In The Beginning
First, a little background information.
I am a 25 year old male, I have put on a slight bulk since my college years, but I am not significantly overweight. As you might guess, I am a computer programmer, so I have a somewhat sedentary lifestyle. I try to go to the gym on a somewhat regular basis. I was extremely athletic in high school, and that has tapered off since college.
The Symptoms
I don’t know how long I had symptoms, but I believe it happened so gradually that I didn’t really notice them. These were some of the things I just thought were normal for me:
- Falling asleep while driving
- Sleeping for 10-15 hours
- Waking up with headaches
- Nightmares
- Going to the bathroom 5+ times each night
- taking naps at every opportunity
The Diagnosis
My Fiancee works in the ER at the local hospital. She noticed I would not breathe for long periods of time, she began asking me about some of the things above, and when I put the full picture together, I began to think that I might have sleep apnea. The next step was to go talk to my doctor.
I was then referred to the sleep study clinic, and had to go in for an over night stay.
After the first visit, I was immediately sent back a few days later, they said I definitely had sleep problems, and they wanted me to try a CPAP machine.
So I went back for the second stay, was fitted with a mask much like in the above picture, and let me tell you.. It.Was.Amazing. I won’t say it was the best night’s sleep ever, but I slept the entire 6 hours or so without waking up.
The Treatment
The following Saturday, I got a letter from my doctor, with a prescription for a CPAP machine, and I immediately went to get it filled.
I now sleep through the entire night, I don’t wake up to go to the bathroom, and when I drive at night, I don’t get sleepy. I feel much more focused during the day, and I have much more energy than I have in a long time.
If you think you may have sleep apnea, or any of my symptoms sound familiar to you, I urge you to contact your doctor, and check out This Article (From Mayo Clinic) for more information.