My Story Living With Sleep Apnea

It sucks, but you can live with it

Credit: Freestocks.org on Unsplash

I hate that mask sometimes. It wakes me up at night, and I want to pull the hose out and throw the damn thing on the floor. This mask I now have to live with to control my sleep apnea. It covers my nose, and I have to keep my mouth shut at night while cold air assaults my nostrils. Oh, the endless joy. Here is my experience with sleep apnea. I hope It will help you if you have the condition, too.

Why Am I So Damn Tired?

A couple of years ago, I noticed that I was always tired. I don’t mean just sleepy but falling tired even after a full night’s sleep. I could barely get through my morning coffee without wanting to have a nap. More coffee made me feel better for a while, but it never lasted. By two o’clock, I couldn’t keep my eyes open and could feel my crankiness levels reaching the stratosphere.

I would often fall asleep on the couch by dinner time and often with my phone or remote in my hand.

After dinner, I was as good as done and would usually want to sleep around 6 or maybe seven. I could sleep 10–12 hours and still make up for tired. I would go to the bar, have a beer, and want to take a nap. My wife would hurl pillows at me and tell me to sleep on the couch due to my freight train snoring. Yep, this is a problem.

The Doctor

I knew I had some issue. I’m over 50, so I’ve put on some weight in recent years, so I thought that that might cause my sleepiness, but that wasn’t the cause at all. My doctor told me I have sleep apnea and that mine is a moderate case but still a cause for concern.

When you have sleep apnea, you’re constantly waking up at night, but you’re not fully awake. So your breathing will stop and then start again, which can happen multiple times per night. If it’s not treated, it can lead to many different diseases, including high blood pressure and heart disease. Yay, more fun! I thought my life was over at this point, and I got pretty depressed about the whole issue.

The Mask

I was first given a small device to wear over a few days to…