Janine Langdon-Lee
  • Home
  • Work With Me
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Connect

Sleeping Beauty Part 2

/ Body, Health & Wellbeing, Sleep

In Sleeping Beauty or Sleepless Beauty I wrote about how my lack of sleep tuned out to be OSA and in this second post, I share how my CPAP trial went and how it has transformed my life!

What is sleep, apnoea?

The WellSleep Centre defines Obstructive sleep apnoea as A sleep disorder caused by the blocking of the upper airway.” I describe it as continually stopping breathing for a few seconds throughout the night.

What are the Symptoms?

Symptoms can vary from person to person. For me I began to notice;

  • Loud Snoring (Mike and others noticed this)
  • Gasping for breath
  • Peeing when I wake, on a lousy night eight to nine times a good night was two times.
  • Morning headaches
  • Falling asleep during the day
  • Mood swings
  • Waking up and feeling bone-tired
  • Constantly hungry and craving carbohydrates
  • No longer dreamed
  • Constant dark circles under my eyes
  • Weight gain

Sleep Trial

I started trialling the CPAP machine at the end of March. The staff at the WellSleep Centre were terrific. They demonstrated the CPAP machine and I was sent home with it for the duration of the trial. These machines are smart as they download data so the centre could track how many hours I slept to how many apnoea’s I would have in an hour and if my mask would leak. Over the next four to six weeks I would visit the centre to review progress and the data. Despite the assistance I struggled with the trial for several reasons;

  • Everything seems so much harder when you are functioning on fuck all sleep!
  • I was pissed off that I had allowed myself to get into this position in the first place!
  • Wearing the nasal mask felt claustrophobic
  • I had to change how I breathed to inhaling and exhaling with a closed mouth
  • The pressure to use the machine for four hours minimum per night

How does it work?

I explain to people that the CPAP machine delivers air into my airways via the hose and nasal mask that I wear as I sleep. The nasal mask forms a seal around the nose and is held in place by the four straps that go over my head.

Part of the trial is working out what type of mask and pressure suits you. Throughout the trial I struggled on a set pressure and it turned out that the auto setting suited me which means the CPAP adjusts the amount of air while I sleep.  I tried both the facial and nasal mask. As much as I struggled with the nasal mask it suited me better. I had to adjust the way I breathed in my sleep from open mouth to breathing through my nose. When I had my last appointment with the sleep clinic they advised that I managed to squeak in and the machine was mine to use.

Transformation

As the months progressed and I began to increase my hours on the CPAP, I began to notice quite a few improvements such as;

  • No longer falling asleep during the day
  • Dreaming again
  • The dark circles under my eyes disappeared
  • I was able to do more in my exercise sessions
  • A shitload more energy
  • My weight loss started to take off
  • Returning to my pre-sleep routine of waking once or twice in the night
  • No longer feeling like I am walking through concrete every day
  • Stable moods
  • Concentration levels have improved
  • A regular bedtime routine
  • Feeling refreshed.

When I found out that I had OSA, my wellbeing journey took on a new meaning! I want to reduce my OSA from severe to mild.  Mild is five or less apnoea’s an hour. While it may take me a few years to accomplish this; I am determined to get there. While going through the trial I didn’t know anyone who had sleep apnoea that I could talk too about this. While the centre staff were helpful, it would have been nice to chat with a fellow user about the struggles.

If you know someone who has just found out that they have sleep apnoea I am more than happy to chat with them in person or via skype. Although it took me a few good months to get comfortable with the CPAP, it was worth persisting as the benefits far outweigh anything else.

Filed Under: Body, Health & Wellbeing, Sleep

Pin Share Share

Trackbacks

  1. 162.7 Reasons says:
    November 22, 2019 at 6:21 am

    […] overwhelmed.  You can read more about sleep apnoea in these two posts that I wrote here and here.  I was confronted by the realisation that I needed to stop burying my head in the sand and sort […]

💕Do you struggle with self-love?  I get it - s 💕Do you struggle with self-love?  I get it - self-love was something I grappled with too. 

I remember when I:
had fallen out of love with my life. 
was disconnected from my body.
found it difficult to move my body.
saw busy as a badge of honour.
Self-soothed my emotions with food.
Couldn’t look at myself in the mirror with love and compassion.

What changed? I began where I was and focussed on one part of my health and wellbeing journey & during the process I fell back in love with myself long before I had reached my destination. 

 🌟My wish for you is that you explore your relationship to improve your health and wellbeing with some of the tips and tools I share in Hungry 4 Change. 

📖I know this book is going to make a huge impact in your life – I know because I’ve experienced it too. 

📝This is why I was so compelled to write Hungry 4 Change because I wanted to help other woman feel back in love with themselves and their lives. 

 
🗓Mark your calendar for 30 July  so you can get your copy! If you have any questions , lets chat in the DMS

#startwhereyouare #imperfectperfectliving #transformation #onestepatatime #embraceyourinnertortoise #changesafoot  #mindset #mindbodysoulemotion #innerselftalk #innercritic #selflove #selfworth #movement #nourishment #showingup # vulnerability #hungry4change #4pillasofselfloveandsuccess  #nourish #move #restore
💕Dear body, I love you! ⁠ ⁠ When was the la 💕Dear body, I love you! ⁠
⁠
When was the last time you said that to your body? Has it been a while? Then perhaps it's time to change that and ⁠start talking to your body and treating it with the same love and compassion that you would show to your best friend. ⁠
⁠
🗨Next time you say something bitchy about or to your body try replacing it with one of these words. ⁠
⁠
👉Save this post as a reminder of some replacement words that you can use next time to drown out your inner mean girl voice the next time she comes to visit.
💕When setbacks happen, we may be quick to judge 💕When setbacks happen, we may be quick to judge or criticise ourselves. Being kinder to ourselves is a more empowering approach.⁠
⁠
How does this work?⁠
⁠
Being kind to yourself gives you that extra bit of courage to try again.⁠
⁠
⏰️Think of the time when you were self-critical about a mistake or a setback. If you were more forgiving in those situations, how would it benefit you?⁠
⁠
📝In future, you can start being kinder to yourself by asking these questions when setbacks crop up:⁠
⁠
- How do I feel about this setback?⁠
- Did my feelings of self-worth drop when this setback happened?⁠
- If yes, why?⁠
- How am I partly responsible for this setback?⁠
- What have I learned?⁠
- What do I NOT have control over with regards to this setback?⁠
- What DO I have control over?⁠
- How can I do better next time?⁠
⁠
These questions are empowering because you grow when you learn from previous setbacks, so when faced with another setback you find yourself more compassionate towards yourself.⁠
⁠
Drop a ❤️ below if this helps you out!⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
When was the last time you let your inner child ou When was the last time you let your inner child out to play?⁠ ⁠As grown ups we can always find excuses not to play – we can talk ourselves out of it or tell ourselves it’s silly. ⁠
⁠
If you’ve been out of the habit of playing, it might feel daunting or overwhelming knowing where to start!⁠ I share a few prompts to help you get started.⁠
⁠
⁠⁠What you find fun and energising may look different to other people & thats okay! Remember this is about defining what play means to you!⁠
⁠
Once you have defined what "Play" means to you;⁠
⁠
 ▶️Create time in your day/week for a play date with yourself or friends.⁠
 ▶️Schedule play into your planner like any other important appointment.⁠
 ▶️Create a Play Box – gather a few play items e.g, play dough, puzzles, or colouring books, kite, bubbles so you have easy access to your play box.⁠
⁠
Play is essential self-care!⁠
⁠
👉⁠How will you make time for Play in your life?⁠
⁠
Eclipse season can feel uncomfortable as we step o Eclipse season can feel uncomfortable as we step out of our comfort zones and release what no longer serves us. The Taurus energy gives us a steady and stable place to begin from during this time.⁠
⁠
An eclipse is a reminder of where our soul came to go in this lifetime in order to find satisfaction, fulfillment & happiness. ⁠
⁠
This Taurus New Moon is an ideal time to:⁠
🐢Slow down & savour the moment.⁠
💆‍♀️Enjoy sensual pleasures.⁠
🏞Connect with mother nature.⁠
⁠
♉️Let me know how you are going to enjoy indulging in this Taurus Moon energy? ⁠
⁠
🧠Your mindset can make the difference between a 🧠Your mindset can make the difference between a path of self-love or self-sabotage, success or failure. A shift in mindset can turn a setback into an opportunity for self-forgiveness and a shift in direction, a lift in motivation.⁠
⁠
🎯⁠Do you have a vision for your life but you’re not sure how to get started?⁠
⁠
Imagine:⁠
⁠
•	Letting go of “it’s too late, my time has passed” thinking.⁠
•	Building a better relationship with your mind and body.⁠
•	Developing a nurturing relationship with yourself.⁠
•	Listening to your intuition & trusting yourself.⁠
•	Finding your own rhythm.⁠
⁠
⁠When you ⁠free yourself from the beliefs that hold you back from falling back in love with the woman you are - you get crystal clear about what you do and don't want in your life and you:⁠
⁠
•	Learn how to show up for yourself first.⁠
•	Let go of the limiting beliefs. ⁠
•	Connect to your inner wisdom.⁠
•	Create a life that you love! ⁠
•	Fall back in love with yourself.⁠
⁠
👉⁠DM me if you would like to explore how changing your mindset through coaching will help you transform your life. ⁠
⁠
Connect on Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

© 2019 Janine Langdon-Lee | Website by Form & Flourish

×