Sleeping In Stanford, Part IV

I took my second sleep test at the clinic last night. This time, in addition to all the electrodes, sensors, and microphones I had on my last visit, I also wore the CPAP apparatus. It's got a hose that fits into your nose like a snorkel - that's attached to a harness on your head. The CPAP machine inflates your airway slightly so you can breathe better and sleep more efficiently - apnea can lead to other, more serious health problems, so I want to get it under control as soon as I can.

The visit was pretty much identical to the last one, except I arrived thirty minutes earlier (traffic was kind to me this time). I popped over to a nearby supermarket and grabbed a deli sandwich for dinner - not the best meal, I suppose, but it's better than the cup of Cheez-Its that I had last time (driving from 5 - 7PM eats into mealtime pretty thoroughly)! I watched a sizable portion of The Good Shepherd and ate my dinner while waiting for my assistant.

She arrived, and we went through the same procedure of gluing and taping electrodes all over me, and connecting all the wiring I'd need to collect my data. It seemed to go faster this time, but I'm assuming that was because I'd been through it before. Finally, everything was set and tested. I watched more of the film (it's a long one - almost three hours, I think) before going to bed. I was hooked up to the CPAP machine, and lights out!

It was much harder to fall asleep than it was in the first test. Imagine trying to sleep with a snorkel in your nose, and a huge, leaky inner tube whistling about a foot away from your head (if the seal on the hose's nose plugs leaked, it caused a high-pitched whistle that drove me nuts). If I tried to improve the hose's seal, it got a lot less comfortable. You can't open your mouth at all when the CPAP is operating, either - the machine will suck air in through there, too, so you have to be really conscious of it. On top of all that, I move around when I sleep, and the wiring and hose restricted my movements. I made sure I was wearing the mask properly, but it was really hard to relax and get comfortable - it felt like hours and hours before I drifted off.

I was awakened by the assistant, and I filled out my questionnaire as before. By the time I was finished, I was fully awake. It seemed like I'd only slept two or three hours (I 'm sure I'm wrong), but I did 'wake up' more quickly than I usually do, and I felt more refreshed than usual, so that's good. I've got a couple more follow-up appointments, so I'm assuming I'll get the prescription for the CPAP device so I can buy one of my own. Hopefully I'll get more used to sleeping with the equipment, and find a more comfortable mask!