Lifestyle
Discovering Sleep Apnea: My Unexpected Path to Restful Nights
In the pursuit of a good night’s sleep, I’ve tried everything from pills to yoga, meditation, and sleep restriction. But the answer to my insomnia may be simpler than I thought.
I recently had a sleep study conducted in my own home by a man named Parthasarathi and his boss Julius. They attached electrodes all over my body, inserted a cannula into my nostrils, and monitored my sleep throughout the night.
“Then all this kit will track how long and deeply I am sleeping, how much I am snoring, how twitchy my legs are, how often I get out of bed, whether I talk, walk or … I don’t know, juggle in my sleep, what’s happening to my blood oxygen levels, what my heart’s doing and, crucially, how well I’m breathing.”
The results were surprising. I discovered that I stopped breathing for at least 10 seconds, 60 times that night. That’s an average of almost 10 times an hour.
Insomnia has been a problem for me for half my life. It increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression, as well as accidents. Most nights I don’t get much more than five hours’ sleep. I wake at least once in the small hours, often twice or more, and if I wake up any time after 4am there’s a good chance I won’t fall asleep again.
Despite my sleep struggles, I’ve managed to lead a productive life. I hold down a good job, I’m married, and I have a family. But the fatigue is mainly mental. I can usually manage a run, or an exercise class, or some yoga, as well as a full day’s work.
I’ve tried countless methods to improve my sleep. From making sure my bedroom is dark and quiet, getting plenty of daylight first thing, getting plenty of exercise, avoiding blue light from screens in the evening, not sleeping next to my phone, and many more.
“Following these rules almost certainly will help you sleep better.”
I’ve also tried meditation/mindfulness, breathing exercises, yoga and tai chi. They all relax you and some you can practise while lying unhappily in bed.
I even tried sleep restriction, a treatment often described as the gold standard. The aim is to create a strong association between your bed and sleep. I endured almost six months of this – during two of which I had weekly phone calls with my local NHS CBTi service.
The process was exhausting and tedious, but did it work? I began to sleep a little longer and with a little less disruption – but I still wasn’t sleeping well. I began to wonder if I ever would.
I’ve also tried various pills and over-the-counter sleep aids. Some worked better than others, but none provided a long-term solution.
A few weeks ago, I spoke to a doctor who had done a lot of work with sleep. He introduced me to the Japanese concept of kaizen, or continuous improvement. He also told me about a new type of sleeping pill called an orexin receptor antagonist.
But the real gamechanger came when I was diagnosed with “moderate obstructive sleep apnoea” after my sleep study. This condition is far more widespread and often less spectacular than I thought.
The treatment may involve a continuous positive airway pressure (Cpap) machine, to feed me air during the night. But there’s a good chance I can avoid it just by sleeping on my side.
I’ve been trying a combination of willpower and a pregnancy pillow for the last week, and so far the signs are good. I’m sleeping better than I have for ages – on my side, obviously – and waking up more refreshed.
After decades of battling insomnia, I think I’ve finally found a solution. I’m actually looking forward to the next 14,000 nights.
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