First things first. There is no alt.support.sleep-disorder leaders,
so in no way does anyone speak for anyone else on the alt.support.sleep-disorder
newsgroup.
People have asked if this newsgroup has an FAQ. There never
was one, so this is a collaborative effort of several people who regularly
participate in the discussions. Until a better one comes along, this one
will be posted.
Nothing in this FAQ is to be construed as legal or medical advice. This is
the collaborative opinion of several participants on a newsgroup. You are
advised to proceed at your own risk. Don't eat yellow snow.
Do not look directly into the sun. You get the picture?
This newsgroup discusses a variety of different sleep related disorders,
including but not limited to, Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy, Displaced Sleep Phase Syndrome,
and Insomnia, methods of treatment, equipment, medication, side effects and symptoms and
quality of life issues.
Descriptions and definitions of the various sleep disorders, including a
terrific set of links can be found at http://www.btinternet.com/~kemp.paul/mongo.html.
This list of links is maintained on the web by Paul Kemp, but was developed by Kent Taylor (Mongo).
Our thanks to these two gentlemen for their efforts.
General Information:
I.) This newsgroup is not moderated, which means anyone can post anything at
anytime. We ask that posters follow the Usenet posting rules outline which can be found at
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/posting-rules/part1/
The exceptions to this outline would include the following additions/modifications:
1.) While it is hoped everyone can keep messages brief, it is sometimes necessary to provide
a lot of information so others reading your posting will be better able to reply to you.
Try to keep your messages brief. Longer messages are welcomed if they present detailed background
information to prevent useless replies and repetitive threads.
2.) Simply posting, "I can't sleep …" will not get you much help. Everyone has
problems sleeping, but the causes and treatments can vary so much that additional
information is needed. Again, this is one example of where a longer post providing
more information is better.
3.) If you are new to the internet and newsgroups in general, please see the information at
http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Lab/6882/
which is the Official Home Page of the forum news:newusers.questions
which is the correct place to find out about posting test messages and any other questions you may have about
the internet and usenet in general.
4.) It is suggested that newcomers perform searches of the newsgroup's archive before asking questions.
The easiest place to do Usenet searches is at http://groups.google.com.
Please check the Sleep-disorder forums at Google http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=djq&as_ugroup=alt.support.sleep-disorder.
II. Some things to keep in mind while posting and reading articles:
1.) This is not an instant reply service, such as AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, or
a chat room. This is a public discussion forum, and as such, it may be hours, days,
or weeks before someone with experience or knowledge regarding your question posts a reply.
There are no guarantees that anyone will post a reply to you.
2.) This is not a List Server (listserv). The methods used to "subscribe" and
"unsubscribe" to this forum will vary, based on the software you
use, as well as any special login procedures your Internet Service Provider
(ISP) may impose. Please check your browser's help file or with your ISP's
technical support staff. If you receive this forum from a List Server
you must contact the List Server maintainer and not the newsgroup,
contact your institution's computer information services (CIS) department
or your ISP for instructions on how to do this.
3.) Please bear in mind that when you reply to a posting, and the subject hasn't
changed, use the same subject line or heading. If the original subject was
"Re: Original Title," many newsreaders will keep that as a single thread. If you
change the subject line, a new thread will be created. Keeping the subject line
intact for all similar messages is important, especially on a newsgroup such as
this one. Some of the regular readers may have problems with concentration
due to sleep deprivation. New threads may make it hard to keep track of the
responses. When replying, use the "reply" or "reply to" button, when possible,
as well as just the pertinent text parts of from the original message when
replying. These efforts will help clarify posts.
4.) Please keep in mind that many posters and readers are Sleep deprived
due to their disease, which can affect mood causing replies to appear short
tempered, sarcastic, mean spirited, or aggressive, which was not the intent
of the writer but rather a side effect of the illness. Please give them the
benefit of the doubt and ask for clarification, as this group actively attempts
to remain polite even during disagreements in opinion.
5.) Posts should be made in plain text only. Simply put, that means No HTML.
No graphic file attachments, either. If you don't understand what that means,
please seehttp://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Lab/6882/,
or the newsgroup forum news:news.newusers.questions for help.
6.) While the majority of posted content focuses on sleep apnea,
discussion on any sleep-related illness is encouraged.
7.) The easiest place to do Usenet searches are at http://groups.google.com.
This site, search for keywords, such as apnea, bipap, cpap, simplicity mask, etc.
The sleep-disorder forum for Google is at http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=djq&as_ugroup=alt.support.sleep-disorder
III.) Posting advertisements:
1.) Personal advertisements consist of a brief one-time mention of the equipment
for sale and a valid e-mail address so you may be contacted privately. This does
not mean equipment re-sellers may post when they have new stock. Rather, it means
that individual users wanting to sell equipment they no longer use may make posts.
2.) Commercial advertisers are instructed to read the following Usenet guidelines
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/advertising/how-to/part1/
especially the comment:
"If you don't regularly read a newsgroup, why would you post an ad to it?
In so doing, you're basically saying that you don't care what the people
in that newsgroup think or whether your ad might inconvenience them; you're
out to benefit yourself."
3.)Advertisers are advised that their articles may be forwarded in their
entirety to the FTC for investigation.
4.)Sleep-deprived people have little patience or tolerance for those who post ads
without being posters to the newsgroup on a regular basis. Advertisers who post commercial
content will be reported to their hosting provider as possible violators of the company's
Terms of Service agreement.
5.)A brief mention of a commercial nature at the end of a reply is tolerated as long as it is on topic,
and is not longer than the body of the message posted.
6.)Other commercial messages may be posted as signature files,
and it is suggested that these be kept short, and again, no HTML, no Binary and no Picture Files.
IV.) Here are some terms you may run across while reading this group:
NG = Newsgroup
A.S.S-D = alt.support.sleep-disorder
LURK = To monitor or read a group for a while before posting. Always a good idea.
ROFLMAO = Rolling on floor, laughing my ass off.
LOL = Laugh out loud.
IIRC = If I Remember Correctly
FWIW = For What It's Worth
IMO, IMHO = In My Opinion, In My Humble Opinion
TROLL = Someone who posts something with the intent that it will upset others and draw responses.
FLAME = To attack someone via email or post.
G = Grin
VBG = Very Big Grin
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary
DME = Durable Medical Equipment or the company which provides it.
SA, OSA, CSA = Sleep Apnea, Obstructional Sleep Apnea, Central Sleep Apnea
RLS, PLMS = Restless Leg Syndrome, Periodic Limb Movement Syndrome
EDS = Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
DSPS = Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome
CPAP = Continuous (nasal) Positive Air Pressure equipment
Bi-PAP = Bilevel Positive Air Pressure equipment
APAP, VPAP, Auto PAP = Variable Positive Air Pressure equipment
xPAP = generic Positive Air Pressure equipment
RT = Respiratory Therapist, may work for a DME
IANAD = I am not a Doctor
UPPP = uvulopalatialpharangeal procedure, surgery on the uvula and palate
LAUP = Laser Assisted uvulopalatialpharangeal procedure, surgery on the uvula and palate
MMA = Maxillomandibular Advancement surgery, involves breaking upper and lower jaw, and moving them and the hyoid bone forward.
