Tuesday, July 01, 2008

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.

4 comments:

NuclearToast said...

I was pulling for narcolepsy. Because, let's face it, it's just funny and makes for a lot of jokes.

But I'm glad to hear you can manage it to a better place. Although that's just what you need, a bunch of people pestering you about your apnea, right?

Shannon Perry said...

Glad to hear you got it figured out. 18 times AN HOUR? Holy crap. How is it you manage to be so cheerful all the time? On that little sleep, I'd be, well....me.

bladio said...

i'm glad you don't have narcolepsy! i'm also really glad that you went and got all this checked out.

bladio said...
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