Apparently I'm "mildly abnormal"
Feb. 22nd, 2014 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drwexI thought I had written about going for a sleep study, but seems like not.
People near me have been pushing me to get a study for years. I sleep less than normal - like 5.5-6 hours/night - and there are no meds approved for early waking that isn't co-present with depression. Most people who have sleep problems have problems falling asleep, or wake up. People with common sleep problems such as apnea or restless limbs sleep a normal amount but wake up still feeling tired. I wake up feeling like I've slept but man I wish I could sleep more hours.
The thing that tipped me into finally getting it done was discovering that having untreated sleep apnea raises one's risk of congestive heart failure by 20-30%. I got my physician to schedule one for early this month and the results just got mailed to me. As noted, I'm "mildly abnormal" but my apnea is not sufficient to recommend treatment unless it gets worse or I have other symptoms. Which, see above, I don't.
On the one hand that's reassuring. I wasn't looking forward to trying to adapt to sleeping with a mask, not to mention the effect of the noise on Pygment. On the other hand, it leaves me with no options for getting more good sleep.
I was amused to read that "REM supine sleep was not achieved" to which I said "no shit, Sherlock." How anyone can sleep at all with that level of crap glued to and wrapped around them is beyond me. I normally sleep pretty deeply but between all the sensors, the breathing bands, the crap hospital bed, and the overheated stuffy room there was no way I was going to get a real night's rest.
People near me have been pushing me to get a study for years. I sleep less than normal - like 5.5-6 hours/night - and there are no meds approved for early waking that isn't co-present with depression. Most people who have sleep problems have problems falling asleep, or wake up. People with common sleep problems such as apnea or restless limbs sleep a normal amount but wake up still feeling tired. I wake up feeling like I've slept but man I wish I could sleep more hours.
The thing that tipped me into finally getting it done was discovering that having untreated sleep apnea raises one's risk of congestive heart failure by 20-30%. I got my physician to schedule one for early this month and the results just got mailed to me. As noted, I'm "mildly abnormal" but my apnea is not sufficient to recommend treatment unless it gets worse or I have other symptoms. Which, see above, I don't.
On the one hand that's reassuring. I wasn't looking forward to trying to adapt to sleeping with a mask, not to mention the effect of the noise on Pygment. On the other hand, it leaves me with no options for getting more good sleep.
I was amused to read that "REM supine sleep was not achieved" to which I said "no shit, Sherlock." How anyone can sleep at all with that level of crap glued to and wrapped around them is beyond me. I normally sleep pretty deeply but between all the sensors, the breathing bands, the crap hospital bed, and the overheated stuffy room there was no way I was going to get a real night's rest.
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no subject
Date: 2014-02-23 03:36 am (UTC)Have you considered taking a Benedryl about six hours before you want to get up?
I have sleep apnea and have been sleeping with a mask for years. It takes a bit of getting used to, but the mask is just normal to me now. When I first was diagnosed and first started sleeping with a CPAP machine, a friend of mine gave me some tips that helped me adjust to using it. If your apnea ever gets bad enough to need a machine, feel free to tap me for advice -- or even just for assurances that it IS possible to get used to it.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-23 04:04 am (UTC)