h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've recently been diagnosed with sleep apnoea. People are surprised to learn that there is a sleep clinic on the Isle of Man.
My husband noticed that I appeared to stop breathing in my sleep - this in addition to very loud snoring.
I am suffering from depression so my quality of life is not too good, but more recently I have spent much of my waking hours asleep!
I was given an oximeter to use over night - this is a clip which goes on your finger, with an attached monitor which is about the size of a stop-watch and goes on your wrist. All you do is switch the monitor on when you go to bed at night, switch it off when you get up, and hand it back to the hospital. The machine monitors your blood oxygen and pulse. They look for a drop of oxygen of 4% - that is, your usual level is 100% so 96% of that or less.
I have been told that I stop breathing 55 times an hour. This astonished me, as did finding out that I do it through the whole of the night.
Information on CPAP treatment to follow...