I thought I was exhausted by being a single, middle-aged parent. I learned sleep apnea was the culprit.

The author learned she had obstructive sleep apnea, and sleeping with a CPAP machine helped her feel much more rested. Courtesy of Amber Campbell For years, I blamed my fatigue on age, stress, and single parenting. Then a sleep apnea diagnosis helped me understand why I never felt rested. Once I felt rested, I realized I'd been making decisions through the fog of chronic exhaustion. As a 48-year-old single mom working full-time and raising two teenagers in Seattle, one of America's most expensive cities, I was exhausted. I'd recently represented myself in a prolonged divorce and custody case, was struggling to make a living as a freelance communications consultant, and worried constantly about how to pay the bills. I desperately wanted to improve my circumstances, but I was just too tired. I felt overwhelmed, with no way out, when all I wanted to do was nap.