These are the reflections of a Secular Franciscan. I look not only at my own spiritual journey, but also at issues of life, economic and social justice, morality, the arts, and more through the lens of Franciscan Spirituality.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream (Part 2)
Finally got the results of the sleep study I did to try to figure out why I was waking up so often and so tired much of the time - regularly falling asleep or nodding off during the day.
Sleep apnea - mild, to moderate.
Not bad enough to be dangerous to my health, but enough to interfere with life.
Immediately they tried to get me on one of those CPAP units. I suspected they would; it's a source of income, after all. But insurance (due to the deductible) does not cover the machine, so I was going to be spending quite a bit out of pocket. I questioned whether it was really necessary. Well ... no, my issue is not a threat to my health. They also said there were some things I could do, but did not elaborate beyond sleeping on my side rather than my back. I said I wanted to think about it.
I went home and did some research - on multiple sites. Where I sleep - side vs. back -is indeed one way to reduce the problem. So is losing weight. Taking medicine to counter my allergies. reducing alcohol consumption - not that I drink a lot, but I do have a beer many evenings - are other ways.
Reducing my weight and fighting my allergies are things I want to do anyway, and would help me in other parts of my life. The beer - well as part of a diet I'd already be giving that up already.
For now, I'm going with the lifestyle solutions rather than spending money on the machine. If that helps, great.
But at least I now know what's wrong, and that it's not a major risk.
Pax et bonum
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