Oxygen level below 90% for 1/2 hr during the night

[mechanicalguy]

During my sleep study, the oxygen level was below 90% for 5 % of the sleeping time ( or about 25 minutes during the night)
The lowest it went was 69%.
How bad is this.

If you can comment on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the worst)
Thanks in advance

[Alicia41964]

Well, Mechanicalguy, I don't want to alarm you, instead I'd like to educate you, hun. ANYTIME the 02 levels in the body go below 90% is not good. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give this a 7ish. You're lucky that it was only for 5% of your sleeping time. Mine was @ 53% for almost half the night. I am using 2 liters of oxygen bled into my machine nightly. Have you seen your sleep doc for the f/u post sleep study or did the tech tell you this? Don't be surprised if your doc prescribes oxygen at night while you sleep. The body requires atleast a rate of 90 % in order for all of the baseline functions to continue without issues(s). Lower oxygen levels mean that your resistance can be lower, your cognition/thinking ability/memory retention will most likely be aversely affected as well. Don't be afraid if the doc orders the oxygen. I was scared at first but it really does help. Our entire body is based on good oxygenation, hun. Most providers will tell you that the "norm" for oxygenation is approximately 93 to 100%. Bear in mind that many people never achieve 100%. But getting that 69% increased should be a goal for you. Best of luck and hope you achieve success with your CPAP.

[Lizistired]

What were the other results of your study? Do you know your AHI?
Obstructive or central apneas?
I would consider 69% a 10 for me. Especially if it continued for any length of time.
CPAP should resolve the low O2 by eliminating the apneas. That's the purpose of the titration.
If you have a data capable machine you can check for yourself.
Many of us use recording oximeters to check overnight O2 levels.
You should be able to tell if it's working by the way you feel, if you adapt to it well.