Poor sleep wont stop this road-bound Island Health patient

Adrean Harris didn’t think she had a sleep problem. The 74-year-old La Connor resident wasn’t overweight and suffered from few of the underlying health problems usually associated with sleep disorders. But when her husband, George, reminded her that she snored and felt tired most of the time – even to the point of nodding off while driving – Harris asked her primary-care doctor to arrange an evaluation at Island Sleep Wellness Center.

“I was skeptical at first,” says Harris. “The staff hooks you up to all these sensors and then they assure you they’ll be watching you all night.” Harris didn’t think she’d drop off during the session, but she did, and was surprised to learn that she had awakened momentarily more than 30 times an hour while being monitored.

Diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Harris was fitted with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure mask (CPAP), a device that helps people with the condition breathe more easily. But she wondered whether she could tolerate wearing the device while sleeping.

Harris says she didn’t do very well the first couple of nights, but by the end of a week, she was feeling more rested than she had in a long time. “Dr. Reyna (the Sleep Wellness Center Medical Director) and other staff members made the whole process easy,” says Harris. “They understand that the sleep evaluation can be uncomfortable and they couldn’t have been more efficient and gracious. Now I’m sleeping with the CPAP through the night and feel rested during the day. I figure I’m good for another 20 years and 100,000 miles.”

Island Sleep Wellness Center is located at 1110 22nd St., Anacortes. For information and appointments call 360.299.8676.