I had a sleep study conducted recently at the Martin Memorial Sleep Disorders Center and the experience was a lot better than I anticipated. The staff was really nice and informative, and my room was like a luxury suite – the bed was surprisingly comfortable and I fell asleep quickly. I thought I slept like a baby.
But that’s not what my test results showed.
I have obstructive sleep apnea which causes my oxygen level to fall to 69 percent during REM sleep. Although the obscenely loud snoring that keeps my husband awake at night is an issue, knowing that my oxygen level decreases is much more important. I also had no idea that I wake up an average of 18 times per hour and have periodic limb movements 38 times per hour.
No wonder I’m exhausted! It is fascinating to discover something about myself that I didn’t know.
The next step on my path to a better night’s sleep is to have another sleep study. This time, I will be tested using a CPAP machine to determine the extent it will help my breathing while I sleep.
In the meantime, my husband will just have to use ear plugs!
--Landy Tiffany
Marketing Coordinator
No comments:
Post a Comment