I Finally Got Diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and Everything Changed

Starting in my teenage years and into my mid-thirties, I was known to family and friends for my ability to sleep anytime and anywhere. We would laugh it off when I fell asleep on the couch during a family event or if I napped for hours during the day and missed a string of texts in the group chain with my friends. 

My freshman year of college was one of the best times of my life but also one of my “sleepiest.”

Recently, I caught up with my old roommate, who lovingly said, “You were asleep so much of the time!” Not knowing the root cause for my excessive need for sleep, I carried on my daily life but often pushed through brain fog and low energy. 

Sometimes, it was incredibly difficult to get through my daily responsibilities, including graduate school and numerous full-time jobs in the mental health field. 

It was not unusual for me to take a nap in my car in the parking garages of my graduate school or workplace.

I had days where I felt so tired I could collapse; when I took naps on those days, I had to stay up late to finish the work I missed even though I still needed to sleep. I would spend the weekends “catching up” on sleep despite sleeping an average of 10 hours every night. 

What I did not know at that time was there was an explanation for my symptoms, and it was untreated sleep apnea.

Like many people with sleep disorders, my journey to that diagnosis took many twists and turns, ultimately lasting about 15 years.

Some studies show an average 7-year delay between symptom onset and receiving a diagnosis of a sleep disorder. I believe that most of that is due to a lack of awareness of symptoms. Particularly for sleep apnea, many people do not know that anyone, regardless of age, weight, or gender, can be impacted.

When I finally completed an at-home sleep study in 2020, I could not believe the resulting diagnosis: obstructive sleep apnea with multiple apnea events every hour. I never would have guessed that I had any issues with my sleep- after all, I slept all the time without trouble! I wish I knew how wrong that thinking was as I struggled in my teens and twenties.

So how did I get to that point, where I finally received a sleep study at age 31? My prominent symptom was always excessive daytime sleepiness, which I only knew to describe as low energy or fatigue. 

Despite sleeping all night, I never woke up feeling rested. I experienced brain fog and morning headaches. I had frequent awakenings to use the bathroom every night, but I did not know that was a potential sign of sleep apnea. Occasionally I snored, but not every night. As far as I am aware I only woke up gasping for breath once or twice. I did not experience some of the other associated symptoms like high blood pressure, sore throat, or dry mouth. 

When talking to my doctors, I focused on the symptom that caused me the most difficulty, my low energy, and I spent years working with them to rule out symptoms or- occasionally and unfortunately- my symptoms were dismissed. 

At one point, a specialist told me, “Some people just don’t have a lot of energy,” and for many years, I internalized this. Is this just the way I was? But in the back of my head, I always knew something was not right; nobody that I knew experienced these same issues.

At one point, I experienced a frustratingly long period of fatigue, essentially doing nothing but sleeping and going to work. This reignited my determination to find an answer. I kept a diary of my days, tracking my sleep, mood, energy, and daily activities, which I then brought to a doctor. As a last-ditch effort, I was referred for a sleep study, and my road to a more energized life began.

I have been using a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine to treat my obstructive sleep apnea for almost 5 years. 

I joke that I am emotionally attached to my CPAP because of the tremendous impact it has had on my quality of life.

It took a few weeks of use before I started to see a difference in my daily energy. Check out these beginner CPAP tips!

For one of the first times since high school, I woke up in the morning feeling rested and stayed rested all day. My morning headaches and brain fog mostly resolved, though I still experience this at times. 

Within the last year-or-so I began experiencing periods of time where my excessive daytime sleepiness returns, even with successful CPAP use. I have a positive relationship with my sleep doctor, and we recently decided I would start an as-needed wakefulness medication. Along with my CPAP, this is another tool for managing my sleep apnea.

Using a CPAP has not stopped me from doing the things that are important to me; it has enhanced my ability to do so.

Aside from working full-time as a clinical social worker, I have the bandwidth to spend time advocating for sleep health. I enjoy connecting with others who have similar experiences via social media, speaking engagements, and podcast appearances. 

In my day-to-day life, I no longer worry about making social plans because I am confident that I will have the energy to follow through. I can be more present with my family and friends, which is priceless. I have a passion for travel and have brought my CPAP with me on over 50 flights and 10 different international destinations. 

Every time I think about the significant impact of my CPAP on my life, I flashback to a bucket list item I achieved: visiting Machu Picchu in Peru. I have clear and energized memories of that day, despite the early morning travel and the challenging high-altitude hike up a nearby mountain to see it from a bird' s-eye view. I dreamed of making that trip since middle school; watching a travel show about Machu Picchu was one of the first times I became fascinated with seeing the world.

Despite all of the positive improvements, there is still one thing I struggle with: reading a book on the couch without falling asleep! If that is the only activity that has not improved for me since treating my sleep apnea, I will take it. 

To those of you who may resonate with my experience, I encourage you to seek out educational resources, such as those that Sleeplay curates on their website and YouTube channel. More restful nights and more energetic days could be in your future.