I stopped breathing more than 20 times every night - one change improved everything

Wales Online

15-07-2025

I stopped breathing more than 20 times every night - one change improved everything
Struggling with sleep can make your whole day a lot more difficult
I used to stop breathing more than 20 times a night then something changed my life
(Image: Ian Craig )
There are few things more important to your overall wellbeing than getting a good night's sleep. And nothing brings that into sharper focus than failing to achieve it.
It's something I've had problems with all my adult life — I dread to think how many hours I've spent staring at the ceiling into the wee small hours, completely unable to nod off despite being really tired. And when I eventually do manage to drift off, when my alarm goes off just a few hours later I feel no better than I did when I tucked myself in, and spend the rest of the day in a barely-conscious haze.
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I had a boss once who used to say there was little point in asking me to do something before midday. As for solutions, you name it, I've tried it. I can highly recommend an hour of non-screen time before bed, but having a nightcap before turning in only makes it harder to get up the next morning in my experience.
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After years of struggling I finally decided enough was enough and asked my GP to refer me to my local health board's sleep team. It took five years to get an appointment (the small matter of a global pandemic might have played a part in that) but I finally got to see a specialist late last year.
My lovely partner had told me I sometimes stop breathing when I'm asleep, and the health board's sleep team told me I'd stopped breathing no fewer than 22 times the night I was monitored, a condition known as sleep apnoea.
That sounds like a lot — and obviously it's not ideal — but apparently that's actually considered fairly mid-range when it comes to sleep apnoea. People with severe cases can stop breathing 30 times or more in a single night.
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I'd heard about CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines, but to the best of my knowledge I'd never actually seen one. It was a bit of a surprise then to be presented with a surprisingly modern-looking piece of kit - a sleek black box roughly the size of a breadbin, with a long hose attached to a silicon mask.
The machine fits nicely on my bedside table
(Image: Ian Craig )
The machine works by keeping your airways open by feeding pressurised air through the mask. The steady stream of air means your airways stay open and you don't stop breathing.
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On putting the mask on for the first time, my first thought was that I looked a bit like Bane from Batman film The Dark Knight Rises. Sadly I don't look like Tom Hardy when I take it off.
Nobody cared who I was until I put on the mask
(Image: Ian Craig )
There are quite a few settings on the machine to adjust, but ultimately it's really as simple as pressing a button to turn it on and off again when you wake up. I'm supposed to use it whenever I sleep, including if it's just a little afternoon nap — and it's surprising how quickly I got used to it.
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I expected I'd struggle to sleep with a mask strapped tightly to my face, but really I barely notice it. The only really jarring thing is if I wake up while it's on full blast and blowing a jet of pressurised air into my lungs — but there's a button on the machine to get it to release the pressure when that happens.
It's also nowhere near as loud as I expected. I'd anticipated something in the region of a jet engine next to my bed, but it's really not even as loud as a desk fan. That is, unless you take the mask off or the hose out while it's turned on, upon which it makes an alarmingly vicious sucking noise. Lesson learned.
It also has an optional compartment on the side which you can fill with about a mug-worth of boiled water, which keeps moisture in the air in blows into your lungs. There's also a handy app I can use to see how well I've slept each night, and it even sends data directly to the health board's sleep team. The wonders of modern technology.
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There's also an app I can use to monitor my breathing
(Image: Ian Craig )
But there's no getting away from the fact that it's not the most elegant piece of machinery in the world. With a mask strapped to my face with a long hose trailing from it, I can't help but be reminded of that bit in Alien when a face-hugger creature attaches itself to John Hurt. Thankfully my long-suffering partner claims not to mind.
But six months on, do I feel any different? To be honest: not really.
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I still wake up feeling barely rested — but the number of times I stop breathing in an average night is down from more than 20 to only two or three, which can only be a good thing. I'm told I'll have a follow-up appointment in two years, so perhaps I'll feel differently then.
What is sleep apnoea?
Sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts when you sleep, the NHS says.
Common symptoms include waking up a lot, loud snoring, and making gasping, snorting, or choking noises. During the day it can make you feel very tired and struggle to concentrate.
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Without treatment it can lead to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, and also increases the risk of having a stroke. There are also risks associated with tiredness, such as losing concentration while driving.
Causes involve obesity, smoking and drinking alcohol, having a large neck, and suffering with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. It is also more common in older people.
If you think you may be suffering with sleep apnoea, speak to your GP, who will be able to refer you to your local health board's sleep team.