Are You Really Sleeping?

Are you really sleeping or is it disrupted with snoring or conditions like sleep apnea? My life has changed and I want to share my story in case it can help others.  

What I Thought Was Normal

Normal sleep meant falling asleep between 9pm and 10pm.  In fact, I was getting up between 2-4 times an hour for a bathroom trip.  Normal for me was feeling sleepy while driving or nodding off if I was a passenger in a car. When I developed anxiety while driving I started to get scared.  My body was telling me something.  I started to jolt while driving, as if I was about to doze off. This triggered a rush of anxiety and a real fear response. Was I actually fall alsleep while driving? After this experience and an increase in panic attacks, I finally  went to a doctor. I found out that I was sleep deprived.

My Sleep Apnea Diagnosis.

My doctor sent me to a Pulmonary specialist who had me complete a home sleep study.  I was sent home with a head-band type device and was told to sleep with it on. The device recorded rapid eye movement, how many times I woke up loudly I snored.  My results showed that I was waking up around 15 times a night from airway obstruction.  This is when your airway muscles relax and you get less oxygen and wake up gasping as a result.  I was waking up 37 times (on top of the 15) from the loudness of my own snoring.  Yes sirrrrreee I was waking myself up with my own snoring.  My poor husband!  My bathroom trips, I was told, were not the reason I woke up.  In fact, staggering to the bathroom in the middle of night was simply triggered by the sleep apnea.

Your Sleep Cycles

Why does this matter?  If you fall right back to sleep why does it matter if you get up a couple of times a night?   It matters because of our sleep cycles.  There are four phases of sleep.  When you have sleep apnea you cycle through in a way that prevents you from getting the rest that the human body needs.  Can you live with it?  Absolutely.  However, bear with me and you’ll see why you may want to check this out if you get tired during the day and don’t feel rested.

My sleep cycle may have looked like this:  Phase 1 – Phase 2 – UGH AWAKE start over….Phase 1 – Phase 2 – Phase 3 – UGH AWAKE START OVER.  The number of times I cycled through all four cycles was not optimal.  This means that I wasn’t getting enough deep sleep.  Phase 3 and Phase 4 are such important phases of our cycles.  These are the phases when our cells repair, our immune system is strengthened and our mood, memory and focus are improved.   When you don’t get deep sleep, you’re not able to complete that process. You may feel irritable, tired and unable to focus. Sleep apnea is also associated with higher risk of heart disease and strokes.

CPAP Machine

My doctor gave me a sleep apnea machine.  Yea it’s not so pretty.  I chose a mask type that fit over both my nose and mouth.  The first night I accidentally had the machine on mask test mode with a pressure of 15 and felt like I was suffocating.  I was in tears and so frustrated.  How did anyone sleep with this thing on their face?  Then I realized my mistake.  My air pressure was supposed to be at a 4, a barely detectable setting that has made all of the difference. I know there are other treatments beside the CPAP, and if you can’t fathom wearing one, ask your doctor about other treatment options.

Today I am Really Sleeping

The results have been changed my life.

Every night I am able to get a full night of sleep.  I look a bit like Darth Vader’s bride but it’s worth it.   I’ve gone from over 40 sleep apnea events PER HOUR to .4!  I don’t wake up during the night.  This may seem like such a simple concept to those of you who don’t struggle with sleep apnea, but if you’re one of those people who thinks it’s normal to wake up several times a night then you can relate to my surprise.  I’m used to the mask now and it feels a bit weird at times, but the endorphins and feeling of happiness I’m experiencing during the day is quite the motivation.  On Saturday I slept until almost 10am.  This was so unusual for me!

Are you truly sleeping?  Do you want to sleep? I now longer need naps. I am fully alert while driving and I’m so much happier! The lesson I’ve learned from all of this is that it’s never too late to question and improve the quality of your life and your health.  If there’s something you need to take care of then make that appointment today!