What is a normal amount of time to sleep?

[Lileesgram]

I seem to be averaging 5 -6 hours a night. Is that normal, do you find yourself sleeping more the longer you are on the Cpap therapy?

[ChicagoGranny]

How do you feel the next day?

What does the data show about the effectiveness of your therapy?

[jnk]

I seem to be averaging 5 -6 hours a night. Is that normal, do you find yourself sleeping more the longer you are on the Cpap therapy?

Written for the elderly, but good info for all, in my opinion:

Although the average is 8 hours some people need 7, some need 9.-- http://www.gmhfonline.org/gmhf/consumer ... sleep.html

Personally, I consider 6.5 or less to likely be a reflection of a problem and 10 or more to likely be a reflection of a problem. But the trick is not to make any problem worse by doing things that can compound the problem. And there are genetic exceptions to every rule of thumb, especially ones based on averages.

These statements/questions sound balanced to me:

It's important to pay attention to your own individual needs by assessing how you feel on different amounts of sleep. Are you productive, healthy and happy on seven hours of sleep? Or does it take you nine hours of quality ZZZs to get you into high gear? . . . Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day? Do you feel sleepy when driving? These are questions that must be asked before you can find the number that works for you. -- http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/ ... eally-need

[Sir NoddinOff]

To me the real question is how much 'real sleep' does one need:

Here's something I wrote a few months ago, I hope it proves helpful.

I find tidal volume in Sleepyhead very useful for one particular thing, that is, determining what my 'real sleep' time really is... as opposed to my tossing/turning, mental ruminations, ceiling gazing etc. Here's something I wrote for similar thread which I will cut and paste here (I don't know if this technique works with ResMed software, but I'd love someone to chime in about it):

"It would be a nice if Sleepyhead could easily tell when you are really asleep, but you can kind of kludge around it by highlighting on your Flow Graph with your cursor the area where you think you were sleeping. You can get a feel for your 'real sleep' segments by inspecting both the tidal volume and flow graphs together; things just look calmer and lower intensity when you're sleeping, except of course for the initial REM stages, which generally occur 90-120 minutes into real sleep. You'll see some clusters there, please leave these in because that is part of your real sleep data. There will also be some smaller clusters surrounded by calm periods throughout the last half of the night, these are also REM segments, so leave them in your selection. Once your done, scroll up to the top of SH (just above the flow rate graph) and you'll see the AHI calculated for only the segment you selected with your cursor. Box and calculate any other 'real sleep' areas you want to include, write them down, roughly average in your head or on paper and, voila, you'll have a decent idea of your real nights AHI, with the tossing and turning dropped out." QED

[Lileesgram]

Well, I am now sleeping 7 to 8 hours and feel pretty good. Not napping in the day like before. I am a little disappointed though, before I got on this therapy, everyone was telling me how much better their, husband, brother, mother etc. Felt after they got theirs. That they had so much more energy and they felt 200% etc. better.

Well, I do feel better, and am not napping, but I am not zipping around like I am supercharged or anything.

Also, I have a Chin Strap, the Pursom Ruby Adjustable one. I don't have it on really tight or anything, but in the morning it feels like the top of my skull is indented. I may just be imagining it, but I don't think so. Any ideas? Thanks so much

[lazer]

Personally, I seem to need about 8 - 9 hrs of sleep to feel my best.

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

Well, I am now sleeping 7 to 8 hours and feel pretty good. Not napping in the day like before. I am a little disappointed though, before I got on this therapy, everyone was telling me how much better their, husband, brother, mother etc. Felt after they got theirs. That they had so much more energy and they felt 200% etc. better.

Hi Lileesgram,

Something we all need to remind ourselves about (especially the newbie's) is SA/OSA and PAP treatment is (for almost all of us) a life long journey and not a sprint. I know that if nothing changes with the most common method of treatment I use, in my lifetime, that I will be using my machine, mask, and hose for my lifetime. Along the way there will be peaks and valleys, good nights and bad nights, but overall the journey will become more consistent, negative health effects from untreated SA/OSA improved, and the ability to have good restorative sleep will become more frequent.

John

[chunkyfrog]

Supercharged? not yet, not I. Maybe never.
But I feel stronger, smarter; less pain, happier.
a bit more endurance.
I don't think I feel "my age" any more.

[Burkebang]

Here is an interesting link that may give you some ansver

http://www.myzeo.com/sleep/sleepage

[ChicagoGranny]

Well, I am now sleeping 7 to 8 hours and feel pretty good. Not napping in the day like before. I am a little disappointed though, before I got on this therapy, everyone was telling me how much better their, husband, brother, mother etc. Felt after they got theirs. That they had so much more energy and they felt 200% etc. better.

Well, I do feel better, and am not napping, but I am not zipping around like I am supercharged or anything.

Also, I have a Chin Strap, the Pursom Ruby Adjustable one. I don't have it on really tight or anything, but in the morning it feels like the top of my skull is indented. I may just be imagining it, but I don't think so. Any ideas? Thanks so much

What does the data show about the effectiveness of your therapy?

[ChicagoGranny]

Here is an interesting link that may give you some ansver

http://www.myzeo.com/sleep/sleepage

She needs to look at the data from her CPAP before even considering Zeo.

A properly working CPAP has made a huge difference for millions of patients. Zeo's track record is nearly nil.

[Burkebang]

She needs to look at the data from her CPAP before even considering Zeo.

A properly working CPAP has made a huge difference for millions of patients. Zeo's track record is nearly nil.

Did you look at the link? You don't need a Zeo to use the sleep age calculator, you can very well use CPAP data though.

I was not suggesting she buy a Zeo.

Btw. Tests show that Zeo scores sleep as well as PSG techs, so I see no problem with any "track record"

[ChicagoGranny]

Tests show that Zeo scores sleep as well as PSG techs

Is that because Zeo is good or techs are bad?

[ChicagoGranny]

I was not suggesting she buy a Zeo.

I see no problem with any "track record"

I have to admit of having a bias against Zeo.

I don't think it gives you much bang for your burk.

[Burkebang]

Well, techs are good enough to base medical decisions on, so I guess they're good enough. That means Zeo is good enough also.

Why on earth would you have a bias against Zeo? Do you even have a Zeo? It really is a valuable tool for tracking the quality of our sleep.

I think my Zeo Mobile was great bang for my burks