1 post tagged “sleep study”
So, when I was in the hospital they kept asking me (like, several times a day) if I had scheduled a sleep study yet. I didn't even know I needed one until I filled out a questionnaire as a part of signing in for surgery which indicated I should think about it.
Well, I did one a few weeks ago, and the results are in: moderate apnea, severe desaturation. The apnea part is what you'd expect -- I stop breathing periodically while I sleep. The desaturation part is less intuitive. Have you seen people with the little red light clipped to their finger? That's a pulse oximeter. It measures the oxygen content of the blood pumping through you. Most people stay in the high 90s to 100 percent. During my study, I bottomed out at 72%. What's worse is that when I was in the hospital, I bottomed out in the low 60s.
Needless to say I'm going back for another study, this time with a CPAP. The CPAP is a device that provides Continuous Positive Airway Pressure by blowing air up your nose while you sleep, preventing your airways from collapsing. Two things could come out of this. First, it could greatly improve my sleep quality, which would help speed healing, improve my memory, and give me more energy overall. Second, it could eliminate my high blood pressure. Apparently, poor sleep quality and low blood oxygen levels often cause hypertension, and I've had more or less uncontrolled hypertension for several years now.
On the other hand, it means sleeping with a bunch of tubes strapped to my head from now on, which is a prospect I'm not thrilled about. I guess it's a small price to pay for the benefits. /shrug
