The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more. ~Wilson Mizener

Or for Matthew at least 30 minutes of hitting the Snooze!

So, for those of you who know Matthew well, you know he has nasal problems. And sometimes the word "problems" doesn't really begin to describe his discomfort. He has what seems to be allergies all year. Yes, all year. It doesn't matter if flowers or trees are blooming. It can be freezing out, rain soaking the air and he is still dripping, yet not from the rain! It can be downright hot and dry and yet he is still dripping...constantly. But the nasal problems don't stop there.

There are problems with sleep too. Now, one might be quick to judge and say that of course there are going to be sleep problems, we have a baby in the house. But let me assure you, these problems started LONG before Sophia. For as long as Matthew and I have been married he has been the Loudest snorer ever. And to say that it is worse than my parents is saying a lot! (Sorry mom and dad, but it is true!) His snoring is so loud that I often move to the office to get some peace and quiet.

So between waking up with our little Sophia at night and trying to sleep with the log-saw-er I share a bed with, I finally convinced Matthew to see a specialist. We spoke with him tonight and he is certain that Matthew has severe allergies and sleep apnea. He wants to do some allergy testing, but obviously we want to wait until the allergy season is over to get an accurate test. But the part I am most interested in is the sleep test. Matthew will be staying overnight in their Sleep Lab to take part in a sleep test. During the test they will monitor his deep sleep, breathing, his heart rate, his blood pressure, etc. The Dr. described how sleep apnea effects the brain and it was so interesting. The apnea can often cause pauses in breathing due to the tongue blocking the air way. But the brain is so smart, (thank God for this amazing organ), that it never really rests for a person with apnea, instead, it works overtime making sure that you wake up and breathe again. Hence the high blood pressure, the headaches, the need to hit snooze about a zillion times before getting out of bed.

After recommending this test, we were given a tour of their Sleep Lab. If you were blind folded and brought into these rooms, you would never guess that you were in a place of business. The rooms have been set up exactly as a bedroom at home would be. The beds are big and so soft, and look just like staying at a friend's. To be honest, I looked at the room and thought to myself, "Oh, how I would love a night here. No interruptions, no crying baby, no snoring!" But I know Matthew and how difficult it is for him to sleep somewhere other than home. So keep him in your prayers. We're hoping to get some answers, and some relief!