Sleep Study

Sleep Study

I am having a sleep study tonight to be tested for sleep apnea. I have had trouble waking up in the mornings, and I feel like I have not slept. I have been chronically fatigued and tired for about a year. I also snore and have periods where I stop breathing while asleep. The most common form of apnea (Greek for 'without breath') is obstructive sleep apnea which is caused by a blockage of the airway where the soft tissue in the back of the throat closes during sleep. The sleeping person is briefly aroused to resume breathing, causing interrupted and poor sleep. It can also cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. It also impairs work and driving.

I fall in the category of a stubborn person that has had sleep apnea for years. My wife has noticed that I was stopping breathing, but I did not understand the seriousness and refused to go in. I was never aware of problems and just thought I was not getting enough sleep. I was never waking up far enough to be self-aware of the problem.

I have started working out and lost weight (about 30+ pounds). Anecdotal evidence is the weight loss is making the problem better. But in at least the short term, it is a good bad situation. The extra exercise is making me more tired and the sleep has not improved enough to offset the increased fatigue.

I will keep you updated!


Links: American Sleep Apnea Association (www.sleepapnea.org)
Stanford Medical School (www.stanford.edu/~dement/apnea.html)