Thursday, September 21, 2006 7:28 AM
Sleep and The Machine
By Heather
I didn't really know what to write about this week. It's been a little hectic and what I originally was going to write about just didn't seem that important anymore. You see, last night, my DH and I received some news and I'm not really sure how it is going to affect our lives.
My DH snores, and I am a very light sleeper. I also dream for a lot of the night, so it is extremely rare that I ever get a good night's sleep. There are often times where I end up sleeping on the livingroom sofa, and it hurts because I grow very resentful of DH for me not getting any sleep. I thought about going to the doctor to get some kind of sleeping aid, but neither of us really liked the idea of me having to use drugs to solve our sleeping issue. I even considered getting a new mattress, thinking maybe it was the bed that was preventing me from getting a good night's sleep.
Lucky for me, my DH volunteered to go to the doctor to see what he could do about the snoring. He was sent to have a sleep study done where they hook up all kinds of fun equipment to you to measure various things while you sleep. Yesterday he had his followup with the doctor to get the results.
DH has severe sleep apnea. When he sleeps, his heartrate drops to a dangerously low level and he is not getting any oxygen. This is a very dangerous situation and can lead to all kinds of health issues. The doctor said that she was very surprised because they usually don't see a case like this in someone this young and otherwise healthy. DH also has to see a cardiologist for a preventative checkup, given the heart problems that run in his family.
So what does all of this mean? A company is coming to our home to set up this breathing machine in our bedroom. It's this mask unit that DH has to wear every night when he sleeps. While relieved that DH will soon be properly treated for his sleep apnea, I am concerned about the machine and its impact on my already very light and broken sleep.
Are any of you having sleeping issues at home or a DH who snores or has sleep apnea? How do you handle it?