Sleep Study Results

I got my sleep study results back last Friday and they were exactly what I expected.

I do not have narcolepsy, but I do have a mild case of Apnea.

My airway does not close completely, but it does close to the point where I am hardly breathing. The doctor compared it to breathing through one of those little stir-straws. That goes on for a minute or two and I wake up, which opens my airway again. I fall back asleep and the process starts again. I wake up on average 18 times per hour. Yes, that is mild. Most of those times I don’t know that I am awake. So this explains the daytime sleepiness.

I have to go back in for another overnight sleep study on Friday 7/18. This one will be shorter because I won’t have to do the afternoon narcolepsy test again. I check in at 7:30 pm and check out the next morning. This study is to test the positive airway pressure machine (CPAP). Basically, I have to wear a mask to sleep. It will push air (not oxygen) into my airway to keep it from collapsing during sleep. Am I looking forward to another sleep study? No. Am I looking forward to not waking up 144 times a night? Yes!

I am also supposed to lose a little weight (15 pounds or so), which I already knew I should do, but this is just extra incentive I guess.

The sleep doctor said I will probably lose some weight initially just because my sleep improves.

He believes this happens for a few reasons:

• I will have more energy, and therefore be a little more active during the day.
• Sleeping better will change my insulin level.
• Sleeping better will change the level or two hormones in my body that control hunger.

He said at this point, Apnea is not taking years off my life, but if I let it get worse by gaining weight for example, it will start to damage my heart and shorten my life.