A Possible Cause

in the past, I’ve talked about my depression.  Recently, I’ve gotten to do some more medical examinations (including a sleep test), and it appears likely that if not caused directly by it, my depression is definitely aggrivated by sleep apnea.  Just to give a few specifics, it took me 43 minutes to fall asleep (which is about average for me); my blood oxygen saturation averaged 88%, dropping as low as 79%; my sleep efficiency was low at 73%, and I had a apnea-hypopnea index of 55 (which is “severely elevated”).

The good news: when I was put on CPAP, my apnea-hypopnea index dropped to 2.8 and my oxygen saturation went to 94%, so it appears that getting a CPAP ought to cure most, if not all, of my sleeping problems!  Better sleep will result in less tiredness (go figure), which will result in my feeling better overall, which will probably mean I can cut back on my meds.  But that, of course, will ultimately be up to my doctor.

In any case, I’m definitely looking forward to getting this machine.  It would be nice to wake up feeling refreshed again.  I’ve pretty much forgotten what that feels like….