I've just "celebrated" my 3rd anniversary of being diagnosed with OSA and using my CPAP every time I sleep.

Though I like to think of myself as being perpetually ageless, in reality I'm 55 years old AND in what I think is now full-blown menopause. My body clock and sleep pattern has completely changed in the last year or so. I am not able to fall alseep quickly most nights like I used to, even with my CPAP. It feels like I'm in very light sleep for hours, almost awake. I toss and turn. I have a hard time getting comfortable and that's with a brand new mattress that's only 15 months old. I've now turned into more of a night-owl, not even wanting to try and go to sleep until around midnight most nights. And, since I still truly need about 9 hours of sleep, I'm NOT a morning person by any stretch of the imagination and getting out of bed around 9am is pretty much par for the course. Many times I literally have to force myself to be in bed by 11pm so that I can start my day by 8am but it's hard.

I used to NEVER stay up late! I used to always be able to just render myself unconscious the minute my head hit the pillow. I used to be able to cozy up under down comforters. I used to be able to get out of bed before 8am and be able to start my day. Now, I'm up til midnight most nights. I have trouble "shutting down" and actually falling asleep. I toss and turn. The hot flashes are murder and they start EVERY night around 9pm; many times during the day too. I'm too hot for blankets. Mornings are a killer and I'm barely functional before 10am. Noon is more like it.

And yes, according to my sleep doctor and my gynecologist, menopause is playing havoc with my sleep. Thank God FOR my CPAP or I wouldn't be getting ANY sleep at all!

Sorry Darla, unfortunately you have all of this to look forward to. At least can both commiserate together!

Love,
Leah

Hey Darla...

Well, my sleep patterns first became totally out of alignment with the rest of the work world during my ten years working in the video game industry. It only took one year to get to where I was working until 2-3 in the morning and not coming into work until lunch time - which most of the teams ended up doing in the end.

I never really slipped back since then.

With my apnea being such a huge factor in my life and such a pain in the ass for me to use (I'm one of those that took years to get used to compliance) that it was easiest to fall asleep when totally exhausted and unable to keep my eyes open which does not happen for me until way late.

Now, with my medical cannabis, I can get sleep when I want to. But I am still not ready to sleep at a reasonable hour. I still get to sleep at 3-5 am but sleep much better and longer because I am finally complying regularly with my BiPap use. But without the help of my meds, I would not be able to sleep so well or get to sleep any earlier.

I did briefly get on a midnight to 8:00am schedule for a bit right before surgery when I was s--tting bricks and needed something I could feel I was manipulating and controlling to feel better (my own sleep patterns falling victim there). But i have slipped back no thanks to the recover - it actually sucked to sleep because lying down, unfortunately, only helped with the fatigue but was not really anymore comfortable for my whole head/neck area than sitting up.

I'm working on getting back to a schedule - one thing for sure, when I did rehabilitate my sleep schedule right before surgery, it took a month of diligent efforts fo trying to be in bed - sleepy or not - and going through the motions for about 3 weeks before I started to really fall asleep better at a different hour.

Mike

for me ..falling asleep isn't as much as a problem..assssssss

waking a bunch of times..tossing and turning...my poor sore body

thannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn....waking 5:30- 6:30 which pisses me off..as

I really love to sleep till 7...or 7 :30 that is heaven...