Snoring: It’s Not Just For Men
*Cross posted at VDog & Little Man, because I think this is an important women’s health issue that needs to reach as many as possible (aka, WE NEEEDZ SLEEP, YO)(aka, it’s VDog’s day to post and I got nuthin’, yo).*
This spring I became a different person. I was exhausted. I had headaches 5-7 days a week. My patience was at an all time low.
I had started snoring for the first time in my life for no reason at all. Sure, I had the occasional snoring episodes when I would be really sick and stuffed up, or when, on occasion, I imbibed in a few too many cocktails.
But this snoring started overnight, every night, out of nowhere. No weight gain, no health changes, just BOOM. Snorty snory badness. My snoring was so bad that my husband was routinely sleeping in the guest room, as he is frequently on deadline and can’t afford NOT to sleep.
So earlier this month on August 3rd, I went in for a Sleep Study, as recommended by my Internist. This was my home for the night:
My girls kept me entertained by saying, “ropes on the wall and handcuffs on the bed, wtf kind of ’sleep study’ IS this??” (Yes, I emailed them a picture to pass the time. I was on my iPhone as long as I could!)
It’s not that I was scared per se, but it’s not exactly a comfortable experience.
I was hooked up to a pulse ox on my finger and heart monitors on my chest, which brought back the memories of my baby in the NICU, hooked up to all kinds of monitors.
I had about a dozen or more sensors all over my head, scalp and neck to monitor…uh…stuff related to my sleep?? I had a monitor on my leg to test for restless leg syndrome. First a gritty cleaner was applied to each location that needed a monitor, to ensure an all night seal. Since my skin is very sensitive, this was a bit painful and left big angry red marks on my skin for almost a week.
There was an infrared camera on me and a sound monitor. If I needed anything, like a trip to the restroom, I had to talk out loud to the room — “I NEED TO USE THE RESTROOM!” Then a voice would come over the monitor, “okay, I’ll be right there!” It was very strange.
There were three other people getting a Sleep Study that night — two men and one woman. The men stayed on one side of the center, and us women slept in bedrooms next to each other. All of the other participants were considerably older than I. I could hear my neighbor sawing away VERY loudly within minutes of lights out.
I had what is called a “split night” study. The first half of the night, the nurse just observed my sleep and snoring. At one point she had to come in to put me on my back, as I wasn’t snoring enough on my side. After an hour on my back, she had the information she needed and came in to put me on a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine to begin the second half of the study. My son was ALSO on a CPAP in the NICU.
I slept with the CPAP machine on for the remainder of the night. I woke up with a start at 6:20am. I laid back down to try to get a few more zzz’s, but my nurse was ALL OVER IT, and came right in with a cheery, “GOOD MORNING!”
Dang it. No kid, no husband, no dog, and I’m still up early.
I could see why she wanted to get started though — it took about an hour to put ON all of my monitors, and about forty-five minutes to take them all OFF. I was out of there by 7am.
The nurse is technically not allowed to give you any results since they are not doctors and don’t interpret the results, but she was able to tell me that I was definitely snoring and definitely NOT sleeping when I was on my back. I felt vindicated. And sad.
Apparently it takes ten business days to score your test, which I think is bullshit, but okay, whatever. So I had to make my follow up appointment for AFTER our two week vacation (which ended up being just over one week due to me being a cracker and breaking my ankle). August 24th I was supposed to get the results. But as you’ll remember, I had surgery on the 21st and my husband said, “NO WAY. You need to rest.” “But I want to sleeeeeeeeep!” “Uh, you have norco.” “Oh, right.”
So instead, I went to get my results two days ago. It was illuminating, to say the least. When I am on my back, I wake up roughly every two minutes. I had thirty-seven instances of apnea in an hour. Which means my body woke itself up just barely so I could start breathing again THIRTY-SEVEN TIMES. IN ONE HOUR.
HOLY JEEBUS CHRIST NO WONDER I’VE BEEN AN IMPATIENT, BITCHY, NO FUN, DEPRESSED, HEADACHE RIDDLED CRACKJOB.
{exhale}
I am someone who needs a lot of sleep. A LOT. Nine hours does a body good. I can’t accomplish a lot with these sleep restrictions. But I REALLY can’t accomplish ANYTHING when I’m actually NOT SLEEPING. ALL NIGHT LONG. ::headdesk::headdesk::headdesk::{REPEAT}
Apneas over thirty times an hour is considered “severe.” So I am now a super cracker with severe sleep apnea. And a bionic ankle. And empty uterus.
Yesterday I went to the “durable materials” center where I was given my prescribed CPAP machine. Last night I used my CPAP machine for the first time. I slept all. night. long. My first wakening was at 5am for a bathroom break. That hasn’t happened in YEARS! Then I went back to sleep for a couple more hours.
This machine is going to change my life. I am not ridiculously tired. I did not feel even the slightest urge to nap this afternoon, whereas the past few months they were a necessity for my sanity.
I was at risk for sleep apnea because it’s in my family — my dad and maternal grandfather both had it — I have hypothyroidism, and yes, I am overweight. The doctor is fairly certain that it is not caused by my weight, however, since I hadn’t recently gained weight when the apnea set in. We’ll just chalk it up to getting older.
I wanted to share this because we, as women, are ashamed to admit that we snore. Snoring is NOT ladylike. Snoring is something only MEN do. Snoring is embarrassing!
TOTALLY CHEESY PSA: If you or someone you know snores and it is disrupting your life, get help. Like, NOW. You won’t regret it.
5 Responses to “Snoring: It’s Not Just For Men”
Leave a Reply
I did it too, but my bed/room looked like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I remember saying out loud “It’s too warm in here” and the giant voice responding that the temperature would be lowered. It was strange and awful, but that CPAP has changed my life. I love it…and I never thought I’d say that.
[Reply]
My husband & his mother (my MIL) both have sleep apnea, and in neither case is it related to their weight. So yeah, it 100% can be genetic. The CPAP machine has been a miracle for both of them. And it’s kinda nice not to have someone else’s snoring waking you up all night long.
Now if I could just get the 2 year-old to stay in her own damn bed, we’d ALL be rested!
[Reply]
So glad you got it checked out. Ever since my hubby was diagnosed with sleep apnea, I tell everyone who snores that they should get it checked. My hubby’s apnea is bad…he stops breathing once ever 30 seconds if he’s not wearing his CPAP. I discovered how bad it was on the nights that I’d be up nursing our daughter. It was pretty scary. SO enjoy your restful sleep…and it truly will be now.
[Reply]
this makes me want to mention this to my mother in law! she snores and is always tired, and always says it’s b/c of her fibromyalgia, but maybe this could be why, too?
[Reply]
Please, please, PUH-lease explain the need to get the snore-nose fixed to Dummy… it may be the only thing to save our relationship or at the very least keep me off the couch ;o)
[Reply]