Thanks for something positive.
My diagnosis of sleep apnea came as a complete shock. There was no gasping for breath, no snoring, seemed to sleep well, 8 hours with no apparent waking, but my concentration for reading had definitely suffered over the last several years. I attributed this to aging. I also blamed aging for my average speed as a cyclist dropping drastically. 2 and a half years ago, my heart began acting up, and over the next 6 months of testing, the PVCs became more frequent and eventually left me with worrisome chest pains. The Dr. could find no cause for the PVCs, and eventually a sleep study was ordered. A combination of OSA and central apnea in the mild range was the verdict. That's still 40-60 events per night. No REM sleep, no dreaming. (When others talked about dreams, I always commented on my complete lack of dreams.) I started treatment immediately after diagnosis. There is so much negative about those "horrible CPAP machines" that I was not thrilled about the prospect. I am happy to say, my choice of mask etc. was totally workable from day one, and (until this week*) has been used every single night. My AHI average over 30 days hovers around .5, I'm again reading a book a week and I feel better cycling, but sadly speed is not coming back. A.G.E. syndrome, most likely.
*spent 3 nights in hospital with hubby, who broke a hip in cycling accident last week, when a car pulled out on us.