APAP, CPAP, ASAP, OMG!

This is the news on the sleep study front. I have been prescribed an APAP which stands for Automatic Positive Airway Pressure, which in layman terms is a machine that forces air in through my nose as I sleep. So yes, it does look like I am wearing a gas mask. Ok, so it's not that bad, but it's still pretty bad. I have a machine that connects to a (bright yellow covered) hose that attaches to my nose mask. I wear it all night long and it forces humidified air into my nose. I also get to wear a chin strap to keep my mouth closed. I don't know if it's the answer to my problem yet, it takes time to get used to it and for it to do it's work. It really isn't all that uncomfortable - but I can't tell you that my husband thinks its sexy.

I am on an APAP and if it works I will move to a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, the CPAP. The APAP forces a regulated amount of air in automatically, it can change over the night. The CPAP is set for one pressure and doesn't change.

I have this machine for a month to see how it goes. If it works, I can move to the mouth guard that juts my chin forward and keeps my airway open, but that is $3000, so they do this method first to see if this therapy is the right one that will work.

I still don't sleep very well, but I am very optimistic still that they will find something that does. The doctor that I am seeing knows that there is a real problem - it's not just in my head, I am not taking naps because I am soo depressed, and my kids don't just make me that tired. The doctor has said that a person with insomnia, like I have, will not be sleepy the next day. Insomniacs are awake during the day, because whatever is keeping them up at night is also driving them during the day. I have insomnia, but I am always very tired during the day. I take naps because I feel like I can't function if I don't get one, but the naps aren't very refreshing. I also wake up numerous times during the night, so I never get a big block of sleep. My goal is to wake up in the morning, feel refreshed and not be desperate for a nap during the day. I'd also like to fall asleep in a timely fashion at night. I don't ask for much!

So here I am, we're trying stuff and I don't feel like I have been abandoned by the medical community. I feel like have I finally found someone that hears what I am saying. It's not a cure yet, but I feel good about the progress.