Several Arousals During Night

[toddl1962]

I have several arousals during the night (every 1.5 to 2 hours) and each time I remember dreaming vivdly. This happens unless I take a sleep aid like AmbienCR (unless I still have them and don't remember). My AHI during the initial sleep study was 20, desat 85%. Machine shows AHI at 3.2. Is it possible I could be having clusters of events during REM sleep waking me up and causing me to remember dreams? I go back Sept 1 for a followup and started CPAP on June 9. I had a somewhat slow adjustment period but I'm comfy with the equipment now.

I will say when I take AmbienCR and use CPAP I feel pretty good the following day. I do have problems with insomnia also (which prompted my initial sleep clinic visit).

Thanks!

[toddl1962]

Oh yeah, I don't have the viewer software, just reading the data screens from the machine right now. I may invest in the card reader and software after my follow-up visit.

[Pugsy]

Did you reset your machines averages so that you only get one night of data? Otherwise you are seeing "averages" on the LED screen?

Yes, it is possible that the events occur in REM sleep in groupings that are significant enough to cause arousals.
Without the software, hard to say for sure what is going on but it could happen.

If you didn't know about resetting the averages to zero each night to get one night of data, this is how it is done.

To reset LCD Therapy data (does NOT erase any data from SmartCard):

1. Hold down the (<-) (->) buttons while plugging in the power on the back,
wait for 2 beeps or 5 seconds, release buttons.
2. Press the (->) key and navigate to Therapy screen.
3. Press and HOLD down the (-) minus key for 5 seconds and/or until therapy data is reset to Zero.
4. Press the (->) key to scroll back to main menu, press (+) key to enter Setup or
On/Off button to exit.

[toddl1962]

Thanks Pugsy. Another interesting tidbit is that if I take at least .5mg clonazepam sometimes I can go 3 or 4 hours without waking. Since clonazepam can reduce REM sleep this might make sense. I try to take the clonazepam only occaasianally and I typically use only .25 or .125mg of it just to help with sleep initiation but when I first started with CPAP I used more.

[Pugsy]

Bear in mind that arousals or awakenings can happen from any number of causes. For me I have some discomfort issues unrelated to OSA that tend to keep me from sleeping deeply and I tend to toss and turn and wake often.

I have had frequent awakenings and have the software data that shows no particular pattern to very rare events so I don't think that REM events are the sole culprit.

In other words I can have excellent data showing but still have very fragmented sleep and thus not restorative sleep and still feel much less than optimal in the mornings. Even if I didn't have OSA, this would still be a potential problem for me and very much affect how I feel.

[toddl1962]

I don't have pain issues like you, so if the analysis of the data does not show a pattern I'm going to press my sleep doc to continue investigating other reasons for my poor sleep. I've always been a "light" sleeper (whatever that means). I have ordered the Encore software and card reader in order to analyze my own data. I can't stand it, I'm an engineer and I need to do the analysis myself. I find it fascinating. I just wish it weren't happening to me. I really am comfortable with the CPAP so I'm pretty sure that the CPAP itself it not the cause of my awakenings. I have removed the mask on occasion and still have the arousals. I have a 6-week sleep diary I have been keeping in Excel. I wonder what the Dr will do if I walk in their with plots and statistical correlations? haha. He will probably tell me I'm obsessing and that is why I can't sleep!

[toddl1962]

"their" should have been "there". See what sleep deficit does!