Mr Sandman

It started with a simple appreciation for an afternoon nap on the weekend. Then it was a nap after work on some weekdays. Then it was a nap after work everyday. Then the weekend naps turned into 2-3 hour long naps.

It seemed no matter how long he slept, he always felt tired. Constantly feeling tired sometimes made him grouchy and irritable. His partner wondered if he had depression.

Then there was the snoring. He tried those nasal strips, a form-fitting mouthpiece, and even an anti-snore strap, all with limited and temporary success.

The severe snoring lead to short periods where he would stop breathing, followed by physical jolts as he gasped and resumed breathing. It became nearly impossible for them to sleep in the same room.

Although he slept more hours than the average person, he always felt tired and unenergetic because wasn't getting nearly enough quality, restful sleep.

It was suggested that he had sleep apnea. Upon researching sleep apnea, he agreed but felt that it would subside if he lost some weight. Further research showed that people who are not overweight can have sleep apnea, and that weight loss does not always cure it.

His partner became concerned with the increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, arrhythmias, diabetes, and sleep deprived driving accidents that can arise from living with sleep apnea so he strongly suggested a physical and a discussion with his doctor.

Eventually he agreed. The physical revealed elevated blood pressure (a symptom of sleep apnea) and the doctor scheduled him for an overnight sleep study at a local sleep clinic. He was 'wired up' for observation and sent to bed. The study revealed that his sleep apnea was so severe he stopped breathing over 100 times! The clinician placed a CPAP machine on him and had him return to sleep. When we was woken a few hours later, he felt more rested than usual.

A CPAP was ordered and calibrated especially for him using the data from the sleep study. When it arrived at the doctor's office he was trained on how to use and maintain it. Then came the moment of truth: the 1st night with his new CPAP.

Pure bliss!

He awoke the next morning feeling more rested and refreshed than he had felt in years. The rest of the day his energy level was higher and his mood/disposition was improved. For the 1st time in years his partner slept without the need to wear earplugs.

If you suspect that you or someone you know has sleep apnea, get checked for it. Don't waste another week or month not getting restful, restorative sleep. And don't risk acquiring high blood pressure, diabetes or other conditions due to delayed treatment. The sooner you're diagnosed, the sooner your treatment can begin and the sooner your quality of sleep and life will improve.

Crush du Jour: Dave Dudar

A difficult night

Spouse decided to cook the turkey on Wed night, keep it in the fridge overnight, then warm it up in our roaster oven on Thanksgiving day in order to keep the oven available for baking the side dishes and biscuits, so I helped him prepare the 22.5 lb. turkey and we had it in the oven at 8:00.
Wed night Spouse's oldest brother Frank and his friend Liz arrived around 8:30. After seeing the house for the 1st time, they walked a few blocks to have a bite to eat and a few drinks. Frank is a functioning alcoholic so after having been at work all day and then driving here, I'm sure he was "ready" to get his buzz on.

Liz is quite a piece of work. Frank and Liz dated about 20 years ago. She wanted to marry Frank so badly that she bought her own diamond engagement ring and showed it to everyone (including the family) and told them she & Frank were engaged! This was news to Frank. Sometime later they stopped dating and Frank moved on to other women. Despite this, Liz still feels like she's Frank's wife so she invites herself to our family holiday celebrations. One year she showed up on Christmas eve without Frank and then asked if she could take a shower before joining the rest of the family, since it had "been a few days" since she'd bathed. Now that's class.

When Frank & Liz returned from dinner and drinking we sat in the TV room and talked for a while. Frank decided that whiskey before dinner, red wine with dinner, and a beer after dinner just wasn't enough so he fixed himself a martini while we talked. Both Frank & Liz consider themselves more intelligent than most people, despite the fact that both are over 50 years old and neither of them owns a home. Frank doesn't even have a checking account. He pays his rent in cash. Frank reads a lot, which is likely what makes him feel more intelligent, and Liz was once an attorney. Unfortunately she stopped working for more than 10 years and squandered her inheritance on cars, jewelry, a fur coat, and multiple trips to the farthest corners of the world. I'm guessing that's what makes her feel more intelligent. But since the state finally seized the waterfront home she inherited and now she rents a room in the basement of a house in a crappy neighborhood, you can imagine the stimulating conversations we had while waiting for the other family members to arrive.

At 11:45 Spouse's sister Mary arrived with her husband Eric and their 3 kids, ages 15, 12, and 10. The 2 youngest are boys, and like many others that age, they are very loud. So from the time they got here until the time we all went to bed at 1:30 am it sounded like a 3-ring circus was going on. Do parents just get used to this kind of noise? I can't imagine any other explanation.

Meanwhile Frank continued to fix himself martinis, only he decided to leave out the vermouth and olives, preferring to sip straight vodka from his martini glass. I wasn't paying attention to how many he had, but when it was time to hit the sack he didn't bother to put sheets on the bed or even undress. He just passed out on the bed, fully clothed.

About an hour later (I was still awake, unfortunately) we heard a significant thud that awakened Liz who was sleeping in the room next to Frank. She got up to check on Frank and found him on the floor. He'd fallen out of the bed, so she helped him back in. This happened again later.

I had a terrible time getting to sleep Wed night. My mind just wouldn't stop. I wasn't worried or nervous about anything, so even my inability to get to sleep became fodder for my racing brain. Spouse kept snoring, mostly due to his cold, so I tossed and turned. At 3:10 am I woke Spouse and told him he had to try harder not to snore, as he was keeping me awake. His snoring improved but it did not help me sleep. At 4:15 am I went to the bathroom and took a generic form of Tylenol PM, hoping it would help me get some sleep. Shortly after returning to bed Spouse asked me why I wasn't sleeping, for which I had no answer.

Then around 4:30 am Spouse snuggled up to me, and his hands slowly caressed me. 'Is he serious?' I thought to myself? Not that I was opposed to his advances; just surprised by the timing. Maybe somehow he knew what I needed, for not long after we finished I was finally asleep. Then again, it could have been the Tylenol PM.
We were awakened Thurs morning by the stirrings of family members at 8:30 so we got up. I figure I probably had about 3 or 3.5 hours of sleep.

Drag Queen name of the day: Penny Tration