Effects of Sleep Quality

Many obese people, including myself, have sleep apnea which affects the quality of sleep.  Untreated, it contributes to a number of physical and mental health problems.  Here is my story.

Throughout my youth and into my mid twenties, I was fascinated with dreams.  I kept a dream journal for many years, usually remembering three or four dreams each night.  I was not a "morning person" and could easily sleep more than 12 hours a night if I didn't have a pressing reason to get out of  bed.  Then, suddenly, in my mid twenties, I quit remembering my dreams.  I had thought at the time that my sub-conscience needed to work through issues and that perhaps I was better off letting go of this part of me for a while.  

Fast forward about a decade.  For work, I was splitting my time between Kentucky and Paris, France.  I'd fly to Paris and stay there two or three weeks each month.  I was exhausted all of the time.  You'd think that my exhaustion was just due to the time zone differences and jet lag.  But, my wife was worried that I was stopping breathing while asleep.  So, on my next routine doctor's visit, I mentioned this and was prescribed a sleep study.  The neurologist who interpreted my study told me that I had zero REM sleep, meaning that I didn't dream at all.  She said that she didn't understand how I was able to function with such poor quality sleep.  A C-PAP device was prescribed which is a breathing machine that applies enough pressure to keep the airway open.  The machine didn't work great, and I thought they had set my pressure too low.  The insurance wouldn't pay for another study to double check the settings on my machine.  So, I hacked the machine and slowly upped the pressure each night until I quit snoring and was able to sleep more soundly.  I started dreaming again.  But my quality of sleep was still poor.  

Fast forward another five years.  I asked for a new sleep study to adjust my C-PAP settings.  The result was a prescription for a Bi-PAP machine with a much higher pressure setting.  Under this treatment, my quality of sleep greatly improved.  Almost immediately, my cognitive abilities also improved (energy, focus, aphasia, and memory).   And, I'm recalling dreams which means I am getting REM sleep!  I still feel pretty rough when I first get out of bed.  But, I feel better throughout the rest of the day than I did before.  

My current sleep doctor says that surgery would be very unlikely to make a difference for me.  Losing weight would help.   I'm sure losing weight would help but it probably wouldn't fix my condition completely because I've always been a snorer, even when thin.  

I know that sleep experts say that obesity can impact the severity of sleep apnea.  But, I am also convinced that sleep apnea can itself be a contributor to obesity.  Poor quality sleep results in a lower metabolism and increased cravings of calorie dense foods.  Sleep apnea, while not the sole cause, has been a contributor to my weight problems.  It has gotten in the way of my dreaming which I consider a spiritual state.  And, it has had a negative impact on my memory and cognitive abilities. By treating sleep apnea with my Bi-PAP machine, I am improving my chances of losing weight, improving my cognitive abilities, improving dream recall (a spiritual connection), and reducing my risk of dying in an accident.  In short, quality of sleep effects all three of body, mind, and spirit.