Part III My Sleep Apnea Chronicles

Part III My Sleep Apnea Chronicles

The Night After

By DAVID THEUS

Well, just what I thought would happen, did happen. I came home to my bed and my own surroundings and turned in around 10:30 pm when it started all over again. I was restless and found it difficult to get comfortable. Keep in mind - this time there would be no wires or mask on my face.

By midnight I was awakened for the first time with a need for a drink a water and a trip to the restroom. It was at that point I noticed how groggy and disappointed I was to look at my alarm clock to see it was only midnight.

Back to bed I went only to be up again around 2:00 am. The same scenario - a need for a drink because my throat was dry and sore, and of course, one more trip to the restroom. Still groggy and committed to get some sleep, I stumbled back to bed for what I thought would be the final trip till morning. Wrong. This time, like clock work, I’m up at 4:00 am headed for the kitchen for a glass of cool water and a trip to the living room to wait it out. After I completed my drink, I sat quietly gazing out our front window, thinking - now what do I do, I’m up.

Before I realized what’s happening, my neck has snapped back for the last time as I catch myself falling asleep in our living room chair. Now it’s 5:00 am, as I check my alarm one more time to confirm my scheduled wake up time of 7:00 am to start my day. Out I go, thinking I’ll get at least a two hour power nap if you will. Only this time I awaken one hour and thirty minutes later, just thirty minutes before my scheduled alarm time. You know the feeling you get when you rob yourself of those precious moments just before your alarm is scheduled to go off? Well this time I was robbed of thirty more minutes of sleep.

It all makes sense now, when I am getting normal sleep, I get to sleep deep enough that I don’t wake up. When you wake up, your body says: "I’m awake", and what is it you do when you first wake up in the morning? Go to the restroom. All this time I’m starting to think I’m suffering from an enlarged prostate like those commercials on TV that always show the guy going and going. But no, I’m just not sleeping deep enough and sound enough to stay asleep.

Needless to say, my first move upon leaving the house was to stop by my neighborhood drive through coffee stop. It was my usual triple shot of espresso, white chocolate, and raspberry latte’ on ice so I can stay awake for the next three to four hours and drive if I have to. Come on doctors’, I’m ready for my prognosis and schedule my CPAP machine so I can start sleeping the way I’m supposed to sleep. I’m not sure how much longer my family can put up with me.