The night I didn't exactly sleep like a baby..

CPAP mask I used last night

Last night was the night I packed up a small bag, went to the sleep clinic and spent the night while being monitored using a CPAP.  To sum it up..a CPAP is definitely in my near-future, and forever in my happily ever after.

I had been looking forward to this night away, for all the obvious reasons - no small children milling about or a cat sleeping stretched out across my neck, clawing me if I moved even a fraction on an inch and disturbed her.  

I did get that night away, tucked away in a silent dark room...all to myself.  I got to watch a little TV before falling asleep and read a couple more pages in my novel.  I also got to do it while hooked up to a monitoring system, along with a video and auditory monitor.  Let's just hope I didn't do anything embarrassing in my sleep.

I did not sleep well.  My head is still congested, so it was hard to breathe through the nasal tube that blows a steady stream of air into my nose.  I often felt like I was struggling for air in the early part of the night.  The technician said that he steadily increased the pressure throughout the night.  I struggle to breathe with a 4, and an 8-9 is just right.  I felt like I was breathing through SCUBA all night.  My throat hurts a bit and feels raw.  It took me forever to get comfortable, but once I did, I did sleep hard and dreamed quite a bit.  That almost never happens.  

We looked at my readouts this morning, after the test was over, and all concerns were eliminated when I used the CPAP.  No snoring, no dips in my oxygen levels, my REM cycles were good and my pulse remained constant, and no gaps in my breathing.  Yep.. a CPAP will make my life a whole lot better.  I know I will get used to the machine, and it was pretty quiet to begin with, which is a very good thing.  Time to clear some space on my bedside table!