Did you know that March is National Sleep Awareness Month? I never knew such a thing existed. It seems like we have a day for everything.....but a whole month dedicated to improving sleep just goes to show you how important it is to our daily lives.

This article pretty much sums it up: "National Sleep Awareness Month, a perfect time to reflect on how much sleep you're getting. Sleep is crucial for your health in many ways because it affects brain function, energy levels during the day, hormonal balance, and the ability for the body to repair itself."

Maybe I just noticed National Sleep Awareness Month for the first time because I've been paying a bit more attention to my own sleep recently. In the last 6 months I've taken an in-home sleep study, an overnight sleep study at a facility, and had to start using a CPAP machine for sleeping at night. I'm not going to lie - I hate using it! Although it's not as bad as it was the first couple of weeks, it's a pain and limits my mobility at night.

My wife told me for years that I snored. I shrugged it off most of the time. She started telling me more and more that it seemed like it was getting worse so I decided to use my phone to record myself sleeping. I was shocked to hear that I pretty much snored all night.....and it was LOUD! I told my doctor about my snoring and he suggested the sleep study.

The first night I had 77 "episodes" per hour. The next night was 100! I still don't know all the details but they said those numbers weren't good and placed me in the "severe" category when it comes to sleep apnea. They said it was good that I was addressing the issue because sleep apnea can lead to issues like high blood pressure, increased risks of heart attacks and strokes, and a better chance of heart disease.

The point of sharing my story is that if you think you have a snoring issue - and you think it's "just snoring" - it could be something that leads to some pretty serious health issues down the line. And I guess there's no better time to take the first step in getting your sleep habits checked out than National Sleep Awareness Month. **Just make sure you see what your insurance covers first!**

Learn more about National Sleep Awareness Month and see some tips on how to achieve a better night's rest HERE.

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