To Sleep, Perchance to Snore...or Kick

              I recently read the optimal sleeping position is on your left side; something to do with internal organ alignment.  I was pleased to know this as I have been sleeping in this position since I lost all my weight and stopped using my CPAP.  For those not in the know, a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) is a device which forces air into your nose to keep you breathing while you sleep.  Sleep apnea is a condition which causes you to stop breathing when you are asleep.

                For many years, I had no idea I had sleep apnea.  From my junior year in college until I became roommates with my best friend Christopher in 2002, I lived mostly by myself.  My brother and I shared a tiny house for one semester when we both went to Ole Miss, but he never complained about my snoring.  Maybe he was a heavy sleeper, snored too or was simply too polite to say something.  I don’t know.  All I knew was I was exhausted all the time.  I feel quite strongly it had nothing to do with my diet.  Chicken strips and Dr. Pepper at midnight can’t possibly be bad for you, right?

                The morning after the first night as roommates, Christopher asked me, very politely, if I was able to vanquish the wildebeest from my bedroom.  When I asked what he meant, he said, “I assume you were wrestling with some animal last night.  How else would you explain those noises?”  I was appalled.  The only person I knew who snored was The Dad and I was not about to be lumped into any category with him.  The only clue I didn’t have a restful night was the fact I woke up with all the covers wrapped around my face and neck and the pillows on the floor.  This was not uncommon so I gave it no further thought.

                Upon the accusations of snoring, I was insistent I made no such noise, especially loud enough for Christopher to hear as our bedrooms were on opposite ends of the apartment.  When he shared a recording of what sounded like a group of lumberjacks with their chainsaws at full throttle, I decided to see a pulmonologist who didn’t even wait until the end of the test to prescribed a CPAP. 

                Use of a CPAP requires you to sleep in a supine position as you must wear a mask for the machine to work properly.  I quickly mastered sleeping without moving as I was thrilled with getting a proper night’s sleep and reducing my chances of dying in the night.

                Having traveled on vacation with my sister and her children every year since at least 2005, I am used to sharing a Queen-sized bed with her.  She says I freak her out as I don’t move at any point while I’m asleep.  “Like a dead person”, she says.  All I know is making the bed in the morning for me takes, literally, three seconds.  When my sister recently visited me for her vacation, I found she now sleeps on her stomach splayed across the bed, sheets covering only her feet, looking every bit like a crime scene recreation without the blood or number placards used by detectives to document clues.  Oh, and she snores.

                I would complain about her snoring but as a former snorer myself I try to cut her some slack and simply wear earplugs.  I already have them in my bedside table as Ben snores, too.  Earplugs provide a peaceful sleep, y’all, not just protection while swimming.

                You can understand how I was expecting an uneventful night’s sleep when I was rudely awakened by her kicking me in the butt.  I turned over to protest and saw she was on her side moaning.  As she is my older sister (she is 49; I am a pubescent 46) I was concerned she might be having a medical event.  As her favorite food is carbs, my first thought was ‘heart attack’.  As her second favorite food is tomatoes, my next thought was ‘indigestion’.

                I said, or rather shouted, as I forgot I was wearing the ear plugs, “Are you all right?”

                She managed to squeak, “Pull me.”

                “Pull you?  Like back from the light?”  I was confused.  Was she dying?  “Stay with me girl!” I yelled.

                She said, “Ugh.  Catch me, I’m falling.”

                I grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the bed.  It turns out she had woken up, checked her phone for the time, realized she didn’t have it plugged into the charger and was reaching for the cord when she started to fall out of bed.  That’s when she kicked me.  I never ascertained if the kick was accidental or purposeful and she’s not saying.

                Responsible phone usage is a real thing with real consequences.  Mostly just embarrassment in a blog post, but still.