AHI related to how you feel the next day?

[CollegeGirl]

Okay, in the interest of being even more proactive in my health, I've kept a log (a journal of sorts) for the last month, recording bed time, wake time, total time asleep, any breaks in sleep (bathroom trips or "short sessions" recorded in my data), AHI, OAI, HI, snore index, mask leak %, 90% pressure, how I felt upon awakening, how I felt after my shower, how I felt after 4 hrs awake, 8 hrs awake, 12 hrs awake, and 16 hrs awake, what my energy level in general was that day, and my sleepiness level on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being falling asleep in class). And here's what I have learned:

Absolutely nothing. *Sigh.* It seems that how I feel the next day is completely unrelated to the data I get from the night before. I've had nights where my AHI is 0.2, and the next day I've felt awful, whereas I've had nights where my AHI was 1.7, and I felt 10x better that day than usual (and that's a very high AHI for me).

Anyone have ANY ideas as to what could be going on? Shouldn't my AHI from the previous night at least somehow reflect how I feel the next day?

[neversleeps]

....And here's what I have learned:

Absolutely nothing. *Sigh.* It seems that how I feel the next day is completely unrelated to the data I get from the night before? Shouldn't my AHI from the previous night at least somehow reflect how I feel the next day?

I am like you. I cannot feel the difference between a night at .02 and even 5.2! I think that is probably the case for most people. However, having said that, someone will undoubtedly come along and say they can definitely feel the difference between 0.2 and 1.7, (which would be hard to believe... probably more psychological than physical at such a small difference!!!)

Keep in mind that an AHI of less than 5 is considered good. You don't even get diagnosed with OSA unless it's at least 5.0. Out there in the world the folks without sleep apnea could be fluctuating between 0.0 and 4.9 nightly too!)

[mikemoran]

I don't see any difference either. What I do see a difference from is how many times I woke up during the night. The more often I fiddle with the mask the lousier I feel the next day. So my goal has been to try and ingnore any interruptions during the night and let the AHI and leak rate fall where they may during the night.

[Sleepless on LI]

I agree, the AHI probably doesn't have much to do with it other than mentally. But if you think of the fact there are 60 minutes in an hour and we are usually talking about the difference between waking 5 times an hour to 1 or 2 times an hour, rather than a difference between an AHI of 25 to 4 or so, that may be why.

I learned the hard way not to worry too much about the numbers and I really don't anymore. I don't care if auto gives me a 1.3 and cpap gives me a 0.3. Big deal. I keep my machine on auto now because it makes the therapy that much easier to take, less side effects. If you're feeling good, that's what counts. The data is more for correcting situations that may need correcting, such a perhaps a high leak rate, and being able to see perhaps what those things are rather than a gauge to assess how you feel. You feel how you feel, regardless of what numbers are telling you.

I hope you are feeling well most of the time, regardless of a high or low AHI.

[Swordz]

So for those of you that feel no difference from a 5 AHI, to a ~0 AHI, is it that you are possibly literally peaking your results you'll see?

I see so many people on TAS who try to reach the "0 AHI Club" [(of which I'm not a member, but I can help with admission ], when they probably don't realize its not just numbers, but how you feel. The guys on TAS are quite innovative in thier attempts to get off CPAP and so forth.

But numbers are numbers if you are not feeling better. Im so anxious to get my dental device and get it titrated. I know will will not get my AHI to 0 with how severe my apnea is, but I just wanna feel better!

I so dream of the day I wake up and don't feel groggy, and don't wanna go to bed. You hoseheads make me so jealous!!!

[neversleeps]

I guess I don't expect anyone would feel much difference between 0 and 5 based upon my experience.

The crucial point is that I am in that range (0-5), while on CPAP. Without CPAP it would be 30something.

So a 0.0 AHI is of little importance to me. Under 5, and I'm just like a person who isn't diagnosed with OSA!!

[george45]

I have also kept a log for 2 months and have noticed no difference whether I am on cpap or not or whether I am on it for 8 hours or 2. At least before cpap I had some pretty good days. Now I am tired every day. My apnea is mild and i would urge anyone with mild apnea to think twice about starting this therapy.

[barbyann]

The numbers that count are also BP (mine was reduce sharply) and weight loss (seems to be going down steadily since starting PAP). I also do not "feel better" since starting treatment but my cardiologist is thrilled.

[CollegeGirl]

Hmm, okay. Thanks to all who've responded so far. I've never had an AHI over 1.9 on any given night, but I've definitely had many, many problems with severe daytime drowsiness and grogginess. I've only had three days since I started this treatment where I felt alert and awake (but that's three more than I had prior to the treatment). I guess it's not the treatment, then, but possibly just the problems I've had with the interface? Or maybe there's something else going on.

Last night I *finally* got my mask and my CPAP pillow adjusted properly, I think (after MONTHS of trial and error). I only woke up once during the night with pain from the mask (where the mask meets my forehead), and only woke up once with a leak. For me, that's INCREDIBLE. Still, the mask is leaving lines on my face that don't go away for hours and hours, so I know it's not fitting properly still. I"m still trading it in first chance I get. But at least I have a chance at being semi-comfortable until that happens.

And with the pillow, I finally figured out how to sleep on it so that it doesn't block my vents but still supports my head. Thoguh I noticed fewer leaks, my leak rate was higher last night, which I'm thinking is a good thing (since I was concerned my leak rate wasn't anywhere near what my VFR for my mask was supposed to be). It's much closer to where it should be now. Yay! Maybe there's light at the end of the tunnel after all.

[WAFlowers]

CollegeGirl, I don't know if it'll help but I'm going to relate what has been happening with me recently.

I started CPAP therapy over 2 months ago and was one of those few fortunate who felt instant and enormous relief. I also had absolutly no difficulty adjusting to this as a lifestyle with 100% compliance from day one (OK, one time I fell asleep in a chair early on when I was unwell, but my son woke me and told me to put my mask on, so I'm only 99.9% compliant.)

People here were thinking I was the golden standard for treatment and both my GP and SS called me the poster child for CPAP.

After a couple of weeks of amazing recovery I thought I'd plateaued, but later I realized I'd only slowed down my progress to a slow-and-steady pace of improvement. I was happy.

Then the past few nights I've had absolutly miserable nights sleep with lots and LOTS and LOTS of arousals! I haven't a clue what is going on. My AHI is low, so I know that isn't the problem.

However, despite 3 nights in a row of the worst sleep I can remember, ever (I really can't remember my apneic sleep pre-CPAP, but my memory over the 12+ months pre-treatment is swiss cheese anyway) and feeling rather draggy, I realize that my mind is clear and reasonably alert although I'm feeling a bit tired.

So, I guess CPAP is working for me. If it wasn't I'd be a zombie at this point. My long-winded point is that it is possible to have a bad night of sleep despite getting good treatment. I figure the treatment is allowing me to survive the bad nights and keep on going.

I just hope that after Wilma passes by and the cold front moves in (no more air conditioner!) I'll finally be able to sleep better. Hmmm ... I wonder if Wilma (the storm, not my wife of the same name and same birthday) is the cause of my sleep problems?