Help me understand sleep study results

Hi, 9 days of cpap and finally saw my sleep study report. Had to ask for it. I won't get to discuss it with doc for another 4 weeks, so there are a few things I'm hoping someone here can help me with.

Explanation of each of these:
Sleep efficiency 93%
Sleep latency 4 min
Latency to REM 76 min
41 spontaneous arousals

Stage 1 comprised 7% total sleep time, stage 2 70%, slow wave sleep 9%, and stage REM 15%. (Curious what percent should be spent in each of these)

129 apneas plus hypopneas were scored for an AHI of 20 per hour (I understand that part) with a REM apnea-hypopneas index of 71 per hour ( so most of my bad stuff happens during REM, I take it). Mean duration was 20 seconds with 4% being obstructive apneas, 96% hypopneas ( I understand that. Is it significant in some way in regards to my treatment?)

There were 124 respiratory arousals for a respiratory arousal index of 20 per hour ( how is this related to AHI?)
My baseline and mean O2 sats were 98 and 95% respectively with desaturation to 85%.
No abnormalities with leg movement.

Ok, so you can see my wonderings inserted above. I am mostly wondering what stands out in this report as good and what stands out as bad! I have an auto cpap with current range set for 6-15. I have yet to feel refreshed from using it, but I know it's early. Some mornings are better than others.

Thank you!

RobySue has a really good write up on understanding what you see on the sleep study report.
http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... -test.html
Read what she says and then if you have something that needs further explanation just ask.

The fact that the bulk of your AHI is hyponea doesn't change the therapy or treatment.
Obstructive apneas need an at least an 80% reduction in air flow lasting for at least 10 seconds.
Hyponeas need at least 40 (sometimes 50 depending on the machine brand) % up to the 80% that last at least 10 seconds.
Treatment is the same though...and other than the name of the flag a 75% reduction in air flow lasting 10 seconds isn't really all that different from one that was 80 % reduction.

What I'm most aware of in my report is the low percentage of slow wave sleep. I think that probably does a lot to explain why I feel so crappy. Hoping my cpap therapy helps increase this.

When you have a lot of arousals (you may or may not remember them) from the sleep apnea events the normal progression of the sleep cycles gets all messed up so you end up short on some of the deeper levels.
Hopefully when your OSA is effectively treated that will allow your body to be able to have the nice normal progression of the sleep stages in the needed percentages.

My OSA is like yours...worse in REM. For that reason I wasn't getting much REM because as soon as I would get to REM the apnea events started happening fast and furious and it would bounce me out of REM and I would have to start over with the cycles.

Now some medications will also affect the various sleep stages so if you are taking any medications you might read up on them and how they might impact sleep to see if meds are a possible factor. Not necessarily the whole factor but maybe a part.

Good restorative sleep in the "normal" progression and amount of each stage isn't always so easy to get and there's more to it than just an AHI number. The AHI part of things...that's relatively easy to do but the other stuff can take some work sometimes for some people.

Thanks for responses!
My data so far with cpap shows a lot of events around 1:30-2 am. I already knew that was when my snoring was the worst, thanks to my SleepCycle app. I assume that is a period of REM sleep. So far I am still waking up during all of this, so I think it'll take some tweaking, fine-tuning, and patience to get it so I can get that deeper sleep and not keep waking up.

Get the software and see for sure what is going on. You might be like me and need quite a bit more pressure in REM to deal with those stubborn REM events.
https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment

Oh yeah, I've been checking Sleepyhead daily. Haven't successfully posted any of it yet but will try again after my vacation. It typically shows a cluster of events, the pressure going up, and me waking up, all in succession. Around 1:30-2am.

You may need a little more minimum pressure to better hold the airway open so the pressure doesn't have to go so far during probable REM.
Sometimes as little as 1 or 2 cm more will get the job done quite nicely. The machine just needs a little better head start to get to where it needs to a little faster and better prevent the airway from trying to close in the first place instead of trying to play catch up and fix things after the fact.

Yes, I'll try that. I went up to 6 from 5 where it was set. I'll try 7 and see what I think.
Is it correct that on the exhale the pressure drops by 3 if I have the flex setting on 3? I read that somewhere and was thinking of changing that too. I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow and am not sure I want to tinker with things right now. Fear of making them worse, I guess. Don't love the way I feel now, but sure don't want to feel worse!

Actually with Respiroinics Flex relief the amount of reduction during exhale isn't a straight per cm per setting like it is with the ResMed EPR exhale relief.
With Respironics the amount of flow reduction is base on air flow so essentially how forcefully a person breathes but the most reduction anyone can get is 2 at the setting of 3. Flex doesn't even turn on until the setting is at least 6 cm.
I wouldn't go changing things immediately prior to a trip unless there was some urgent need and it doesn't sound like you have anything urgent going on. Wait till you get back.

Try all 3 Flex settings while awake and not under the stress of trying to go to sleep and pick the one that feels more natural and more comfortable to you and use it no matter what the number is. Flex is more of a timing of the reduction during exhale as it is with the amount of reduction. The timing is very important.

what is the 90/95% pressure? with dreamstation I would start with the min pressure 2cm below that. They are a very slow to react machine for most people.

Good advice, Pugsy. Thank you!