Sleepy Angel.... my poor baby....

Wonder Boy is tired. It is no wonder, he is not sleeping right. He is a victim of sleep apnea. I learned I had sleep apnea last year and have slept so much better since getting a cpap machine. I was stunned at how much better I felt after one night with the CPAP machine. It turns out that my poor kids are genetically doomed with sleep apnea running strong on both sides of the family (more so on hubby's side, but who am I to blame them?).

My dear 11 year old son is quite young for the CPAP option. Typically a child his age has tonsils and adenoids removed to treat sleep apnea. My darling is not typical, his tonsils and adenoids are 100% healthy. He has an elongated soft palate but does not suffer breathing obstruction until he is in REM sleep (the most critical and restorative sleep in the 4 stage sleep cycle). Typically people get 25% REM sleep nightly. My poor munchkin only gets 6% REM sleep a night. Hence, he is one tired out puppy that gets very little restorative sleep. No wonder he is cranky and sluggish in the morning. His brain has been trained to avoid REM sleep because that is when he stops breathing, as a result his REM cycle is very short (not to mention it is interrupted almost immediately when he stops breathing as he slips into REM).

It is very odd that his sleep apnea only strikes during REM sleep. The sleep specialist hinted that the insurance company may not cover a cpap machine as a result. I'm frustrated for Wonder Boy. He must wait 3 more weeks to get in for another sleep study (with a cpap machine this time). He doesn't even want a machine but is willing. The problem with using a cpap on such a young child is that the mask may be an issue. The facial bones are not done forming in a child this age – wearing a mask nightly is not ideal. It can be done, it just is not ideal.

I'm worried and frustrated for him. Yes, I'm being a good mom and hiding my worry from him. He doesn't need to know I'm worried, he already worries enough on his own! There is a correlation between lack of sleep and obesity in kids. I'm not letting him know that either. I'm just feeding him more veggies and offering to walk with him. We had a wonderful walk tonight -- wow is he great to talk to! I know it hurt him to hear from the doctor that he needs to lose weight, but it is true. He is a little overweight -- best to deal with it now before it becomes a bigger issue. Also, losing weight tends to help combat sleep apnea.

Losing weight and using the CPAP machine are the most conservative routes to remedy the issue. I'm all about taking the conservative route.

He has recently decided to quit tae kwon do (not a shock when he has proclaimed how he hates sweating). My poor son takes after me way too much. If only I could find a way to make him LOVE a good work out. He has brains and ability. I wish he had desire. Sports are not everything to us, it is just my opinion that having some kind of sport is good for kids. Developing teamwork and staying fit are great benefits if you ask me.

For now I will pray for Wonder Boy. I will push on adding a sport back in once we fix the sleep. For now I will just try to keep him active as best I can. I do not want him to have the same struggles in life that I have had. If I make exercise look fun maybe it will become fun for him. Between you and I though, I will admit that I too hate to sweat. SHHHH!!! Don't tell Wonder Boy!

(And yes, I have worked hard to convince Super Girl to be supportive of Wonder Boy despite the fact he is her annoying brother. She has promised not to tell him that a CPAP machine will suck and that it "sucks to be him." No, I don't like it when they talk like that. Yes, sometimes it is okay for me to talk like that! She promised to be supportive. Really.)

Oh! Thanks for the comments as I've contemplated my blog name here. It is good to get feedback. Sometimes I over analyze things... Yeah, really. ;-)