[Boate]

So I’ve been told by my psychiatrist to go and have a sleep study done because I constantly wake up in my sleep, have trouble falling asleep, and my girlfriend has had to wake me up on numerous occasions because I’ll stop breathing in my sleep. I have my REG exam next Thursday (4/7) and I was wondering what some of you do, to help study when you are consistently running on about 3-4 hours of sleep every night. I have difficulty staying awake at work and then once I leave work I’m wiped out but I still manage to push through and get about 3 hours of studying every night. My only issue is that I don’t feel the quality of studying is good enough because of how tired I am.

Those of you who have difficulty sleeping as well, how do you handle this? I have REG scheduled for 4/7 and then FAR on 5/12. I would push back exams until my sleep study is completed but I only have until Sept. to pass these two remaining exams before I start losing credit so I don’t want to push back my exams any further.

AUD: (65)(66) 77
REG: (66) (48) destroyed me mentally.....
FAR: (68) (66)(69)(71)
BEC: (63) 75

"Greatness is not some precious thing, it is no more unique to us than breathing. We are ALL capable of it."

[mhueycpa]

Sounds like Sleep Apnea, you need to get this checked out ASAP. Fortunately, mine didnt start until after I passed the exams but it started at the beginning of tax season. I would get a full nights sleep but start falling asleep come 10-11am. Caffeine didn't help, but once I was able to get a APAP machine I felt a million times better. If you have until Sept to pass both You should push both back a month, this means you'll take them in May and June, which leaves you ample time to study. How much studying have you done for REG already? What material are you using? What scores are you getting on practice problem in whatever study material you are using?

THE 300 CLUB WILL DO JUST FINE!

[Nessie]

Just, I don't have sleep apnea, but have always had trouble sleeping. It can really make you feel like crap. Work is one thing, but studying on little sleep is almost impossible. My partner has sleep apnea so I know avoiding alcohol and large meals before bed can help..

I would not push your exams back because you may not find a solution in time. I don't know if you drink coffee or coke, but you should completely avoid after lunchtime if you want to sleep that night. Exercise can also help. I have a routine for studying and before the exam. The night before an exam I will usually take a sleeping pill because a sleepless night would be a disaster and hit the sheets at NLT 10:00pm. For regular studying I avoid all stimulants after lunch, and take a very low dosage sleeping pill as required.

Could you possibly switch to studying before work?

REG Aug 20/15: 88
AUD: Feb 29/16: 80
FAR: Jun 10/16: 80
BEC?

Becker self-study, Becker Final Review & NINJA MCQS

[How many letters do you need]

Agreed. Lack of sleep also prevents memory retention. Meaning the vast majority of studying you are doing is basically doing you no good (sorry). With that, it really does sound like sleep apnea, I would suggest getting that sleep study done it's worth it. I'm told that once you get a machine the impact is immediate. Not sure if I have it myself but have thought about a sleep study just for my awful snoring……

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[CarrieM]

You almost assuredly have sleep apnea. At this point in my life I have diagnosed at least a dozen people with sleep apnea as I have had the misfortune to know so many people with it and lived the experience (my ex, my father, my former brother in law, my former boss, friends and most recently my boyfriend) and my advice is always the same – get yourself to a sleep study as soon as humanly possible and do whatever you need to to to get that appointment, including taking time off of work, asking to be called in the event of a cancelled appointment – whatever.

Sleep apnea is not a joke, Yes, you really do stop breathing during the night. Yes, you really are completely exhausted and yes, you are a danger to yourself – your likelihood of heart attack and stroke are vastly increased, and others – people with sleep apnea have been known to fall asleep behind the wheel as they drive.

As a fellow candidate, there aren't many situations where I would encourage a candidate to put off the tests, especially in light of possibly losing credit. But honestly, this might be one. Passing the test won't help you if you fall asleep at the wheel on the way home from the testing center. It's painful for me to say it, but I would prioritize getting your apnea under control over the exam.

It is also true that once you are prescribed and begin to use your CPAP machine, that you will experience almost an immediate improvement. It has been my experience that the people I have known have used it for a few weeks and feel better and then think at some point “I really don't need this” and then do not use it for a night, And they feel so completely shitty that they never forgo it again. It really is a miracle of a machine.

I absolutely wish you all the best and I'll be saying a prayer for you. Please take care of yourself.

FAR: 5/12/16... and if I don't die from an anxiety attack...
AUD: 7/8/16
REG: 8/25/16
BEC: 11/3/16

[makiu]

@Justanothercandidate
I agreed with @mhueycpa; push back and take 1 section per window. It could be high blood pressure, high stress level. You should included to exercise regularly and you will notice a change in your health. Also, what do you eat before going to sleep? If I was in your shoes first thing first:
1) physical exam Iincluding lab work
2) good diet
3) exercised

Wish you good luck and remember the Yoga principles a) body,b)mind and c) spirit.

Makiu,Licensed CPA

[Boate]

Hey guys,

If anything, I would push back the FAR exam since I only have 1 section left in REG and then its my final review. I'm scoring alright on my progress tests. I use Becker and whenever I take a Becker quiz I always end up getting in the upper 60s or low 70s but with the ninja cpa MCQ i always score in the 60s so I'm not far from a passing score.

Additionally, I also workout everyday because I routinely compete in Spartan Races and other types of races. It is a hobby of mine so exercising isn't the issue.

Thank you all for your responses and help, I've called a sleep study center so hopefully all will be better soon!

AUD: (65)(66) 77
REG: (66) (48) destroyed me mentally.....
FAR: (68) (66)(69)(71)
BEC: (63) 75

"Greatness is not some precious thing, it is no more unique to us than breathing. We are ALL capable of it."

[How many letters do you need]

I went in to see the doc after my last exam, while I was waiting for results….my blood pressure was 200/140. Yeah…stress….these exams really are killers. Taking care of yourself will help you study more efficiently, while also ensuring that you don't have a stroke right there in Prometric.

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[ChristieF]

@Just, definitely get into a sleep specialist. My husband and dad both have sleep apnea and I've just gone to get an at home test done because my husband says I stop breathing at night. It can leave you exhausted and falling asleep. I'm studying to take Reg on 4/11 and have a hard time focusing because I'm so exhausted. PLEASE listen to your girlfriend and go get checked immediately. My husband felt better immediately after getting his CPAP machine and is able to focus and get through the day much better. Good luck on your exam!!

[sdollen64]

Having been diagnosed with sleep apnea, I can tell you it's the worst feeling in the world – or one of. You can go to bed and “sleep” for 10 hours and get up in the morning and feel totally exhausted. It makes studying (I'm studying for FAR now) extremely difficult because it is hard to retain things and it is hard to get motivated. After a full day at work, I feel like coming home and not doing anything. BUT, I make myself spend at least 3 hours each evening going through Yaeger videos.

With that said, definitely talk to you doctor and have them refer you for a sleep study. I will say that while the CPAP machine does make a huge difference for some, it won't work for everyone. Not to be a downer, but I couldn't get used to wearing the mask at night. I'd end up waking up in the middle of the night and taking it off. Or, I'd wake up with a mouth and throat so dry that I couldn't spit on you if you were on fire. I'm a mouth breather I guess. I've been told you can wear straps that go under your jawline and over the top of your head to help you keep your mouth closed. The mask I was given was the small one that just fits over the nose. A nose/mouth mask might be better but I couldn't wear it comfortably during the initial study.

Bottom line – definitely speak to your doctor. I hope everything works out for the best for you. Good luck in your studying and future exams!

[Anonymous]

If you're pretty sure you have sleep apnea, you might look into OTC treatment options to help in the meantime. I'd look around Amazon and/or Google and see what you can find. For example, I was looking at snoring aids recently and found some nose-plug-things that some of the reviewers said really helped with their sleep apnea. Not nearly as helpful as getting the proper machine from the doctor, for sure, but there might be some OTC options that you could get that would help as a temporary option.

Of course keep your doctor informed and avoid anything that might reduce your likelihood of waking up when having an episode (you don't want to sleep through when you stop breathing or you could die, from my understanding), but if you can find safe OTC options and with your doctor's agreement etc. it could help you some for the interim period.

[jlee1086]

I don't have sleep apnea but I'm a very light sleeper with many things keeping me up (noise, worries). Last night was a nightmare trying to find the perfect blanket because it was so hot (we constantly go from warm to cold every week where I am). My room is right above the garage door, which is bad for me when my sister comes home late from work. I also have IBS, which is mostly in the form of gas. It has the double whammy of keeping me up at night with burping and making my stomach less tolerant of coffee than the average person. Most of the time, the strongest thing I can take is black tea. Even though I could study at work, it's hard to get motivated when you're constantly tired and miserable. And I can't nap (not even when I was in kindergarten). Yes, I'm supposed to be thankful it's my last part but with every sleepless night and gas cramp, I always wonder why I'm not done yet. Hopefully, my new Bose headphones and Lexapro will help me sleep and worry less.

FAR 57 (11/2014), 64 (1/2015), 79 (7/2015)
AUD 68 (2/2015), 79 (11/2015)
REG 79 (1/2016)
BEC 81 (4/2016)

[Anonymous]

I would get a full nights sleep but start falling asleep come 10-11am. Caffeine didn't help, but once I was able to get a APAP machine I felt a million times better. If you have until Sept to pass both You should push both back a month, this means you'll take them in May and June, which leaves you ample time to study.

[Anonymous]

I would not push your exams back because you may not find a solution in time. I don't know if you drink coffee or coke, but you should completely avoid after lunchtime if you want to sleep that night. Exercise can also help. I have a routine for studying and before the exam.
https://mforum.cari.com.my/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1005190&extra=
https://mforum.cari.com.my/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1005221&extra=

[Missy]

^ how entirely unoriginal, creating a new user profile to spam a website as if you're a cpa candidate to hawk you product LOL.

To the OP, a sleep disorder can make concentration and effectiveness more difficult but hardly impossible. You'll likely have to work harder than a person who doesn't have a sleep disorder but I wouldn't start rearranging my life around a tbd diagnosis.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Author]

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