I now know why I am tired and grumpy

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After spending Monday night and most of Tuesday in a clinic for a sleep study, the results are in: I have a moderately severe case of sleep apnea. My wife, Michele, isn’t surprised at all; she’s told me this for years. In fact, she recently told me that I had to go to my doctor to have this looked into, and that I wasn’t to bother coming back home until I had obtained a referral from him for a sleep study. Being the good, obedient husband that I am, this is what I did ;-)

I’ve never been a morning person. I’ve also struggled with pervasive tiredness for years and thought it only had to do with stress and little kids. (Well, I’m sure that those two are still factors!) In a few weeks I go back to the clinic for a further test, this time using something called a CPAP machine. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure and the machine basically applies just enough extra pressure to keep the airway open while you’re sleeping. I’ve been told that I’ll have to have use one of these machines every night from now on. I’m not looking forward to wearing a mask on my face, but I can’t wait to get a good night’s sleep.

  • <![CDATA[Tim]]>

    Glad you found out—that’s a killer, isn’t it? You never came off grumpy to me. Just think how sunny you’ll be now!

  • http://www.familymanlibrarian.com/ <![CDATA[Steve]]>

    Tim, yeah, it’s really affected my general state and attitude. People may not have noticed (and I hope that is the case) but I have noticed and so has my family. A longstanding marital “issue” is my tendency to want naps. Lately I’ve felt like I could sleep all the time and some days I have missed worked because I simply couldn’t stay awake even when I tried. Here’s to a hopefully more cheerful me!

  • http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com <![CDATA[Norma]]>

    Sleep Apnea is very dangerous. You need to clear it up so your children have a daddy.

  • http://www.familymanlibrarian.com/ <![CDATA[Steve]]>

    Norma, thanks for commenting. I am hoping to have a treatment in place soon (next couple of weeks). I definitely long for this to be a non-issue in my life, for the kids, for my wife, for anyone else who’s affected by my mood or attitude.

  • <![CDATA[Debbie]]>

    Hey Steven! Thanks for the updates from Mayo;it’s help to keep this prayerfully before me.I think it’s a great idea to break up the visit into multiple stays and I’m sure the kids (and Terry!) will be glad to see you so soon!

    I wanted to tell you (altho’ Mother may have already done so) a friend of mine at work told me her husband has sleep apnea requiring a cpap machine. I thought it would be something like Daddy wore when he was in hospital and having breathing difficulties. My friend, Joni, said “No”, her husband, Dave, just wears a pair of nasal prongs which seal across his nose. She says you barely notice it! I really hope (and believe) this will be what they use for you!

    Love you lots “little” brother of mine! Both of you are constantly in my thoughts and prayers, as are the children. Drive safely going home!!

  • <![CDATA[Vicki]]>

    Hi,
    My husband also has sleep apnea and uses a CPAP machine. Some people take awhile to get used to the machine, but hang in there – it’s really worth it! My husband used to fall asleep during church, movies, almost while driving – you name it. That is all in the past now. I’m really glad he got it treated, because as others have said – it can cause serious cardiovascular events. It was very alarming to see him stop breathing at night and to see his chest jerk as he tried to take breaths. And I’m also glad that I don’t have to listen to his extremely loud snoring. I hope the CPAP has made a difference for you!