I've been far too run-down in the last several months, to the point that I could not work at D.I. any more, along with some gastrointestinal issues. I have been bouncing from doctor to doctor to find out what is going on and one of them was my sleep specialist which suggested a lab sleep study to see if it is part although not all of my problem.
It turns out that I have developed sleep apnea and low oxygen saturation during my REM sleep. For both of these issues a CPAP machine is considered the gold-standard therapy, so now I have to sleep with a mask on.
I was afraid it would take me several weeks to get used to it but now, two weeks in, I am sleeping better than before and I am starting to see positive signs that it is helping, although not with my gastrointestinal issues. I have become impatient for it to reduce my daytime sleepiness enough that I can function throughout the day without having to take two or three naps... Unfortunately it could take up to three months for that to happen.
