I don’t know who wants to read this. It seems a highly personal topic for a blog, and not especially interesting, but here goes.

I go to bed around 11.30pm and get up at 8.30am, but I rarely feel refreshed when I wake. I have two sleep conditions that affect how much rest I get each night. I’ve had Obstructive Sleep Apnea for around fifteen years. For a long time I had a CPAP machine which I used every night. However, I discovered a mouth brace which is just as effective, and so now I wear that every night. Walking up to the sensation of gagging and not being able to breathe, is pretty horrible. I also have Restless Legs Syndrome which causes my legs to go into spasms of the most indescribable pain. When it’s bad, I can’t sleep and just have to walk around and stretch my leg muscles. Finally, I have attacks of bowel pain, which is the most intense pain I’ve ever felt. Sometimes I’m doubled over. Good sleep therefore, is hard to come by.

How my wife copes, sleeping next to me I’ll never know. I think I would moved into the spare bedroom a long time ago. Most days I wake up feeling tired, achey and muggy. But I get a shower, have a glass of water, go into the garden and greet the day with all the enthusiasm I can muster. I tell myself that life is good, and I try to embrace the gifts it has given me.