I fell sleepy almost everyday, despite good AHI.

[king_alvaro]

I feel tire almost everyday, despite good AHI.

Everyday that I work I wake up at 5 AM. I usually go to bed at 9 PM. I sleep around 8 hours. I fall asleep within 10 minutes max. My AHI in the morning is usually from 0.2 - 0.8. I bought a Zeo, my usual score is from 85-105. I dont understand why I am tired most of the time despite seeing good numbers everywhere. I always try to aim for 8 hours of sleep. My Zeo shows that I am sleeping pretty good.

I am a nurse and I have a hard time working with patients. I feel like I dont want to work. Then there is other days, which is like 1 or 2 days of the week. That I feel great and feel alot of energy and willing to work extended hours. On those days I also get similar hours of sleep, AHI and a good zeo score. I know other people here would envy an AHI of 0.2, but that means nothing to me.

Why could this be happening?

[kteague]

Without knowing what possible contributors to your tiredness have you already ruled out, I'll start off a list of some we hear about a lot...

Thyroid dysfunction, cardiac problems, anemia, diabetes, medication side effect, nutritional deficiencies, other sleep disorders.

How does your sleep quality seem to be? Is there any reason to suspect limb movements during sleep? Not that I have your answers. Just hoping talking it through might give you some clarity where to look first.

[Phil_in_CA]

Since I feel very strongly about this, I have to add... stress!

My mother was a nurse, and she had such stress from work! I was a teacher for decades and I can tell you that stress really messed with my sleep and my health.

Hang in there, as some say that it takes time for our bodies to adjust to CPAP and how it helps us. Rebuilding can take time. Be gentle with yourself and try to relax, it will help.

[DougalMcDougal]

I listened to this podcast interview with a sleep specialist today

http://sypark.audioacrobat.com/deluge/b ... 6e9d3c.mp3

They discuss the issue of fully compliant cpap users that feel worse after CPAP despite good AHI

The expert suggests that this is often due to patients using full face masks instead of nasal masks, people who are mouth breathers or people using inappropriate CPAP pressures (usually too high apparently)

[Jade]

They discuss the issue of fully compliant cpap users that feel worse after CPAP despite good AHI

The expert suggests that this is often due to patients using full face masks instead of nasal masks, people who are mouth breathers or people using inappropriate CPAP pressures (usually too high apparently)

Just wondering...does he address the situation of:
• full compliance
• excellent AHI
• nasal mask
• no mouth breathing
• sleep study-confirmed pressure
• machine tested for giving correct pressure

[DougalMcDougal]

No I don't think he does

[Sheriff Buford]

How long have you been on cpap therapy? It takes time to recover from the time, possibly years, of the abuse sleep apnea causes. Sometimes I have "sleepy" days. Yesterday was one of them. I napped on the recliner... then masked up and took an hour nap in the bed. My wife asked me what was wrong... so she noticed. Today I feel refreshed, and ready to go. Bout' to fry some turkey.... "Turkey... I'm coming for you!!"..... I wouldn't worry about it if it's only one day. Do you feel this way every day?

Sheriff

[avi123]

I feel tire almost everyday, despite good AHI.

Everyday that I work I wake up at 5 AM. I usually go to bed at 9 PM. I sleep around 8 hours. I fall asleep within 10 minutes max. My AHI in the morning is usually from 0.2 - 0.8. I bought a Zeo, my usual score is from 85-105. I dont understand why I am tired most of the time despite seeing good numbers everywhere. I always try to aim for 8 hours of sleep. My Zeo shows that I am sleeping pretty good.

I am a nurse and I have a hard time working with patients. I feel like I dont want to work. Then there is other days, which is like 1 or 2 days of the week. That I feel great and feel alot of energy and willing to work extended hours. On those days I also get similar hours of sleep, AHI and a good zeo score. I know other people here would envy an AHI of 0.2, but that means nothing to me.

Why could this be happening?

Reply,

Please check the link, at my signature line, to a report about the AHI's number being useless to diagnose sleep disorders.

Almost 20% of XPAP users suffer from Residual Excessive Sleepiness (RES) during the day time. If you exclude Depression and Resless legs, this number drops by half.
This is the nature of the beast.

[archangle]

I feel tire almost everyday, despite good AHI.

Everyday that I work I wake up at 5 AM. I usually go to bed at 9 PM. I sleep around 8 hours. I fall asleep within 10 minutes max. My AHI in the morning is usually from 0.2 - 0.8.

If you know your AHI, you must not have an S9 Escape machine. What does it say next to the power button?

Please check the link, at my signature line, to a report about the AHI's number being useless to diagnose sleep disorders.

I think that particular article sensationalized the limitations of AHI. A high AHI probably indicates real problems. A low AHI doesn't necessarily mean all is well. I suspect there's also a problem because they're talking about checking AHI in an overnight $leep $tudy in a $$$leep lab, not AHI from a CPAP machine.

However, the point is well taken that AHI isn't a perfect judge of treatment effectiveness. I find I feel much better if I crank my pressure up a few points above where my AHI bottoms out.

[avi123]

I feel tire almost everyday, despite good AHI.

Everyday that I work I wake up at 5 AM. I usually go to bed at 9 PM. I sleep around 8 hours. I fall asleep within 10 minutes max. My AHI in the morning is usually from 0.2 - 0.8.

If you know your AHI, you must not have an S9 Escape machine. What does it say next to the power button?

Please check the link, at my signature line, to a report about the AHI's number being useless to diagnose sleep disorders.

I think that particular article sensationalized the limitations of AHI. A high AHI probably indicates real problems. A low AHI doesn't necessarily mean all is well. I suspect there's also a problem because they're talking about checking AHI in an overnight $sleep $study in a $$$sleep lab, not AHI from a CPAP machine.

However, the point is well taken that AHI isn't a perfect judge of treatment effectiveness. I find I feel much better if I crank my pressure up a few points above where my AHI bottoms out.

comment,

My Sleep MD who is a collegue of dr. David Rapoport (of NY Medical School) says that as long as the AHIs stay below 20 to 25 then measues should be taken to reduce it, however if they are above 20 then an aggrassive approach should be taken immediately to finding the reasons behind it.

During my first year of CPAPING two years age I was on S9 Elite and I had a rough time getting improvement here b/c of listening to posters giving me conflicting tips about raising or lowering pressures or doing this or that. This was b/c the optimal CPAP pressure that I got from asleep study of 5 t0 7 cm was wrong, This was too low to treat my OAs ans they averaged to above 20. At that point I decided to convince my SLEEP MD to give me an Rx for an S9Autoset, for which I agreed to pay cash and not bother Medicare again. Well, using the S9 on APAP immediately resolved my problem be showing an optimal pressure of around 12 cm at a 95%. After changing the FF masks to the present one I could not believe the imorovement in treatmant that I have achieved, and the AHI dropped to below 5 ever since.

[archangle]

My Sleep MD who is a collegue of dr. David Rapoport (of NY Medical School) says that as long as the AHIs stay below 20 to 25 then measues should be taken to reduce it, however if they are above 20 then an aggrassive approach should be taken immediately to finding the reasons behind it.

I'll also add that a human being should look at the airflow waveform graphs. If you have 20 apneas that are 120 seconds long in one hour during the night, you'll get an AHI of under 3. You're probably a lot worse off than someone who has 20 apneas of 11 seconds long every hour.

AHI is useful, but it's not a substitute for a real look at your data.

[RogerSC]

Reply,

Please check the link, at my signature line, to a report about the AHI's number being useless to diagnose sleep disorders.

Almost 20% of XPAP users suffer from Residual Excessive Sleepiness (RES) during the day time. If you exclude Depression and Resless legs, this number drops by half.
This is the nature of the beast.

Any research on this since 2002? Any steps forward in CPAP that would lend more validity to AHI as an indicator, such as more accurate ways of measuring breathing?

[Sir NoddinOff]

Thyroid dysfunction, cardiac problems, anemia, diabetes, medication side effect, nutritional deficiencies, other sleep disorders.

I agree and would add to kteaque's list: Diet (too much sugar? Fat?), amount and quality of your exercise, mental conditions like depression and anxiety, too much stress at work? Sadly, CPAP is not a magic bullet. You must try to view the whole picture if you're feeling bad in the daytime. Let us know what you come up with.

[king_alvaro]

I have no anxiety, depression, stress, no diabetes or thyroid problems.

I am going to buy a chin strap in case I am mouth breathing with my mouth open during hours of the night. I think I am sleeping partial hours with mouth open and other hours with mouth close. There are days that I feel great. Probably I had my mouth mostly close during the night that day. And the days that I feel sleepy probably I had my mouth open that night most of the night.

[1041]

Do you have nasal congestion issues?
Issues related to a "narrow jaw" or "small mouth"?