To sleep, to dream...

After the dietician gave me the suggestion to have a sleep study test, and I did...it came back positive for sleep apnea.  It is classified as mild, and would occur no matter what position I was sleeping in, tho low it still needed treatment.  I average 9 stops in one hour, that is 9 times I stopped breathing.  My snoring was thru the roof as well, which I knew was bad already.  I never knew that morning headaches were a symptom of apnea, and I've been having them so often, it became routine.  I was also exhausted, and it seemed like I needed to "catch up" on the weekends.  I no longer had energy to keep up with the housework, pulling together a meal for supper was torture...all I wanted was to go to bed early.  Forget trying to focus on healthy choices, I kept reaching for snacks for energy, and coffee.  I'd do okay until 4pm, then I was done. 

I also had my blood work done., my iron was very low.  Iron plays a vital role in energy as well.  I went back on iron supplements and I got a cpap machine.

The first mask I was trying was a full nose cover, it was not comfortable for me at all.  I didn't bother with the full nose and mouth.  I then tried a nose pillow style, it was better, but still hurt my nose and face, surprising it was the one that won all sorts of awards, but it wasn't for me.  Then after 5 weeks we saw that I was staying within a range of pressure, and they suggested a fixed pressure machine., a cost savings of $500.  I also tried a new nasal pillow style., this one is gel filled.  The difference was exactly what I had hoped for, something comfortable, and having the fixed pressure I was now able to reset it to 4...and after 30 min it was go up to 8...allowing me to fall asleep easier than before.  It's made a big difference.

Now that I have been using the cpap, I no longer have morning headaches.  My day is fuller and longer, I am not hitting that wall anymore.  I do want more sleep, some nights are better than others, but I do have kids, and a cat that still wake me up.  I even went a couple nights without it, because the improvement felt so subtle, I didn't think it was doing much.  And boy what a difference., it does work.