Mild sleep apnea - AHI is 5

[valerieshields]

I was waking up for several months two or three times a night with a headache.
I just spent a night in a sleep lab. My AHI is 5. Once in the evening my oxygen level dipped to 87%.
I also grind my teeth and am a little overweight. I am using a night guard and am
Should I pursue CPAP therapy? Perhaps I am just in denial, as it seems like a daunting proposition
I am committed to better health, however, and would love to be rid of these headaches.

[Julie]

It would help to know more about the study - did it give separate results for supine (back) sleep position vs side sleeping? Because if you do back sleep you may find that doing what you can to not do it may make quite a difference as the position provokes lots more apneas. People use foam wedges, stuffed backpks, etc. behind them until they can go through the night without flipping in their sleep.

And losing even a very little weight can help though I know it's hard.

Give us more info and we'll try to help.

[Julie]

Please do not give much credence to the previous poster - unfortunately they have some problematic ideas (I'm being as careful as I can here considering) that are not supported by forum or other experts on apnea. It's best if you wait for others to come by, but hope you consider some of what I said above. It's too bad recent newbies have to deal with this particular person who's flooded all threads with his knowledgable-sounding but erroneous comments. Good luck with your sleep and please come back to this thread with questions so we can keep track of your story.

[D.H.]

Over 5 is consider mild sleep apnea. Exactly 5, isn't. However, I don't think 5 is very good. I would give CPAP a try if your insurance will pay or if you're able to pay privately.

You do seem to have symptoms such as headaches, and your blood oxygen should be 90% or higher.

[TASmart]

What was the opinion of the sleep lab Dr?

[ajack]

seeing you wear a mouthguard anyway and your apnea is 5. I would try a Mandibular advancement device first, along with stopping yourself from sleeping on your back. there are many ways and items to do this. You can have a sleep study doing this, to confirm it is working. if you can get a 50% reduction with good o2 levels, I'd call that fixed

[valerieshields]

My sleep Dr. said she would not suggest cpap were it not for the headaches. She thought I should give it a try for a month. Not sure about the results of my sleep position. I should ask for a copy of the report.

[kteague]

Yes, do get a copy of the report. Julie is right about needing more info to be able to know how to respond. If you were to say that you slept several hours during the study, and that they were able to capture you sleeping supine while in REM for a good chunk of time, I'd feel more comfortable having a discussion on the premise that an AHI of 5 is likely the usual for you. However, we don't know that. Maybe your test was compromised by little sleep, not enough deep or REM sleep, or no supine sleep - all of which could give one an impression that their condition is less severe than it really is. Also, we don't know the duration of your events. While a high AHI can mean more frequently disrupted sleep, a low AHI consisting of long events that result in low oxygen are concerning in a different way, as they can pose health risks. A low AHI made up of short bursts of apnea may not be alarming enough to go straight to CPAP treatment without trying some self-help measures first. So you can see why there's no easy answer to your question without more information. Please do let us know the details of your reports.

[ajack]

My sleep Dr. said she would not suggest cpap were it not for the headaches. She thought I should give it a try for a month. Not sure about the results of my sleep position. I should ask for a copy of the report.

cpap will fix the o2, the probable cause of the headache. I'd also talk with your doctor and get assessed by a dental specialist for a Mandibular advancement device, it also has a good ratio of a 50% rate successful outcome. They may have an adjustable one they could use in a sleep study?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5120906/

A cpap trial will confirm the ahi and headache fixed part. If you are on healthcare card, it would all be free from public hospital. If you are working you pay for your own cpap or Mandibular advancement device, in AU we all have access to free healthcare for all the testing needed, there is no need for you to guess, use the system.

lay down and snore, then stick your jaw forward and try again, this is what a MAD does. it's worth looking into and is done by a dental specialist. It's easier living with a MAD than a cpap, in fairness it takes a couple of months or more to get use to cpap and you probably have a month trial, I would seek out a 2 month trial. Cpap also has a significant drop out rate.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2679572/