“I have sleep apnea and acid reflux problems. As much as I love eating, I just don’t eat that much because it keeps me from sleeping. If I overeat, that means I’ll be up all night coughing or puking. I try to limit it to 2 meals a day. Going to bed hungry is a good trick to sleep well. I got insomnia when I was a kid, so at a young age I developed this horrible sleep cycle that interferes with me now. I had a sleep study done and they told me, for my age, I have the worst sleep apnea. I stop breathing every 12 seconds for like 3 seconds. They gave me a CPAP machine and I used that for 6 months but I couldn’t sleep with the mask on. I would wake up in the middle of the night and throw it off my face. I kick in my sleep. I talk in my sleep. My doctors said I don’t fall in a deep sleep so I wake up exhausted all the time. They said if I could get the CPAP to work that would be good but I wasn’t using it enough because I would always take it off and if you don’t use it 3-4 hours a night insurance doesn’t cover it, so I gave it back and I just deal with it now. It affects my energy. I’m dragging most days. Every once in a while I’ll have a good night where I sleep good but that’s never more than 2 days in a row. The lack of sleep affects me the most. I have a bad neck, a bad back and bad ankles but the sleeping issue is the hardest. Not being able to sleep really takes away my energy. I’d like to think I will become more proactive. I have goals to get healthier. I wouldn’t mind becoming a biker or a runner. I bet working out would help my sleep apnea. It’s usually the bad days I overeat or where I’m sitting at home when I sleep the worst. When I’m moving, performing on stage or swimming and being active with my kid, I sleep better. More than ever, I just want to show my daughter positive health activities and practices.”