Friday, April 4, 2008

Seeking a Good Night’s Sleep

My husband tells me that I snore like a freight train, keeping him up at night. He has even video taped it to show me and unfortunately for him, it actually sounds like the train is coming through the wall.

I wake up most days feeling more exhausted than when I went to sleep the night before. I’ve tried the usual suggestions, like reading before bedtime, drinking decaffeinated, hot tea and even counting sheep.

I fall asleep very quickly and I sleep through the night, even if I’ve had a daytime nap. I should feel fabulous the next day, but instead, I’m lethargic with limited energy. I fight to stay awake while driving too, which really scares me.

I’ve tried caffeinated drinks and medication to keep me awake, but I don’t know what causes my excessive daytime sleepiness.

My doctor suggested a sleep study to determine if I have sleep apnea, a condition that causes a person to stop breathing repeatedly during sleep. If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes.

On April 11, I will participate in a sleep study at the Martin Memorial Sleep Disorders Center. While I’m eager to find out if I have sleep apnea and discuss treatment options with my doctor, I’m also a little hesitant. I don’t like spending the night somewhere away from home.

I’ve been to other sleep centers and found their rooms very small and confined. When I visited the sleep center at Martin Memorial, I was pleased to see the spacious rooms and personal bathrooms – they looked like hotel rooms. I was welcomed by pleasant, knowledgeable staff that seemed to care about my sleeping problem and wanted to help me find answers and solutions.

I’m looking forward to learning more about my sleeping issues and I’m hopeful that my sleep study will produce results to help me get a better night’s sleep.

--Landy Tiffany
Marketing Coordinator

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great blog! I can't wait to hear how it goes. Please keep us posted!