Sound Check for a Husband and Father

[MUSIC PLAYING] Wow. Bass is 10.

40 on the left.

Mike check. One, two.

I'm a lead singer in a cover band. We only play the hits that'll get you dancing. And I found when I was tired, it was difficult to get through those two and three hour shows, even in practice. And I also have been in the TV, film industry for a lot of years. And I was a writer-producer. I really enjoy the creative outlet that that gives me.

When you're tired, creative outlets kind of just go away. You're just like, when can all the world stop for a minute so I can catch up. I noticed I was having a lot of trouble at night. I felt like something was jarring me awake. I wasn't sure if it was stress, anxiety. But I kept waking up.

So I would come home from a day of work. And I sat down and I'd be out for an hour or two. And then I knew I snored. But my wife started saying, man, you are really snoring a lot, and loud. We'd wake up in the morning, and she was like, I didn't sleep at all.

I threatened to sleep in the other room just because he was so loud, and he was interrupting my sleep.

When she came home, she was just exhausted all the time. Her lack of sleep and my lack of sleep, not knowing, was making it difficult. And basically sleep apnea was affecting both of our lives.

I told him that he needed to go to do a sleep test.

She felt like there was obviously something more medical than just a snore. So I contacted a sleep center. And they told me that they would do an overnight test.

And the results were astounding. They came back and said, you have severe sleep apnea. You're having about 90 episodes a night. And my oxygen level was dropping into the 70th percentile. And they didn't know how I was not exhausted 24/7.

It's an easy test. It really reveals the whole picture. This isn't just you getting a little bit of rest. It's a medical issue. It can seriously affect your life.

It can shorten your life. I was relieved to know that there's a solution. When I first got the CPAP, I would use it two or three days a week. And what they told me was that's not effective. Once I got comfortable and started actually using the CPAP, it's changed everything. We both get rest. And we have a newborn child now. That is already tiring, knowing that you're going to have to get up multiple times during the night.

But now I know that I can get up, take care of the duties, get back, and actually get to sleep. And it allows her to do the same.

So before, I used to be really groggy and tired at work and could barely get through the day. Now I can actually have more energy. And I'm more awake for the baby. Hi.

Having a child has changed my perspective. And one of the things I realized is I needed to be healthier. And part of that is getting your rest.

So I want him to be healthy. I want him to be there for the child and have memories to come. Hi, [INAUDIBLE].

Love you, buddy. Sleep apnea wasn't just about waking up. Sleep apnea is bigger than that. It can cause further respiratory issues, even heart attacks. It can shorten your life. And getting that rest gives you strength, helps your immune system.

Before the sleep test, I didn't know that. They opened my eyes to that. And what the CPAP has allowed me to do is get that rest, get healthier, know that I can be there for my family and for my son as he grows older.