Annie: Sleep clinic

Yes, I'm still here. I returned to points today, but didn't get my exercise started - by the time Child was settled in bed (to stay, that is), it was well past 9pm and I didn't want to get endorphins pumping right before bed.  If that sounds like an excuse it probably is; I'll try to be better organized tomorrow.

I went to a sleep clinic today because I've been suspecting I have sleep apnea for some time. It runs in families and I'm fairly certain my father has it (as is anyone who's ever tried to watch TV with him, I'd wager), but being overweight is a contributing factor. I'm always exhausted, but can never sleep through the night, so am hoping tonight's little medical adventure will deliver some answers for me.

I have a contraption to wear tonight, with 4 leads plugged into a machine on  my bedside table; they'll measure my breathing, when (if) I stop breathing at any point, my snoring (how delicate and ladylike it is), and something else I can't remember. I drop off the machine in the morning, so they can dump the info and plot my sleep patterns - provided I'm able to sleep at all with wires stuck all over my upper body.  But it's this or spend the night in the hospital for observation, which I'm fairly certain wouldn't yield much sleep either. (I hate hospitals.)

I have been reading lately, though, that in addition to all the other health benefits of getting a good night's sleep, it can help you with weight loss. Apparently your body processes food more efficiently if it has sufficient repair time, which makes sense even to an artsy like me.

So... maybe the weight contributes to the sleep apnea, and maybe treating the sleep apnea will help with the loss of the weight. Or maybe I'll lose weight before the medical system gets around to treating the sleep apnea (if I even have it), making this whole exercise futile.

Oh well, at least I feel like I'm doing something.

Food discovery:

Fiber One yogurt, which my friend brought back to me from America. (On a side note: why do Americans have access to diet food that is so much superior to what we get?) It was delicious, it was a milk serving, and it was ZERO points.  Thinking I may be making a day's run across the border one of these weekends to stock up - will have to start making my American grocery shopping list.

Also on that list, for when there's a point left at the end of the day and sugar is calling my name: Milky Way Minis - only one point each!