Potential Explanation for Doyle's Sophmore Slump
Apparently, Doyle has been suffering from some pretty serious sleep apnea. See the link for the Mlive article below.
I don't have a lot of history (or family history) with sleep apnea. For those that do, would you mind weighing in on severity of it all?
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/03/awake_and_breathing_r…
how in the fuck anyone sleeps with a CPAP mask on and a machine running next to the bed. I'd be hitting the vodka and ambien pretty hard before bed if I had to wear one of those things.
You would eventually get used to it but it does really suck. It's like sleeping with an alien face hugger on your face. They do have nasal pillows now but those only work if you sleep with your mouth closed.
newer machines are quiet. My dad has to use one, and when he's in town sleeping over with us, you can't hear it. I sleep with a fan on for white noise, it's similar. If you're one who needs absolute quiet, it would be an issue.
As for sleeping with a mask strapped to your face, I agree, that is something I would have a hard time with too, personally.
But when the alternative is potential suffocation and death....
March 11th, 2016 at 10:02 AM ^
I've had insomnia my entire life and I don't sleep well generally. Even if it was a life/death situation, I doubt I could wear a mask to bed.
I mean, gimp mask ok, but I'm not sleeping in that.
March 11th, 2016 at 11:15 AM ^
uses a CPAP and LOVES it. He hadn't had a good nights sleep in 20 years, going through ilfe like a zombie. Straps that thing on now and is out cold for a good 6-7 straight hours and can't rememeber feeling better during the daytime. When you have sleep apnea, and the solution is as simple as getting used to a mask, you get used to that thing pretty quickly.
Sleep apnea at the age of 20. Damn that sucks. It's only going to get worse. Unless he has an obvious anatomical problem that can be corrected with surgery, the poor guy is going to need to lug a CPAP with him everywhere he goes for the rest of his life unless another new method comes out of the blue.
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The CPAP machine really isn't that big. I have/ wear one and it fits in my suitcase when I travel for work.
March 11th, 2016 at 10:17 AM ^
They're about 8" x 6" x 3". These aren't iron lungs or some shit. They weigh about 2-3 pounds and could easily fit in a carry on bag.
March 11th, 2016 at 11:10 AM ^
when she visits.
It's about 2-3 feet tall by maybe 18 inches wide on each side.
She calls some CPAP company beforehand and it's delivered to our door before she arrives and picked up after she leaves. So it's a common enough problem to have been solved.
I know a few of my friends have sleep apnea and I'm pretty sure you can die from it if it goes unchecked and you need to address it as soon as you discover it. The symptoms usually start with just feeling really groggy or like you aren't getting a good night's sleep.
March 11th, 2016 at 10:19 AM ^
At the time, perhaps, I was lucky because I simply didn't know better. That was just how I slept. So it likely had little perceived impact on me at the time. But when I got into college and actually started sleeping better, it was clear how much easier it is to function on a daily basis. While I don't think that is "sleep apnea", the symptoms are similar.
There were times in high school where it took essentially all my will power just to get up and get going, especially before practices and warm-ups (I'm not sure it ever directly impacted me during games because of adrenaline). But if you aren't practicing to the best of your ability and not warming up as well as you'd like, you can see how it'd have an impact.
Unfortunately, I think sleep apnea or trouble sleeping is not completely uncommon with students, and particularly, student athletes. They're in a very high stress environment between their sport and school.
I have a friend that has sleep apnea. His wife said it was one of the most terrifying things the first time she witnessed it, when he essentially stopped breathing for about a minute. He wears a mask thing and is fairly used to it I guess, but it's a pretty crazy thing.
I suffered from sleep apnea for 10 years before my wife finally made me go see a sleep doctor. After a short survey with him, they ordered a sleep test. After 2 hours of the sleep test, my nurse came in and said "Yeah you have sleep apnea, not the worst but its pretty bad". She put the sleep apnea mask on and I slept for 5 more hours after that. When she woke me up, I felt like I could run a marathon. She told me that I held my breath 3-4 times a minute and never went into REM sleep. Basically, every time I laid down to sleep for the past 10 years could have been my last. Sleep apnea is a killer and you never get real sleep. I have been wearing the mask for 8 months now and I am a different person. I am happier and more rested. I feel like a 16 year old again. If Doyle suffers from this, it would explain his play. If any of you even think that you have apnea, please go see your doctor. It will save your life.
I did the sleep test and now have a CPAC and it changed everything. (Also lost 40-50 lbs and that has helped a lot too.). An actual good night of sleep--for me and the family. Wide awake at work etc. Sure the CPAC is a bit clunky and not exactly sexy, but its like insulin. If you need it, you NEED it.
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No Politics! ;)
damn it, you made me re-read his post four times until I finally caught it.
CAUGHT WHAT?
If you see anything political in there, it wasn't intentional. (Although literally anything can probably be read as a dig at Bernie or the Donald, in some way.)
March 11th, 2016 at 10:12 AM ^
I'd guess.
March 11th, 2016 at 10:29 AM ^
I always thought that's what the machine is called -- it's what it sounded like when they sold it to me. That's not the name of it?
March 11th, 2016 at 10:43 AM ^
is the proper term.
March 11th, 2016 at 10:53 AM ^
Live and learn...
Hey, uh...HARBAUGH!
March 11th, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^
really all that's important is getting that name spelled right.
March 11th, 2016 at 11:13 AM ^
Sure the CPAC is a bit clunky and not exactly sexy, but its like insulin. If you need it, you NEED it.
I know they say Sleep Apnea could lead to death but have you ever heard of anyone in your life where the cause of death was Sleep Apnea? Or is it possible that they make an absolute killing off these machines and tests so the narrative becomes Sleep Apnea is a killer?
Im not trying to belittle your problem and Im glad that you sleep and therefore feel better. But Im still skeptical.
As I understand it, sleep apnea doesn't cause death, it causes/contributes to conditions (like stroke or cardiac arrest) that cause death. As such, I don't think you'll ever hear of somebody whose cause of death was sleep apnea. If you want examples of people whose deaths were strongly linked to problems caused or exacerbated by sleep apnea, off the top of my head I'll give you Kirby Puckett and Reggie White.
March 11th, 2016 at 10:11 AM ^
I think I stand corrected. I'd swear I recall hearing and reading that sleep apnea was implicated in Kirby's demise. It makes sense -- as big as he got, I can't imagine he didn't have sleep apnea. However, when I looked for the links, I found nothing credible, just some forum posts (like mine). As such, I'll say off the top of my head the one person I can recall whose death was linked to sleep apnea was Reggie White (I did find substantial documentation for that).
March 11th, 2016 at 10:14 AM ^
Stroke and heart attack are the major side effects of sleep apnea.
I bet many traffic accidents are caused by people with sleep apnia. You tend to fall asleep in the middle of the day because your body is so tired -- sitting in one spot, comfortable temperature, soft sounds... falling asleep at the wheel is a very common problem.
The strain all the snoring puts on your body, too. You wake up feeling like you've been working out. Think of it from an energy perspective: all the noise of the snoring, that uses up energy. Has to come from someplace. You are literally draining your body.
Finally, sleep is a critical part of all living tissue (and critical for brains). If you don't get good sleep, you are messing with the natural functioning of the body. Long term that's going to have its implications.
So snoring alone probably doesn't kill you. It's all the other stuff caused by the snoring that will.
March 11th, 2016 at 10:15 AM ^
March 11th, 2016 at 11:00 AM ^
necessarily mean sleep apnea and sleep apnea doesn't always cause snoring. Although it is rare to have sleep apnea without at least some sort of noises most would consider snoring.
I would absolutely encourage her to at least talk to her Dr about her symptoms. Any good one would recommend the proper steps after that.
I'm glad he got a diagnosis. Trying to function in a constant state of sleep deprivation must be awful. I wonder if it can be fixed? Seems if you have to use the CPAP machine, a power outage would be bad.
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gotta have at least 8 hours of good sleep. i know people that have used this. like night and day. when getting tested tell you all kinds of stuff. for example.
1. how many times you stop breathing
2. how many times you roll over.
3. snoring
lot of wires for testing results. having a problem. this will make you heart less strenuous.
Was finally diagnosed at age 35; I have an "oral appliance". It's similar to a mouthguard, but the bottom hooks into the top and keeps the lower jaw from falling back, which blocks the airway. It's been life-changing.
I can tell you that this has a huge impact on how you feel throughout the day. I can attest to the depression and general struggle to get through a day. Everyone here has had a bad night's sleep...just imagine having those every single night, for 10 to 15 years. You kind of operate in a general fog and getting the sleep issue addressed lifts the fog. His quality of life should improve dramatically now that it's being addressed.
March 11th, 2016 at 10:37 AM ^
March 11th, 2016 at 10:07 AM ^
Don't need to read the article.
March 11th, 2016 at 10:36 AM ^
March 11th, 2016 at 10:39 AM ^
I can't imagine playing D1 basketball with major sleep problems. I had significant trouble sleeping in college, and I struggled tremendously getting through. And that was without playing a sport.
As others have said, a lack of decent sleep reduces you in every respect. Getting this under control would improve Doyle's life - and presumably his play - a great deal.
March 11th, 2016 at 10:43 AM ^
March 11th, 2016 at 11:49 AM ^
article? He was functioning at a level that was equivalent to being drunk. His recent improvements on the court seem to track with the diagnosis and treatment of the condition. That's pretty good news.
March 11th, 2016 at 12:02 PM ^
I know when I want to intensely focus on something, I intentionally go without sleep for a few weeks to improve myself in that area. And last I checked, catching a ball has a lot to do with focus, so Ricky should be just fine, hell, throw in the depression and I can't believe he wasn't tearing it up.(heavy sarcasm)
You're probably right, though, dude probably just has butter fingers.