My doctor diagnosed me with Sleep Apnea in 2000. Since that time, I've had a c-pap machine that helps me breathe at night. People with Sleep Apnea have throats that cut off their air supply when their throats relax (during sleep.) The c-pap machine blows air through a tube and mask which makes the person's throat stay open so they can breathe.
The machine keeps the person from snoring. My husband says the sound of the machine is better to hear than me gasping for air. Over time, he has become used to hearing my machine and says it's soothing. The machine isn't loud but compared to hearing nothing, he had to get used to hearing it.
Before I got the machine I snored horribly. I probably scared Per to death when I stopped breathing then gasped for air in my sleep. (According to the sleep study people, I did that 16 times per hour. They say I have Moderate Sleep Apnea.) When I snored, Per would shake the bed to wake me up. As a result, now I wake up whenever he turns.
At the time, I slept better in the living room, sitting straight up in my comfy chair, because I didn't snore or gasp for air. (On several occasions, I slept there instead of my bed because I got better sleep.)
When I laid down, and after my body relaxed, I could feel my throat closing. I tried to keep my mouth open with my fingers, or a pen, or whatever I could find but knew they would fall out of my mouth when I fell asleep. I actually felt relief when I received a machine that helped me to breathe because I knew I couldn't do it myself.
I probably was destined to get Sleep Apnea because I remember that for years my dad slept in a living room recliner and snored very loudly. Years later I learned that he had gotten a c-pap machine.
The mask is the part that bugs me. I imagine I look like Darth Vader when I wear it. I feel self conscious wearing it in front of my husband but I think he cares more that I can breathe over what I look like. I have the mask that sits over the nose and connects to a tube which connects to the machine. I tried the other mask (that has two "pillows" that sit on the nostrils and blow air into the nose,) but didn't like it because it made me feel claustrophobic and kept slipping off my nose when I turned my head.
When the machine is on it blows air, so if I say anything to my husband he hears my voice AND the rushing air. It didn't take me long to figure out that I needed to tell my husband I loved him before I turned my machine on.
Sometimes when I'm sleeping I unknowingly take my mask off. I don't know why I do it, I just know that when I do I wake up (to the sound of rushing air) soon realizing I need to put my mask back on.
I know I get more restful sleep when I use my machine. I can't imagine having Sleep Apnea and living in a time before someone invented it. I'm grateful for it and couldn't sleep without it!
The machine keeps the person from snoring. My husband says the sound of the machine is better to hear than me gasping for air. Over time, he has become used to hearing my machine and says it's soothing. The machine isn't loud but compared to hearing nothing, he had to get used to hearing it.
Before I got the machine I snored horribly. I probably scared Per to death when I stopped breathing then gasped for air in my sleep. (According to the sleep study people, I did that 16 times per hour. They say I have Moderate Sleep Apnea.) When I snored, Per would shake the bed to wake me up. As a result, now I wake up whenever he turns.
At the time, I slept better in the living room, sitting straight up in my comfy chair, because I didn't snore or gasp for air. (On several occasions, I slept there instead of my bed because I got better sleep.)
When I laid down, and after my body relaxed, I could feel my throat closing. I tried to keep my mouth open with my fingers, or a pen, or whatever I could find but knew they would fall out of my mouth when I fell asleep. I actually felt relief when I received a machine that helped me to breathe because I knew I couldn't do it myself.
I probably was destined to get Sleep Apnea because I remember that for years my dad slept in a living room recliner and snored very loudly. Years later I learned that he had gotten a c-pap machine.
The mask is the part that bugs me. I imagine I look like Darth Vader when I wear it. I feel self conscious wearing it in front of my husband but I think he cares more that I can breathe over what I look like. I have the mask that sits over the nose and connects to a tube which connects to the machine. I tried the other mask (that has two "pillows" that sit on the nostrils and blow air into the nose,) but didn't like it because it made me feel claustrophobic and kept slipping off my nose when I turned my head.
When the machine is on it blows air, so if I say anything to my husband he hears my voice AND the rushing air. It didn't take me long to figure out that I needed to tell my husband I loved him before I turned my machine on.
Sometimes when I'm sleeping I unknowingly take my mask off. I don't know why I do it, I just know that when I do I wake up (to the sound of rushing air) soon realizing I need to put my mask back on.
I know I get more restful sleep when I use my machine. I can't imagine having Sleep Apnea and living in a time before someone invented it. I'm grateful for it and couldn't sleep without it!
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