Sunday 16 October 2011

Me Not Healthy: Always Tired (Part 1)

What you thought the allergies and the lung cysts were the only health issues I had? No, unfortunately not. At this rate I'm going to die pretty soon so enjoy me while you still can.

I wish.

For the last few years, I have always been tired. I fall asleep on car rides, in class, while eating... Actually now that I think about it place me in a sitting position and you risk having me passed out and drooling all over myself. Part of it is my fault. I mean, I probably should go sleep earlier but classes and exams sometimes don't allow for that. And when I don't have work, well, the internet is there to keep me company.

Who needs rest? I have my computer!

But this problem continued even when I get more than 8 hours of sleep. On the few days that I do end up sleeping earlier I still wake up tired. My favorite thing to see in the morning is that it's still dark outside so I can go back to sleep. I began to suspect it could be a medical problem. No amount of sleep was enough for me, I often woke up with headaches, and I snored really loudly. My siblings complain about it on vacation whenever we share a room. These symptoms fit that of someone with sleep apnea.

Basically, sleep apnea is when you wake up numerous times while sleeping, disrupting your sleep cycle. A lot of it has to do with your windpipe being closed due to being too fat or odd sleeping positions. You may not even be aware of it happening because it can last for seconds before you fall back asleep. If it happens enough it can cause 6 hours of sleep to feel more like 3.

Unfortunately I don't share the other symptoms which include smoking, being overweight, and being middle-aged. Regardless, I decided to get a level 3 sleep study done which means I'd bring a device home, it would record things and then I'd bring it back for analysis.

You get the idea.

The results... were inconclusive. Yes they confirmed that I was waking up several times a night and I snored really loudly for large portions of time but I didn't use the device long enough for any conclusive results.

The only thing left for me to do would be to either take a level 1 sleep study (go to a hospital and get even more things stuck to my face) or I could try using a CPAP, a device meant to aid in breathing to help me get a better night's sleep.

I opted for the CPAP and I'll share my experiences and results in a future blog post.

Link to Part 2.

48 comments:

  1. Good luck with the CPAP. I'd comment longer but I'm going to sleep now! Your post made me tired.

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  2. Lol! One of the ads in the corner of your blog says: Sleep Apnea? The Canadian Goverment Is Offering Disability Credits Up To $35,000
    (www.TheNBA.ca)

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  3. Sleep is a bitch. I am a life long insomniac, it is a hell I wish on no one.

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  4. man thats crazy, i like your blog a lot so i hope you are okay.

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  5. you shouldn't be thinking that way. think positive, you'll be fine =))

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  6. have you tried to do some light cardio? the lack of sport isn't good at all and one of the symptomes is to be tired 24/7

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  7. You opted for CRAP?

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  8. Yikes man. Sleep apnea is not cool. I'm hoping that it's not that and that this device helps you sleep normally as it is. I always wake up tired as well, but thankfully with me it's just because I wake up at odd times during my sleep cycle rather than trying to time it right

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  9. Good luck man! I really hope you don't have sleep apnea. It's not fun at all.

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  10. It needs to be sorted whatever it is, keep us informed.

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  11. Dude, you'd better not die on us really soon! Life can be grand, don't stop and drop 'till you've gotten a lot out of it!

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  12. I'm the same with always being tired buddy, but I'm nowhere near as bad as this. I'm sorry to hear about all your health problems man.

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  13. Please do share your experience of the CPAP. I think I possibly have sleep apnea, but if I do it is more than likely caused by being overweight, and having weird as sleeping patterns. If CPAP could help, I might give it a shot, if I can.

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  14. Sounds like a tiring experience..haha had too.

    Lack of sleep is no fun at all.

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  15. I will reserve further comments until I read that future post. It's kinda hard to say something that you might have covered.

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  16. My husband snores and has sleep apnea (where he stops breathing and then gasps for air). I find the sleep apnea worse for me to sleep through than the snoring. However, when my husband lays on his stomach, he doesn't have a problems with it. LEt us know how the tests go.

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  17. I want to know what happened to you after you used CPAP my brother who is also my room mate is younger than me but seem to sleep louder.

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  18. You are like Pandora's box of illnesses. I don't envy you one bit. I hope you get better sir, you are a nice guy. It must be tough living like that.

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  19. i sleep like a stone...

    guess what my secret is.... xD

    the problem is more having to get up eventually x)

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  20. Damn man, this combination of illness must suck...

    I've heard the sleep test can be pretty interesting, supposedly some places video tape you and everything.

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  21. you should take vitamins or something.

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  22. Well, at least it doesn't involve opening you up and doing an operation. Maybe you are sleep-blogging or something, and you just didn't noticed it.

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  23. When you get it, please post a Youtube video of your Darth Vader impersonation. All kidding aside, my father in law has one and it's a lifesaver. He's not overweight or a smoker, but he is middle aged, so I guess 1 out of 3 will get you there.

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  24. I'm tired all the time last lately also.
    I kinda suspect me often going to sleep at totally different times of the day. Like once I go at 22:00 and other day I go at like 8:00.

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  25. Ya got it tough.

    And the computer never helps. Ever.

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  26. I have to sleep at least 8hours a day to function properly, otherwise my day is ruined :/

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  27. I never realized how lucky I was to not be an insomniac, hope you fix your problem :o

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  28. Do you remember your dreams? I had a pretty bad nightmare problem that kept waking me up... :/

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  29. Good, luck, hopefully everything turns out alright.

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  30. Well, good luck with that problem. I'll wait until you post the CPAP results.

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  31. I hope it works out for you! I'm ALWAYS tired, even if I sleep for 12+ hours, but I don't snore or anything..

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  32. Wow, I wish you the best. Stay strong!

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  33. I hope everything works out for you, this sounds awful.

    erica

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  34. My dad uses a CPAP. 'says it's the best thing that's happened to his sleeping at night in years.

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  35. Hm, I might have this to a small extent

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  36. Interesting, did a bit of research on sleep and dream cycles in the past just out of interest, keen to hear more.

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  37. Damn, that's bed.
    When I get out of bed and start listening to pumpy music, I'm wide awake in a few minutes :).

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  38. I read CPAP as CRAP first. Now I feel silly.

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  39. I've seen sleep studies done in psychology class. Doesn't look too fun

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  40. how about you stop dieing, and start being awesome. :) true story.

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  41. I was thinking sleep apnea when you described your symptoms...hope the CPAP helps!!! Take care~

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  42. Sounds pretty bad man. I really hate waking up, but then again so does everyone else. Sleep too long and you wake up like crap, no matter how long you sleep.

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  43. One of my friends just did the level 1 sleep study. She was sleeping 14 hours a day and never felt rested. She now has one of the masks (don't know if there are different types) and her life is so much better.

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  44. not getting enough sleep is seriously the worst. it just throws everything else off it seems. hopefully the cpap works.

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  45. yeah,unfortunately you need to get used to it, I started late teens like you feeling always sleepy...and Is till do t this day and there is no medical reason for it.

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