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I have severe sleep apnoea and have to wear a mask with a cpap machine. Does anyone know of any NLP patterns to deal with sleep apnoea?

If I cant get rid of the apnoea, does anyone know any patterns for getting used to the face mask?

Thanks in advance

Wes

I have recently learnt diaphraghmatic breathing, whilst learning it, it was explained to me that during sleep I will breathe more naturally and will wake with a moist mouth if I usually wake with a dry mouth, which I did.

I always thought it was because I smoked when it was something so simple and very relaxing, so now I sleep wonderfully well and have practically stopped smoking altogether, I hope this information is of some use to you, I'm sure you can find a vocal coach to get you breathing like you did when you were a baby, yeah!

Here's a link to a book you may find helpful:

Amazon.com: The Insomnia Solution: The Natural, Drug-Free Way to a Good Night's Sleep: Michael Krugman: Books

Insomnia-Solution-Natural-Drug-Free-Nights [Amazon UK | Amazon US]

Good luck and sweet dreams

I have been diagnosed with it, too, and I detest having anything on my face. I find that if I do an exercise that I learned from a classically trained singer, the problem is greatly reduced. (My challenge is remembering to do it.)

Focus your attention on your soft palate, and when you can feel it, yawn. You will notice that your soft palate lifts, with the back lifting more than the front, and that your upper airway opens up too. Learn to tighten and relax the involved muscles voluntarily.

Once you can control these muscles, you can exercise them like any other. Slowly and smoothly contract and relax them to improve their tone. You can do this anywhere, and as often as you care to. When you improve the tone of those muscles, your airway will more easily remain open while you sleep. (You may also notice an additional benefit: the resonance of your voice will improve over time.)

If the yawning doesn't work for you, try this instead: touch the tip of your tongue to your soft palate, reaching as far back as you can with it. Try to touch your epiglottis with your tongue. This probably won't cause your sinuses and nasal passages to open wider, but it'll work your soft palate.

You've probably already been advised to lose excess weight, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol too close to bedtime, and avoid dairy products if they cause you to produce mucus.

Apnoea is a fascinating subject. Interestingly apnoea , along with degrees of snoring disorders are actually breathing disorders that are there all the time and only show themselves when you sleep as muscle tone in the throat/upper airway relaxes and your airway narrows .

So you would first want to exclude any of co existing aggrevating factors .... (overwt , smoking , alcohol , nasal congestion, palate problems) , you would then want to focus on techniques to improve your discipline of breathing.So meditation , diaphragmatic breathing etc would help.

If anyone wants to know more about apnoea/sleep disorders feel free to ask me...I love talking about it !!! The very fact that sleep disorders exist is interesting ....


Natheera :-)

Hi Wes

I have been thinking about “patterns for getting used to the face mask?” and this is what I have come up with- you will need to go to your local DIY store and get a paper dust mask- then you will need to create some free time-

You will start in the morning and you will place a mask on your face- for 3-7 minutes- and jot down on a note pad- how this feels then on a new page- how would you like to feel when you have the mask on? This is a basic contrast analysis which you will also do with the cpap machine- this it to build a synaptic response potential- it allows for deeper level change a neurological level - yes you could go down and unpack the modalities- yet as long as you have how it is- and how you would like to be- that’s fine- So this is what you do- you take the feeling’s of how you would like the mask to feel- and pressing your finger and thumb together you create an conditioned response to this resource state- and you practice pressing your finger and thumb together until the anchor works really well- and you get into the feeling’s that work for you- now you put on the paper mask- and at intervals- of 20 seconds you fire the anchor off- and you do this for- 3-7 minutes-

Now ask yourself what other resources would allow this to feel even better- take the time to create this extra resource state- and again use the finger and thumb anchor- build the resource stare up so it is at it peek- then repeat- the same exorcise-as with the 20 second intervals yet this time every 30 seconds- then take a brake for about 5 minutes-

Now from there I want you to think about- some time before you started using the cpap machine a day yet no more than a week and a pleasant time in that day or week-- and I want you to think about that time- and I want you to go there in your imagination- step into that time- as full as you can- and as you are in that time- I want you to walk through from that time to the here and now- while you are pressing your anchor- and bring this resource state with into the now- and where you are here- carry on into the future unto 3 months- then turn around- and look back- thru your history from 3 months in the future while you are in this very positive resource state- and walk back through to that time just before- you started using the cpap machine- then once again turn back and come back into the here and now- making and all adjustments that you need-

YOU repeat this a few more time- yet with slight variations- 2-3 time with out any mask- then 2-3 times with a paper mask- and then you do it with the cpap machine mask on-

ps each time you do a cycle you want to add 10 seconds to each progression- to firing the anchor-

I hope this is of some help

Jay

A Peaceful Warrior

thanks everyone for your kind contributions.

I've begun doing the diaphramatic breathing as a daily part of my routine when i think of it. So thanks for that suggestion.

Also Jay... thanks for the patterns and timeline stuff. I've got a friend locally who i'll give your patterns to install in me ( i somehow find it easier when someone else does the installation... a failing i intend to replace... eventually hehehe).

I'm not overweight, dont drink much, dont smoke and dont get much nasal congestion and yet i still have severe sleep apnoea so the sleep specialist thinks i really need the cpap machine.

Much appreciation

have a good one

Wes

There are several different surgical solutions you might investigate, if all else fails.

Hi Wes it's great that your exploring different avenues in search of your cure, I wonder what you say to yourself when you suffer with your bouts and the tonality that you think in when it happens.

That may be a further avenue to explore, also do you you use any natural remedies ie a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow/blanket, or drink hot choclate/milk before bed, these can aid to a wonderful nights sleep.

As always you only need to do them once in order to remember that.

One other thing do you play a sport or even engage in any physical activity before your sleeping hours?

I'm glad you got the diaphragmatic breathing, that will help you a lot each day, you may need to do some vocal training to strengthen your breathing, depends how bad you want it!

All the best,

Wow! The advice keeps pouring in.

I'll definitely try the lavender oil on the pillow and a hot chocolate now and then is always a treat!

As to the exercise. I don't do much at present except regular walking and certainly not before sleep. I have a neck injury that my neurosurgeon advised me to be very careful with, so I have to avoid a lot of the sports I used to enjoy.

An interesting piece of my history is that I was a professional musician and singer until about ten years ago I decided to change career and got into computers. I didn't give up singing or playing but I didn't sing as much. And so now I rarely sing unless old mates call me and want to have a jam.

So the diaphragm must have weakened since then and most likely the muscles in my throat softened as well.

Looks like I'd I should do a Blue Brothers and get the band back together hehehehe :cool:

I've heard that some of the surgical solutions affect the timbre of your voice so I want to avoid that. I don't sing anymore but I still do public speaking and really don't want to sound like Michael Jackson... yes the nose really does affect to voice hahaha

chikimonki: it doesnt happen in bouts for me. It's every night especially on my back. And the tonality I use is somewhat like an urgent sounding 'gggaaassspppp' coz I wake up choking for air. Seriously though, since learning NLP I use very good tonality with myself.

Thanks for all your fantastic suggestions.

Much peace to you

Wes

Hi Wes,

I had a few bouts of waking up in my sleep thinking I'd died and if I didn't breathe I wouuld indeed die, then I did wake and took the most urgent breaths of my life. At the time I was suffering from injury and

a) wasn't doing the things I wanted to do, due to recovery,

b) I was still thinking of those thins that I enjoy and getting quite into it, I think the conflict between the wanting to and not being able to, may ahve affected me somewhat, maybe a bit of stress.

Also, Wes, I like the way you think that things become strengthened/weakened and I think if you follow my instructions on this video:


Things like this will persuade your neck to change its state, as always experimentation is of the essence and it's amazing how a little of the right stuff can do wonders.

Good luck to you in your search for your cures, RB said something interesting along these lines: Programme yourself each night, before you sleep, to have a wonderful sleep and when you have a wonderful feeling to sleep with, double it and double it again, and do that everyday.

I bid you Good Knight!