I spent years being utterly exhausted, surviving on caffeine and catnaps. I made a lot of assumptions about why I was tired:
- I was stressed. Running my own business, going through a divorce, and having medically complex children equals stress. No wonder I’m tired!
- I was fat. I”m not quite sure why I thought this was a cause for exhaustion, but being overweight seems often to be the stated cause of any health problem.
- I take an SSRI for depression, which can cause tiredness.
So, I just powered through. No point in complaining about what can’t be fixed, right?
Finally, on a routine physical exam, I told my doctor how tired I was. While he agreed that my stress level was high, he wanted to check it out more thoroughly and sent me to a sleep clinic.
To keep reading, click here: Always Tired, I Thought It Was Stress. Turns Out, It Was Sleep Apnea
I am so happy for you that you got treatment and that it has helped. Being diagnosed with sleep apnea was life changing for me.
Best night I ever spent – in the sleep lab! I love my machine and feel so rested now. : )
My wife had sleep apnea for many years. She would have long periods when she didn’t breathe at all. Over time I started not sleeping well because I checked on her numerous times per night to see if she was alive.
A few years ago she finally had a sleep study. She was so bad they ended the study after 2hours and put her on a CPAP.
Now both of us sleep well.
Best wishes in managing your sleep apnea. Since sleep apnea can lead to weight gain, lessening it may result in a weight loss, which also can result in a diminution of the sleep apnea in the first place. Not everyone prescribed a CPAP machine has to stay on it forever. There is also a surgical treatment. However, a sustained, moderate, weight loss may resolve the condition too.
I had it but didn’t tolerate the CPAP well so I had surgery to reshape my soft palate and pharynx. That was 22 years ago and I haven’t had a problem since.
It can take a while to get used to a CPAP, but I am pretty much used to mine now. Give it some time. I had a surgery done on my soft palate that was very painful and didn’t work, but I’m glad it worked for Phil! My brother is in really good shape and couldn’t sleep at all due to his apnea. Once he got on his CPAP, it totally changed his life.