Do you snore loudly?
Do you wake up suddenly at night?
Are you still tired when you wake up?
Then you might be suffering from sleep apnea!
I recently found out that I might have sleep apnea so last week I went to a sleep clinic. I know there have been a lot of jokes about sleep clinics on sit coms like Seinfeld, but sleep disorders can cause many health problems.
The term ‘sleep study’ is really an oxymoron because I didn’t much sleep. I was hooked up to 26 electrodes, cameras recorded my every move and every hour or so the technician would yell over the intercom an order to “sleep on my back” or “roll over”.
The most difficult part of the test was when I was awaken at 4 a.m. and had to be hooked up to a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAC) mask because my breathing had stopped for several seconds. I don’t have the final results yet, but I’m hoping that there will be an alternate solution as the mask was so confining I almost had an anxiety attack! It was like trying to sleep with a scuba mask on my face.
BOOMERS who are overweight, still have their tonsils or have spent years smoking are prime candidates for sleep apnea. Check it out at: http://www.sleepapnea.org/ If there’s any chance you have it, please consult your doctor immediately.
