Snoring

My dad is a snorer, and not just a light one: loud snores that wake you up. And long gaps before the next breath. Lots of talking in his sleep and slinging his arms

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I snore and I’m told I’m a “world-class” snorer. In 2016, I started going to a dentist who asked me if I snored. He wanted me to take a sleep test. I did and it showed I have sleep apnea. He told me that sleep apnea causes a loss of oxygen to the brain and that over time this can be a detriment to our mental processes. He wanted me to start using a “night guard” to keep my windpipe open while I slept and keep the oxygen flowing to my body and brain.

The light bulb went off in my head then: my dad has had a lifetime of low oxygen to his brain. Could that have been part of the cause of his behavior today? Certainly it could be a factor in his dementia.

I’ve had friends comment to me upon meeting my dad that “he’s weird,” or “he’s a kick!” Some laugh off his odd comments. They didn’t have to live with him, or be raised by him. It’s disturbing. But now, the focus is on the dementia, and helping mom who has had over 60 years dealing with this obsessive, controlling, demented man.