Do I need a refer a referral from my pcp to get tested for sleep apnea? I suspect I have it.
Yes, but if you tell him/her your concerns, they can get you set up with a study. If they blow you off , you need a new doctor.
So back story to how I got tested. Both my parents have sleep apnea, dad was the first to get diagnosed and how he was diagnosed was largely coincidence. He had went in for a scheduled colonoscopy, and when he woke up after being put under, he made a comment to the anesthesiologist that he felt great and asked how long he had been out. Turns out he was only out for ~ 30 minutes, but he would have swore he was asleep for hours. This lead the anesthesiologist to ask him a few questions and ultimately an appointment with the sleep clinic.
I remember growing up that dad would fall asleep at the kitchen tables on Sundays while reading the paper and eating breakfast. Driving in the afternoon with him behind the wheel became an adventure. While these situations are more related to narcolepsy, narcolepsy is a symptom of sleep apnea in that your body and brain are not getting the deep REM downtime needed to recharge, and your body will try to find other opportunities for you to get your rest.
This ultimately lead to me getting tested. I knew I wasn’t getting a good sleep, but I figured that it was just part of getting older and being a parent. I would wake up and feel like I hadn’t slept a bit. On good days I would feel somewhat rested, but have a feeling of being in a brain fog, which was very weird. I didn’t have enough energy to exercise, I ate more than I should to find a replacement for the lost energy, which leads to other issues, and so on.
This speaks to the power and importance of sleep and it is a shame that it isn’t more widely publicized.