Our readers are invited to email us with their questions!
Q: Without going to get tested, how can I tell if I have sleep apnea? Maybe I’m just a normal amount of tired and it’s not a thing I need to worry about- I don’t like going to see a doctor. (Steve W.)
A: Steve!, the only way to know if you have sleep apnea is with a sleep test.
Almost 50% of people who snore have apnea. If you snore pretty loud, you probably have sleep apnea.
The good news is that there are two different sleep tests available. The old style where you are kept overnight in a sleep lab and are hooked up to many wires. This has been known to be very expensive and uncomfortable. Today you can have a modern at home sleep test, which is much more comfy in the privacy of your own bedroom.
This test can be done for just a few hundred dollars. I strongly recommend that if you are a heavy snorer that you should choose to get one of these sleep tests, especially in the age of Covid.
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Q: When I wake up, why do I forget my dreams so quickly? (Lily D.)
A: Lily, it depends who you ask. Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud thought that forgetting them was your mind’s way of protecting you from the repressed thoughts that fill your dreams. More likely, it’s because your mind gets busy and distracted with thoughts upon waking. You’re more concerned with what you’re going to wear to work that day and what you should pack for the kids’ lunches than why you dreamed about baking pumpkin pie for Napoleon and Marilyn Monroe.
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