don't worry to much about AHI and AI

[Ruby Vee]

Hi

Came back from the doctor as a follow-up appointment. I have been on CPAP for 4 months now. I have a mild form of sleep-apnea that does not affect my blood oxygen saturation. In my case he said that I should stop monitoring the AI and AHI numbers for the time being. He gave the following reasons that I understood this way:

1)The AHI and AI numbers the machine outputs are not completely exact and should be taken with a grain of salt. A correct measure of the AHI for instance also takes into account a drop of oxygen in the blood.

2)Sleep is a very evasive thing, the more you think about it, the more it becomes harder to do. Consequently he told me to stop worrying about any numbers related to measuring sleep (e.g AHI, AI and hours of sleep) and just going with how I feel.

He also gave me a few interesting pointers that I want to share

1) Only use your bed for sleep and intimacy
2) Always wake up and get out of bed at the same time every day (even on week-ends)
3) Avoid naps (although if practiced before 6:00 pm for no more than 1 hour, they can be quite healthy)
4) Before going to bed, take a hot bath or a cold drink to decrease body temperature
5) Melatonin can be a good sleep enhancer, take one 3mg tablet at 6:00 pm and then one hour before going to sleep
6) Avoid bright lights, computer screens and TV's after 7:00 pm
7) Try to manage the stresses in your life.

He also told me that the effects from long term sleep deprivation are reversible.

Thanks,
Christo

I'm very glad that the effects of long term sleep deprivation are reversible! But these sleep pointers always make my blood boil. I'm a critical care nurse; I work 12 hour, rotating shifts. Some days I have to be at work at 0700; other days I work from 1900 to 0700. There's no way to get out of bed at the same time every day, and avoiding naps is ludicrous when you're trying to change your body around from a daytime to a night time schedule or back again. Nor is there any way to avoid bright lights, computer screens or TVs in the 2-3 hours before bedtime unless I resign myself to a mere six hours (or less) of sleep per night. I'm sure I'm not the only shift worker on this board, am I?

[Kiralynx]

I'm very glad that the effects of long term sleep deprivation are reversible! But these sleep pointers always make my blood boil. I'm a critical care nurse; I work 12 hour, rotating shifts. Some days I have to be at work at 0700; other days I work from 1900 to 0700. There's no way to get out of bed at the same time every day, and avoiding naps is ludicrous when you're trying to change your body around from a daytime to a night time schedule or back again. Nor is there any way to avoid bright lights, computer screens or TVs in the 2-3 hours before bedtime unless I resign myself to a mere six hours (or less) of sleep per night. I'm sure I'm not the only shift worker on this board, am I?

Ruby Vee,

First, let me say that my hat's off to you and your sisters and brothers in the critical care field. My mom's 86, and has congestive heart failure, probably from untreated apnea.

Couple months ago, she was, for the second time in six months, in hospital... and I don't think she'd be doing as well as she is without her nurses.

The advice given there is "in an ideal world," which this isn't.

The advice definitely does not differentiate between people who study how their sleep is doing -- checking for mask leaks and other things which can interrupt sleep -- and people who worry about how their sleep is doing.

It presupposes regular work shifts and regular schedules. It assumes that people have time between getting off work and bed time to do everything they'd do if they were working only 8 hours.

It assumes that use of a computer or TV is stressful. It doesn't take into account people like me who have to lie down to read because it hurts too blinking much to sit up to do so!

In short, it assumes that a person has much more control over their daily environment than most of us actually do.

I know if I took 3 mg of melatonin at 6p and again around 9p, I'd be snoozing around the clock!

I think it's well-meant advice, and at least some of it may be worth working towards. But it fer shure ain't practical for most of us!

[christo]

Just passing on what the doctor told me. I thought it would be useful. I actually mentioned that my current job makes the implementation of these rules difficult. I won't repeat what his response was, but I will say that I had a first job interview in a long time, today...Less pay, my health is too important now.

I know the advice is for ideal situations, but it is medical advice. I can't change that, the doctor can't change that either.
Hopefully, labor laws can take into account the need for people to sleep and rest. Hopefully, our culture that values long hard working hours will change and start understanding that you can't be productive if you don't sleep, rest and take it easy. Something's gotta give...

[christo]

By the way, I do have sleep apnea or Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome to be exact and it's taken a serious toll. I too have to sleep with this hose every night. I am actually glad I have caught it this early. My father waited 30 years and he now has serious heart problems as a result, not too mention all the psychological troubles he has had because of sleep deprivation.

Also in Canada, I don't pay for a doctor. It's all waiting lists, and because there is a shortage of doctors, and I am still relatively healthy, I had to fight to get a sleep study.

[ozij]

Thank you for posting that advice, christo.
I have no doubt there are many people who can benefit from it. Shift working is known to wreak havoc with people's sleep patterns - but that advice may be useful for people who do not work shifts.

As for "don't worry too much about AHI and AI": I've seen many people on this forum through the years who were obsessed by their numbers, to the point of having that obsession disturb their ability to sleep. When our brain is constantly bothered by: "How am I sleeping now? What's my AHI now? Is my machine set up properly? Is my machine working properly? Is this a significant leak?" - we can't sleep.

Obsessing about anything can disrupt your sleep, and some people do have to be reminded that sleep is meant for relaxation - and that letting go of all those waking concerns is necessary to let us slip into sleep.

O.