I wish I knew why it was so hard for me to sleep (of course sitting online late at night isn't going to help things). For years, I just assumed that I suffered from some post-traumatic thing that was a result of being in combat. I didn't think there was anything that could help me so I didn't even try.
Over the years, my sleep issues worsened. Not only did I find it difficult to fall asleep but it was increasingly difficult to stay asleep. Also, I would wake up thrashing, screaming, crawling on the floor, or sometimes I would just wake up in another room. [sleepwalking sucks!] A few times, I actually injured myself by either banging into walls or getting severe carpet burns.
It got so bad that this was happening every night and it was disturbing my wife's slumber. Well, after several doctors' visits (and co-pays, I might add) and a couple of sleep studies, it was determined that I have a condition called sleep apnea and it is severe. A few more week go by and I finally get my CPAP machine (it is an acronym but don't ask me what it means).
The CPAP helps me to breathe through the night by forcing pressurized air through my nasal passages and preventing my airway from closing. Well, it seemed to work for the first couple of nights but in the last few nights I have been up to my old tricks again. The insomnia and sleep walking are back but at least I feel better rested for getting some sleep before I unplugged myself.
I suppose I should stop typing this and just go lay down but as exhausted I am, I don't feel sleepy. Weird, huh? Maybe but, not fun at all. I am just going to have to get used to wearing the mask and I going to reprogram my body to sleep. Actually, by just typing these words, I am starting to get sleepy. For a minute there, everything was getting all blurry and slurry (if it even possible to slur a typed word). With that, I bid you farewell and good night (I hope).
2 comments:
I count sheep, or take a xanax-edepending on the night!Its hard to turn off your mind, I know that myself.I am afraid of sleepwalking though,maybe I would chain myself to the bedpost....Good Luck buddy!
I haven't chained myself to a bedpost in a while but recently I have been given drugs to sleep. Every prescription drug I have taken for sleeping turned me into a zombie (minus the whole eating human flesh thing, of course).
The funny thing about sleepwalking is that I don't remember it. The way I normally find out is that my wife tells me about it next morning (usually laughing her ass off) or I wake up in a different place or I have fresh, unexplainable scratches and bruises.
Of course, what always scares me is the understanding that a person who can walk around in his sleep and be fully functional can also get in a car and sleep drive. I haven't done that yet but I should ask Suzette to hide my keys at night just to make sure.
Oh well, it is almost one a.m. so I should hook myself up to my breathing machine and try for some sleep. I was supposed to get to work early on Friday (today) so I can leave early for the NIN/JAne's Addiction concert at Cricket Pavilion!
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