I Have Sleep Disorders. Do You?

Ever since I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in the early 2000s, I've been fascinated by sleep. And sleep disorders in particular.

I've spent countless hours scouring bookshelves and blogs to hear from others like me. Other people who don't fit the stereotype of a sleep apnea sufferer: an overweight male over the age of 50 who snores so loudly his significant other wears earbuds to bed.

I wanted to hear from people in their 20s and 30s who weren't heavy or even necessarily heavy snorers. People with whom I could bond over being exhausted. My (sleep apnea) people.

And even two decades later, I'm still coming up empty-handed (for the most part).

You see, when I learned I had sleep apnea, I was 21. I'd just graduated from college, and instead of being filled with excitement over starting my first job at a Chicago law firm, I was terrified.

What if I overslept and couldn't make it to work multiple days in a row? What if I was exhausted in the middle of the day? After years of scheduling my classes in the afternoon and working late into the night, how could I possibly adjust to a "normal" 9 to 5?

All I wanted was to commiserate with someone else who was going through the same experience.

So I started writing.

And that's how this blog came about. Over a lot of cups of coffee, my laptop, some sweets and some time.

It's meant to offer you some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the past two decades.

Let me be absolutely clear: I am not a medical expert of any kind. I don't have an MD or a Ph.D.

What I offer is practical advice based on my personal experience living with sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome (that news came more recently) for most of my life. I'm also sharing what I've learned from the research and interviews I've done with sleep specialists, doctors, neurologists and other experts across the country.

Here's hoping my posts put you to sleep.