Sleep apnea

[Louise45]

My DH has sleep apnea and we are trying to figure out how to make him more comfortable on our next trip to Hawaii. Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone tried the breathing strips? If he goes to sleep he'll snore and no one will get any sleep including me! I already asked and Delta told me he couldn't hook the machine up on the plane. Of course it will be his carry on and it's against the rules to use it! Even on the overnight flight coming home.

[6rugrats]

My DH has sleep apnea and we are trying to figure out how to make him more comfortable on our next trip to Hawaii. Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone tried the breathing strips? If he goes to sleep he'll snore and no one will get any sleep including me! I already asked and Delta told me he couldn't hook the machine up on the plane. Of course it will be his carry on and it's against the rules to use it! Even on the overnight flight coming home.

 

You are right; this will make everyone around him miserable. There are very few airlines that will allow a CPAP (that's what you are talking about, I assume) to be used onboard because of the battery, I think.

 

Try asking his doctor. If he/she can't suggest anything, choose a seat in the back so you will be where it's noisier and he will disturb the least number of passengers, and purchase some noise cancelling headphones for yourself.

[Louise45]

yes, the doc just said we should have made the flights shorter instead of the long one, that still doesn't help it will be night time and he can't sleep.

[wrp96]

I have to agree with the suggestion of choosing a seat in the back row.

 

If his snoring is that bad (and yes, I have known people like that), in addition to the noise cancelling headphones for you, I would recommend bringing a packages of ear plugs to hand out to any neighbors you might have.

 

You can try the breathing strips but again if his snoring is that bad, they won't solve the entire problem, they might reduce it a touch but that will be it.

[Louise45]

I doubt if the strips will work either. He is going to ask the doctor next time he goes. I tried getting the back but it's all full. They may want earplugs. They may be my only solution!

[6rugrats]

I doubt if the strips will work either. He is going to ask the doctor next time he goes. I tried getting the back but it's all full. They may want earplugs. They may be my only solution!

 

Also, get yourself an eye mask so you can avoid all the dirty looks that will be thrown your way :)

[ab0si]

A friend of mine uses his CPAP on-board the plane. Puritan Bennett GoodKnight is the model.

 

He carries a note from his doctor but has never nad to show it. It might make a difference that he travels 1st class. I know he has used it on Singapore Air, Koren Air and, I think, Cathy Pacific.

[Dorene1]

It makes me angry, people need to know that having sleep apnea is a medical condition and maybe airlines need to understand that........if someone has a battery for one, he/she should be able to use it without worry.........

 

Dorene

[Globaliser]

It makes me angry, people need to know that having sleep apnea is a medical condition and maybe airlines need to understand that........if someone has a battery for one, he/she should be able to use it without worry.........

So what if it's a medical condition? It doesn't entitle the passenger to do whatever they please. There are many medical conditions for which airlines won't allow equipment, unless special arrangements have been made. Sleep apnoea is no different.

 

And the fact that there is a "battery" is not in itself good enough. There are some batteries that are banned from being carried on aircraft. And there are other batteries on which there are usage restrictions. Recently this has included some types of laptop battery, so that the laptops' owners couldn't use them on board either. Again, sleep apnoea doesn't entitle you to be different.

[Trailblazers]

My DH has sleep apnea and we are trying to figure out how to make him more comfortable on our next trip to Hawaii. Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone tried the breathing strips? If he goes to sleep he'll snore and no one will get any sleep including me! I already asked and Delta told me he couldn't hook the machine up on the plane. Of course it will be his carry on and it's against the rules to use it! Even on the overnight flight coming home.

 

 

I can understand that as I have a family member with the same situation. His only solution is to get what sleep he can before leaving home and then force himself to stay awake. It's not fun - but that's life.

[G'ma]

My DH has sleep apnea and we are trying to figure out how to make him more comfortable on our next trip to Hawaii. Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone tried the breathing strips? If he goes to sleep he'll snore and no one will get any sleep including me! I already asked and Delta told me he couldn't hook the machine up on the plane. Of course it will be his carry on and it's against the rules to use it! Even on the overnight flight coming home.

 

It would seem to me that it would be better to consult his doctor about this.........

[Gardyloo]

I've suffered from apnea and have been using CPAP therapy for 12 years. I also fly in the neighborhood of 100,000 miles annually, including many long-haul overnight segments.

 

I can't imagine how awkward it would be to use the machine in flight, even riding in long-haul business or first class - plug adapter, transformer, line cord, base unit, hose... yuk, sounds like sleeping with snakes.

 

I just assume that I'll watch movies, read, and catnap. Yes, I have some groggy days, but in general no worse than my wife's due to jetlag - our "recovery time" seems about the same - she who sleeps like a baby on planes, and me, who doesn't.

 

I would encourage any apnea sufferers to take a no-doze, get an aisle seat, and go pester the FAs during the flight. They should be awake and working anyway. Besides, the walking around will help fight off DVT too.

[yogi2929]

Could you change to a morning flight?

[wrp96]

Could you change to a morning flight?

 

 

From Hawaii to the East coast, that really isn't an option. If you take a morning departure from Hawaii it's almost impossible to get home to the East Coast that same day, especially if you live in a small airport. Usually you end up having to overnight somewhere or a red eye on at least one leg.

[malprl]

You could talk to his dentist about the possibility of getting a "snore guard." It's a mouth piece that is molded to his bite, the purpose being to bring his jaw forward and reduce snoring. My DH uses it only when flying (he used to use it ALL the time until he was diagnosed with sleep apnea and got a CPAP) and it helps him and others around him. It seems to make his teeth and jaw sore if he wears it for several hours, but it's temporary.

 

I have seen the appliances advertised on TV as well, but those are made BY YOU at home, and I think you may be better off visiting a dentist. Worth a try...

[Toto2Kansas]

Even from NC Hawaii is not that long of a flight. Try booking to LA, spend the night, and continue on the next day. I am sure he can make a 4-5 hour flight without having to sleep. :rolleyes:

 

I can't see why anyone would book a night flight if their DH suffers from sleep apnea, that is not a good move at all.

 

The planes fly full now, and flying when you know he will want to sleep, with this problem, is a bad move on your part. IMHO! (and I have a husband that also uses a C-Pap. Even on TransAtlantic and TransPacific flight we find a way for him not to have to sleep and disturb everyone else around him on the plane).

[Host Mike]

This works for me on overnight flights.

Put the nasal strip on - spray 2 or 3 shots of Afrin and don't fully recline the seat.

I also tell the Flight Attendant she is welcome to slug me if I get noisy.

Let's just say - I don't see people around me with weapons when I wake up. So it must work.