Sleep, Glorious Sleep
The following is a personal post about an issue that has affected me for years. Maybe it will lead others to follow the simple first step I finally chose to take.
25 years! Maybe even longer. At least 25 years, though. That's how long I believe I've been living with sleep apnea and suffering from some level of sleep deprivation. My wife has tried since we were married to get me to go to a sleep specialist. The first time I met her family I fell asleep on their couch and snored through a Thanksgiving football game. That should have been a big indicator. I wouldn't listen to her though. There were lots of other indicators. I slept on the couch for over two years because she couldn't stand my snoring. Anytime I became still for more than a few minutes, I passed out. Falling asleep at stop lights was the norm. Waking up more tired than when I went to bed had become my routine. I thought everybody did these things. In fact, this had become such a part of my life that I was not overly concerned about it. The most troubling thing were the suicidal thoughts. I had them off and on since I was in my late teens, but for the past few years, they were occurring almost every day. I didn't think I was deeply depressed, so I justified it with thoughts of, "I can handle this." I even began to think maybe this was normal but no one talked about it.
Finally, 21 years into my marriage, I told my wife I was going to get a physical. I was past 50 and it seemed like a good idea. My family doctor noticed that I had put on a lot of weight and asked about my sleeping. Do you wake up rested? Not really. How many times do you wake up at night? Around 6. Do you exercise regularly? Yes. He recommended a sleep study to see if I has sleep apnea. I reluctantly agreed.
The first part of the study is a questionnaire. On a scale of 1 to 5, with five being almost daily, how often do you experience this? Waking up more than 3 times a night. 5 Falling asleep at stop lights. 5 Dozing in the middle of the day. 5 Suicidal thoughts. (Pause, "Seriously?" and then honesty) 5 The list went on with lots of 5s.
After the initial consultation is a home sleep test. You have to wear this contraption on your head with a tube in your nose. Very uncomfortable. The doctor told me it usually took at least three home trials to get a valid result. Mine took one. I was called within a week to schedule an overnight study. At the study, they hooked me up to all sorts of wires, fitted me with a CPAP machine, and then told me to try and sleep. Strangely enough, I did. Even with all the wires attached, I woke up more rested the next day than I had in years. The doctor later told me that I had gotten five uninterrupted hours of sleep that night, which he said is above average for a normal person. He also told me that, based on the home study, I was stopping breathing an average of 30 times an hour. That is every two minutes. It was like my body was fighting a tiger all night long and then trying to rest during the day to be ready to do it again. My metabolism was low because my body was storing energy for the battle each evening.
After about a month, I was able to get a CPAP machine and have used it religiously ever since. My sleep has improved dramatically. I wake up refreshed and ready to go each morning and usually stay alert all day. I rarely nap except for an occasional power nap after a particularly busy day. No more falling asleep when I sit down or nodding off at traffic lights. No more waking up multiple times each night. No more morning grogginess. And, I haven't had a serious suicidal thought for months.
I always knew sleep was important. I just never realized how important and the difference it makes in a person's life and health. I've learned that sleep deprivation can lead to higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke and take years off a person's life. It can also lead to weight gain since the metabolism slows significantly in order to compensate for the traumatic events that occur with the body each night. If only I had listened to my wife (and my own body and mind) years before. Who knows what life would have been like?
If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnea and/or chronic sleep deprivation, please see you doctor. It is worth the visit.
Below are some links with information about sleep deprivation and its effects on the body.
Is sleep deprivation making you suicidal?
16 Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Body
The Spooky Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Consequences of Insufficient Sleep
How Sleep Deprivation Decays the Mind and Body
25 years! Maybe even longer. At least 25 years, though. That's how long I believe I've been living with sleep apnea and suffering from some level of sleep deprivation. My wife has tried since we were married to get me to go to a sleep specialist. The first time I met her family I fell asleep on their couch and snored through a Thanksgiving football game. That should have been a big indicator. I wouldn't listen to her though. There were lots of other indicators. I slept on the couch for over two years because she couldn't stand my snoring. Anytime I became still for more than a few minutes, I passed out. Falling asleep at stop lights was the norm. Waking up more tired than when I went to bed had become my routine. I thought everybody did these things. In fact, this had become such a part of my life that I was not overly concerned about it. The most troubling thing were the suicidal thoughts. I had them off and on since I was in my late teens, but for the past few years, they were occurring almost every day. I didn't think I was deeply depressed, so I justified it with thoughts of, "I can handle this." I even began to think maybe this was normal but no one talked about it.
Finally, 21 years into my marriage, I told my wife I was going to get a physical. I was past 50 and it seemed like a good idea. My family doctor noticed that I had put on a lot of weight and asked about my sleeping. Do you wake up rested? Not really. How many times do you wake up at night? Around 6. Do you exercise regularly? Yes. He recommended a sleep study to see if I has sleep apnea. I reluctantly agreed.
The first part of the study is a questionnaire. On a scale of 1 to 5, with five being almost daily, how often do you experience this? Waking up more than 3 times a night. 5 Falling asleep at stop lights. 5 Dozing in the middle of the day. 5 Suicidal thoughts. (Pause, "Seriously?" and then honesty) 5 The list went on with lots of 5s.
After the initial consultation is a home sleep test. You have to wear this contraption on your head with a tube in your nose. Very uncomfortable. The doctor told me it usually took at least three home trials to get a valid result. Mine took one. I was called within a week to schedule an overnight study. At the study, they hooked me up to all sorts of wires, fitted me with a CPAP machine, and then told me to try and sleep. Strangely enough, I did. Even with all the wires attached, I woke up more rested the next day than I had in years. The doctor later told me that I had gotten five uninterrupted hours of sleep that night, which he said is above average for a normal person. He also told me that, based on the home study, I was stopping breathing an average of 30 times an hour. That is every two minutes. It was like my body was fighting a tiger all night long and then trying to rest during the day to be ready to do it again. My metabolism was low because my body was storing energy for the battle each evening.
After about a month, I was able to get a CPAP machine and have used it religiously ever since. My sleep has improved dramatically. I wake up refreshed and ready to go each morning and usually stay alert all day. I rarely nap except for an occasional power nap after a particularly busy day. No more falling asleep when I sit down or nodding off at traffic lights. No more waking up multiple times each night. No more morning grogginess. And, I haven't had a serious suicidal thought for months.
I always knew sleep was important. I just never realized how important and the difference it makes in a person's life and health. I've learned that sleep deprivation can lead to higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke and take years off a person's life. It can also lead to weight gain since the metabolism slows significantly in order to compensate for the traumatic events that occur with the body each night. If only I had listened to my wife (and my own body and mind) years before. Who knows what life would have been like?
If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnea and/or chronic sleep deprivation, please see you doctor. It is worth the visit.
Below are some links with information about sleep deprivation and its effects on the body.
Is sleep deprivation making you suicidal?
16 Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Body
The Spooky Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Consequences of Insufficient Sleep
How Sleep Deprivation Decays the Mind and Body
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