Revenge of the Sleep Study
I got a call from the Sleep Clinic to schedule a return visit. They say that I have severe apnea, and wanted to schedule another night to monitor me while I wear a breathing device called a CPAP (see-pap). It turns out that my oxygen levels drop to 85% during the night, whereas 96% is good. The study shows that I have oxygenation issues (I stop breathing) up to 400 times a night, some as long as 90 seconds, so my body tries to rouse itself so that it can breathe. The CPAP should help me sleep better.
I went in a few days later and I got the same technician as last time. She took me to the same room that I had last time. I got all wired up with electrodes to my head, face, legs and hands. And that is where the similarities ended. This time, they fitted me for a clear plastic face mask that would force air down my throat while I slept. The idea is to keep the airway open so I can breathe through the night. The mask was uncomfortable and made wakeful breathing difficult. It took forever to fall asleep with it on.
Last time, I fell asleep quickly and slept through the night. Although I had sleep issues, I still woke up refreshed. This time, I woke up a dozen times to adjust the mask and then woke up in a stupor. I felt like I hadn’t slept at all. I’m told that my oxygen levels were back up to 96%, but I wasn’t feeling it. I guess I just have to get used to the CPAP mask; once that happens, I shouldn’t fall asleep in meetings ever again.
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