If You Feel Like Crap, This Might Be Why

“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.”

E. Joseph Cossman

Feeling exhausted, unmotivated, and overwhelmed?

Feel like you’re in a constant brain fog and unable to focus on simple tasks?

Have you tried getting more sleep, exercising, diet changes, or meditating to feel better without success?

I did for a number of years. It was a subtle change that happened gradually over a long period of time.

But it was unmistakable that with each passing year, I was losing my energy and vitality. I blamed it on many things. Daily stress, anxiety about the world, multiple jobs, lots of kids, and poor sleep.

I was on the right track with the last one, but I thought it was because I was not getting enough sleep. Turned out that for me, the quality of my sleep was playing a much bigger role.

The culprit? Sleep apnea.

What is sleep apnea?

There are two types. The first is obstructive sleep apnea, which happens when a person’s airway is blocked by relaxed throat muscles. The second is central sleep apnea which occurs when the brain is not sending proper signals to the breathing muscles.

The first is much more common and affects millions of people, many of them unsuspecting, like myself.

I knew I snored, but lots of people snore. I ignored it, thinking that since I was not significantly overweight, I didn’t have to worry about sleep apnea.

But I was wrong.

I got my first clue the way most people do, from the person who sleeps next to me. My wife, an RN, noticed how much I was struggling to breathe at night, and encouraged me to get a sleep study. 

After dragging my feet for some time, I finally went and was shocked by the result. My sleep was being interrupted dozens of times every single night. During every one of those episodes, my brain would wake up just enough to jolt my airway open so I could breathe.

Because my brain almost never woke me to consciousness, I had no clue what was going on. All I knew was that I would wake up in the morning feeling exhausted, like I hadn’t slept. I had a tough time getting through the day. Sometimes I would wake up during the night with a headache and struggle to get back to sleep.

The results of the sleep study were conclusive, and I needed a solution fast. I needed a CPAP machine. 

Getting my machine

The CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine was recommended to me as the most effective solution. There are several types of machines, but the main idea is that it delivers a stream of pressurized air to keep my airway open and supply my body with an ample supply of oxygen, allowing my it and poor brain to get more restful sleep.

I wasn’t too keen on getting a machine as it would mean having to sleep with a mask. I didn’t think I would be able to fall asleep with something on my face. But when the doctor said that most people find that they “discover an extra gear they didn’t know they were missing,” I knew I needed to try it.

The day I got my machine, it took the better part of an hour for the technician to explain all its parts and everything I needed to do to keep it clean and well-maintained. I left feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. I felt like a whole pile of tasks were being added to a life already full of tasks I was struggling to keep up with. 

The particular model I received was the latest technology. It would constantly monitor my breathing and adjust the air pressure based on what my body was doing. It was super quiet, something I knew my wife would be excited about. 

The first night

That night, I put on the mask and connected its tube to the machine. I looked like I was about to go snorkeling. 

To my surprise, before I could turn on the machine, it came to life all on its own, detecting my breathing within a few seconds. I don’t remember much after that because I fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, I woke up at 5 a.m. without an alarm. I hadn’t been able to get up that early even with an alarm for a few years now. 

I was astonished at how good I felt. I literally sprang out of bed, put on workout gear, and went for a brisk 90 minute walk. I felt like I was dreaming. I had so much energy and felt ecstatic. I felt like I had my batteries replaced. I had discovered three extra gears.

I expected to maybe begin gradually feeling better after some time of using the machine. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect such dramatic results after one use.

I’ve been using the machine for two weeks now and I have not needed an alarm clock once. I routinely wake up between 4 and 6 a.m. feeling good and ready to face the day, even though that initial high has worn off. And even on days when I feel tired, I don’t feel like I’m about to die like I used to.

A big misconception leads to big problems

I believe the misconception that sleep apnea only affects people who are overweight leads many folks to incorrectly believe that they cannot have sleep apnea. But this disease has more to do with the anatomy of the throat. Yes, obesity increases the risk, but anyone can suffer from sleep apnea.

Beyond feeling like you’re never getting a good night’s sleep, there are other significant health risks that can develop over time. These risks include high blood pressure, heart problems, liver problems, mood disorders, weakened immune system, and death due to strokes.

Why am I sharing all this?

I have heard many health experts, influencers, and gurus talk about the importance of sleep to their success. 

They talk about exercising more, losing weight, getting blackout curtains, making the temperature just right, not using screens before bed. But none of them talked about the prevalence and risks of sleep apnea.  

Why am I sharing my story? Because I believe many people are suffering from sleep apnea and are feeling terrible without a clue as to why. Many of them are blaming themselves for not living up to their potential. 

They feel like it’s their fault that they feel badly. That if they lost a little weight, or went to bed earlier, all their problems would go away. Yes, there are many problems in our lives that we can fix. But sometimes the problem is bigger than you. Sometimes, we have to realize that not everything is within our control. Not everything is our fault. Sometimes we just need help.

So if you still feel like crap after trying everything, it just might be time to schedule a sleep study.