on the Chargers.... Go Pats!!!

I don't have an "in" with the pharmaceutical companies, but as far as I know, only Actelion, GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi-Aventis have the orexin receptor antagonists in play, but I would be interested in what your Pfizer friend says.

You are very wise in abstaining from alcohol during this phase, and for some of the same reasons, you need to only use a sleep aid for a short time if at all. It looks like you are adjusting to the MAD gradually, so perhaps you can make it sans aids.

Do you have a copy of your sleep study? I would be curious about the number of respiratory events you had in the supine position vs non-supine. I have a formula I have created that uses these figures to tell the likelihood that a MAD will be effective. It's a work in progress, and I have much more research to do, but generally, if most of your events were on your back, I would have to believe that a MAD will help you.

Do you really have an underbite? Your lower teeth are in front of your upper teeth? That's a bit unusual for the average sleep apneic, but then that all depends on where your upper jaw is in relation to ideal, and I have not seen your profile. Did you have any teeth removed for orthodontics?

It would also be good to know the number of "arousals" from your study, and what the arousals due to PLMs were. Additionally, did they look for RERAs, or did their software ignore UARS?

Every state is different, but I send several patients for sleep studies on a daily basis. Maybe NH is different. We're rebels in Texas, anyway.

If you are not having any joint discomfort with the longer strap, I would call your dentist tomorrow and ask if you can go to a shorter strap. Let's get that airway open!


_________________
Kent Smith DDS

Oops, i meant overbite. For some reason I always get those mixed up. The SilentNite device advances my lower teeth ALMOST even with my top teeth. I'm pretty sure the small straps will advance them just a tad outside the top teeth. I told him when he fitted the long straps that it didnt feel like it was too much different from normal, but he wanted me to go home with it and get used to it first before fitting the short straps. If the longest i'll have to wait is thursday I'll be ok, but i'd like to get in there sooner just because it only takes 15 mins to do, if that.

I have a copy of my latest sleep study. I'll scan it in and send it over when i get the chance. But I can tell you right now that almost all of my apneas AND arousals occured in the supine position. I'll be interested to see how I fit your formula, and i'd like to get you some more data to work with as well.

On to night 4... sans sleeping aid. Had a couple sodas today and usually caffeine gets me anxious and unable to sleep but this was a while ago so i think i'm good to go!..

and the Pats are goin to the superbowl!!! (Sorry Dr Smith if you're a dallas fan, i was bettin on them to go...)

see ya tomorrow!

OK, the underbite makes more sense. You can also fax the study to 972.255.5693. Yes, I'm a Cowboy fan, but now want the Pats to go undefeated, so I'm on your side.


_________________
Kent Smith DDS

So not much has changed since my last post, except the Pats are going to the SuperBowl and I now spell Night "N-i-t-e". Not feeling any better, and have had decreasing amounts of "disturbances" in my sleep. Last night I was just a tad congested and I felt as if the dental device wasn't even really helping much. Although I took it out to compare and it definitely was...but not enough to prevent apneas.. at least this is what I was "thinking". Of course I have no reference except that I didnt feel any better the next day (today).

So I called my Dentist yesterday and requested to come in today to get new straps. They fit me in this morning and I met with my Dentist. I gave him the report above and he said "well, as long as you're comfortable, i'm a little hesitant about changing the straps. We want to acheive an open airway with the LEAST amount of advancement possible".

I was a little discouraged so I kind of had to push my concern a bit to even get him to go with the next size down. The initial (longest) setting was 24mm. He put on the 23mm straps today. I asked the assistant to show me the two straps side by side and, wow, 1mm sure isnt a whole lot. Also, when you angle the straps as you have to to connect the two halves of the device, you lose almost 1/2 of the horizontal distance of the advancement. He estimates I netted about a .7mm advancement... I'm thinking it was more like .5. But that's my synical view.

If it were me, I would have put on the 21mm (the shortest straps) and said let's get it on! But he wont have it. He wants to advance me slowly, and even said that he doesnt like the fact that the jumps in advancements on the SilentNite are so large. they're 1mm (.7mm) each jumps and only a 4mm range, while the SomnoMed includes a 6mm range with .1mm advancements). .1? Really...that's nice and all, but i like my advancements to matter :D I can't see .5mm advancements, which is what the silentnite gives you, but i'd be more concerned about the range...but anyways.

So, i'm going home w/ my 24s.... i feel a little gipped... but i'll appease the doctor... knowing full well i'm going in there next week asking for the damn 21s... :D

Sorry Dr Smith I havent had a chance to fax over the sleep study yet. I've been on site with customers all week, i'll be in the office tomorrow and can do it...hope everything's well with everyone!

Take care!

If you are having no pain, I don't see the hesitancy in going to the shorter straps ASAP. I will repeat - the amount of advancement has NO bearing on whether or not you have a change in your bite. Research tells us this - it is not anecdotal.

I know you think the .1mm advancements in the SomnoMed are too anal, but it really comes in handy with my TMJ patients who can't tolerate much change in a short time. BTW, when you use the method of a trial run with the Silent Nite, you can start at MORE than a 70% protrusion with the George Gauge your dentist may be using. Just tell him that (for example) your end-to-end bite is comfortable, and you would never need to back up more than that. Then he can take that as a starting point, and you will be able to advance much more than 6 mms total.

I'll check my fax tomorrow!  


_________________
Kent Smith DDS

*yawn*...

Went to bed at midnight on a weeknight, i don't think i'm helping my cause any, but you would think 6 hours of good sleep should do the trick? Also of note, my girlfriend gets up around 5:30-6:00am to get ready for work, and she almost always wakes, if not keeps me up the entire time. I'm a pretty light sleeper in the morning. My alarm goes off at 7:30 and I usually get out of bed around 8...which is exactly the time I need to leave. So, after a QUICK dress and walk of the dogs (I shower at night), I'm out the door for my hour long commute and almost always at least 15 - 30 minutes late for work...I'm running out of excuses. I just can't seem to get out of bed.

However, she did tell me that 2 of the 5 nights so far I was sound asleep the entire time she was getting ready, and 1 time I was even on my back....and NO SNORING! She was pretty amazed as I would almost surely be rockin up a storm and she would push me over. So that's good news.

Well, no miracle refreshment this morning, that's for sure. I was however noticing that the advancement by the short straps was more noticeable then I originally though, albeit by a slight amount. I wasn't able to go back as far as I was with the 24s. I noticed as well, that last night, the straps were taught and gave no room for play, while this morning there is very small amount. Maybe the plastic is stretching a bit? The last straps had this problem as well, but only on the right side, as is the case with this one. Weird.

Again, was able to get my jaw back into position by holding my chin in my hand and that does the trick. A "little" but sore in the jaw muscles and in one of my front teeth, but not much. They also grinded down one side of my SilentNite because I was biting down on the left side before the right side, so they evened it out.

It's 9am... yeah, I was supposed to leave an hour ago... but i'm going to Boston so it doesn't matter. Driving while tired is not fun, i'm used to it and have plenty of little things I do to keep me awake, but it's still scary sometimes and...well, let's just hope I start sleeping soon.

My thought is that I'm gunna need a few weeks of good sleep in order to start seeing some improvement on how I feel, after 10 years of feeling like !@#!. Thanks again for all (any) of you who are reading.

Dr Smith, I got my sleep study in hand today. I'll probably just email it to ya as that's a little easier, so look for it there instead of the fax.

Thanks!

phorts,

Responding to something in one of your earlier posts about snoring while on your back... Have you taken any steps to make sure you are sleeping on your side? My AHI triples when I'm on my back, so simply training myself to sleep exclusively on my side has helped quite a bit.

My dental device has helped some (TAP-3) and now a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and turbinoplasty has have helped even more.

I was also unable to tolerate CPAP, but between a variety of therapies, dental, surgical and the old school therapies of side sleeping, quitting drinking and weight loss, each has contributed a portion toward a cure. I'm feeling better than I have in a long time.

From what I know, CPAP and weight loss are the best bets for one-stop cures for sleep apnea. Since you can't tolerate CPAP and aren't overweight, it may require a variety of treatments, which is what I had to do. Each made a contribution.

Scriptdog,

First, thank you sincerely for your input.

Short of the old "tennis ball" trick, I haven't taken any measures to try to keep me from rolling onto my back during the night. And, quite frankly, I didnt even know that I was doing it until the sleep tech told me I spent the majority of the night in the supine position. I pretty much called him a liar, and then when i got my sleep results back from my doc, there was some pretty hard evidence that, not only did i sleep on my back, but nearly ALL of my apneas and arousals occured in that position.

I was amazed, as I never would have thought I slept on my back. I FALL asleep on my stomach or on my side and, still to this day, can't recall waking up while still on my back. The only thing close is every once in awhile i'll be on my side but sort of twisted towards the supine position, but not fully on my back.....

Since the tennis ball trick didnt work for me (impractical and uncomfortable) I felt that I was out of options. I looked into one of those Sona anti-snoring pillows at Brookstone for $130, but felt it was just a gimmick and never gave it a 2nd look. I havent read up on, nor tried any other method for "training" myself to sleep on my side. If you have any tips and/or recommendations for pillows then i'd be very grateful for that insight.

I have to be honest, in that I had, and still have, very high hopes of this dental device as a cure-all for my apnea. I have since realized that it is going to take more than just this to completely resolve my specific issue. Since i've already had the UPPP surgery and tonsilectamy, I feel that my next best step is to have my deviated septum fixed. I'm going to give the dental appliance some time to work, and try to work out the issues with my insurance company in regards to this device, before attempting to have the surgery.

I very much appreciate the feedback and it's so good to hear someone has had success with treating their apnea and has restored some energy back in their life. I would appreciate any tips you have on side sleeping when you get the chance.

Also, how do you like the Tap-3?

And lastly, in which order did you try the different therapies you listed, and which one(s) helped the most?

Thank you very much again for sharing your experiences.... it gives me hope.

Keith