Incest Survivors Support Group
Incest refers to any sexual activity between closely related persons that is illegal or socially taboo. Consensual adult incest is very rare. Incest between adults and prepubescent or adolescent children is a form of child sexual abuse that has been shown to be one of the most extreme forms of childhood trauma. If you or a loved one is a survivor of incest, join the group...
The University in the City of Tucson where I live was asking for volunteers for a sleep study. I decided to join the study. I filled out all the paperwork and went for the in-person interview. Then they sent me home with instruments to measure my sleep patterns since they were screening out volunteers who had sleep apnea.
"Sleep apnea is a disorder (that can be potentially life threatening) in which you have pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. This can happen more than 100 times a night which makes it hard to get any sleep at all."
Surprise! I was dropped from the study because I had sleep apnea and never knew it. Yes, I'd wake up from sleep still feeling a bit tired and in fact had only experienced waking up feeling refreshed one time in my life.
But, the thing that bothered me the most was not just discovering I had this condition but attributing my poor sleep patterns and growing fatigue each year to my childhood trauma experiences.
I have no doubt that many survivors experience poor sleep as a direct result of the trauma. And now, I believe that there may also be physiological reasons for poor sleep and just want to alert others to this possibility.
"Untreated sleep apnea has been linked to obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes...."
I certainly have mixed feelings about posting this since I know all of us are not in a financial position to get this checked out, but that part of me who hopes this may be of help to someone won out.
I know I have not been too vocal this past year because of community responsibilities, but I have continued to log on to see how people are doing and responding when I could and felt I had something to say.
Stay the course because a thriving life is possible.
You all share my space.
xx
SuzA
"Sleep apnea is a disorder (that can be potentially life threatening) in which you have pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. This can happen more than 100 times a night which makes it hard to get any sleep at all."
Surprise! I was dropped from the study because I had sleep apnea and never knew it. Yes, I'd wake up from sleep still feeling a bit tired and in fact had only experienced waking up feeling refreshed one time in my life.
But, the thing that bothered me the most was not just discovering I had this condition but attributing my poor sleep patterns and growing fatigue each year to my childhood trauma experiences.
I have no doubt that many survivors experience poor sleep as a direct result of the trauma. And now, I believe that there may also be physiological reasons for poor sleep and just want to alert others to this possibility.
"Untreated sleep apnea has been linked to obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes...."
I certainly have mixed feelings about posting this since I know all of us are not in a financial position to get this checked out, but that part of me who hopes this may be of help to someone won out.
I know I have not been too vocal this past year because of community responsibilities, but I have continued to log on to see how people are doing and responding when I could and felt I had something to say.
Stay the course because a thriving life is possible.
You all share my space.
xx
SuzA
Hi, I am new and wanted to let you know that this information is very helpful. As you stated, I agree that most of us probably have sleep problems. It may be something that a lot of us may need to look into. If one can't afford the tests for it, maybe the sleeping apps on phones can help as I know that they monitor sleep as well. By doing that, they may have some idea on whether or not they need to seek medical help.
BG