I snore like a frieght train and I am going in tonight for my first sleep study. If I stop breathing more then fifteen times in one hour they will wake me up and put a mask on me and test out settings to see what works the best for me. I am looking forward to getting some relief from the daytime fatigue I feel and the hard way I wake up, needing coffee really badly. I definitely would get anyone who's snoring to get a study done because it can lead to heart attacks and strokes if I remember right.

I don't want to die in my sleep, my son needs me and your loved ones might need some encouragement to get this done, but I think it's worth it, the alternative is to spend the rest of their days tired and irritable and at risk for heart attacks and strokes. I will be posting about my experience there at the hospital in the morning in the thread I began so if you're interested check it out in the late morning. :)

Contour pillow
 

My 14yo son has sleep apnea. I bought him one of this ergonomic contoured memory foam pillow, and it's taken care of 90% of the problem. If we go somewhere and forget the pillow, I have to constantly get up and roll him on his side.

Apnea, Allergies, Masks, and Spouses
 

I've been sleeping with a CPAP machine for more than a year now. It is definitely a big help. I snored for many years and was notorious for it among my family members. My sleep study revealed that I was only getting about four percent of the deep sleep that I needed. After starting CPAP, I started waking up after two or three hours of sleep feeling like I had had a full night's sleep. My therapist told me that it was because, over the years, my body had adjusted, and now, I was getting the same amount of deep sleep in less that 1/4 the time. A lesson here is that, just as the loss of deep sleep is usually very gradual, the benefits of using a CPAP machine may take a long time to be fully realized.

I've had allergies to things like pollen and mold for my whole life. One of the best things about the CPAP machine is the filter. Unless it's a real bad allergy day, my breating passages start to clear as soon as I put the mask on.

I have several masks because I've found it helps to rotate to avoid skin irritation. Getting the mask to fit right is very important, too. There are many different varieties, but I find I prefer the nose pillow type. Make sure you get a good humidifier, too.

Sleeping partners of people with sleep apnea tend to develop the same symptoms as do those with sleep apnea. Of course the snoring is a problem. My wife also kept worrying about the times I stopped breathing and tended to stay awake to make sure I didn't die. She now finds it reassuring to know that I have my mask on and that I am breathing well. She says she sleeps better now that I am sleeping better.

All things considered, my experience, and my wife's experience, with my CPAP has been very positive.