Saturday, November 15, 2008

tired.

I got my CPAP machine yesterday -- continuous positive air pressure machine -- which prevents me from having episodes of apnea (not breathing) when I sleep. At the sleep study they found that I stop breathing an average of 11 times an hour when I am sleeping on my back. The CPAP blows air down my throat and stops it from closing off, which means I don't stop breathing, which means I don't rouse 8 to 11 times an hour, which means I get stage 3 and stage 4 sleep.

Which you need to really get enough sleep and enough rest.

But sometime between 2 and 3 am, I think, I gave up and pulled the mask off. The area below my left eye could not handle the mask pressing against it, even though it barely rests against it. The mask has a plasticky smell, and I have a really hard time with chemical smells, which may have contributed to the problem.

But also yesterday my coughing, which had subsided somewhat, ramped up again, and the sinus below my left eye has been uncomfortable all day, so I think the sinusitis I had has moved form the right side to the left. I hate my sinuses.

So today, the day I have been looking forward to forever, the day after the night when I get a really good night's sleep, didn't materialize.

Instead I have been eating and laying around watching house flipping shows on A&E. Maybe tonight will be the first night of a long string of good nights' sleep...

5 comments:

  1. I hope it turns out to be the best night's sleep for you... I know my uncle loves his machine.

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  2. Julie, It takes time to get used to the mask. I used to pretend I was a jet pilot and had the mask on to fly high in the atmosphere! But it's sooo worth getting a good night's sleep and not have the severe headaches I used to get. I just got a new, smaller CPAP. To bad I didn't have it for our Italia trip. My prayers are with you.

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  3. haha i was just about to tell you Friend uses one and every night when he puts it on, he says "pilot to bombardier, pilot to bombardier"

    the plastic smell goes away pretty quickly

    also? i swear every person i know that has had a sleep study averages 11 times an hour...is that the magic number??

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  4. Maybe I need to do some testing. I wake up almost once an hour every night, unless I dope myself with benadryl. That only lasts until about 3.

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