AHI 5.7, positional sleep apnea- no CPAP?

[ilatruman]

History: 2011 sleep study (AHI 18. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=171340&p=1247472#p1247472
2014 Sleep Study (AHI <2) viewtopic.php?f=1&t=171380&p=1247969#p1247969
2018 Sleep Study (AHI 5.7) below


So, long story short, I had moderate sleep apnea in 2011 as a teenager but my doctor never told me, so I never saw a sleep specialist and was never put on CPAP. Since then, I have suffered from excessive fatigue, needing to sleep 9-10 hours a night, and depression. SSRIs have helped and I now need 8+ hours and take daytime naps, have brain fog issues, and feel less mentally sharp over the years.

I found my records a few months ago and asked for another sleep study after finding out I had moderate sleep apnea in 2011. The new study shows an AHI of 5.7. My AHI on my back is 9.5, but on my side it is 0.48. The doctor told me to buy a Rematee
Bumper belt and never sleep on my back and said I don’t need follow up. He doesn’t recommend CPAP. I’m really surprised that my AHI is so low considering I’ve gained 30+ lbs since 2011.

Does the treatment plan sound reasonable to you guys? Could it really relieve my symptoms to just sleep on my side?

[MimiLou]

I know nothing but hope some of the members answer....I have a similar situation in that if I stay off my back I have essentially no events....but I am happy to be told to stay off my back and no pap! The reason I am eager to read opinions is that like you I am not getting much time in restorative sleep and almost 100% of my awakenings are not associated with an event per Sleepy Head graphs.
Good luck!

[LSAT]

I know nothing but hope some of the members answer....I have a similar situation in that if I stay off my back I have essentially no events....but I am happy to be told to stay off my back and no pap! The reason I am eager to read opinions is that like you I am not getting much time in restorative sleep and almost 100% of my awakenings are not associated with an event per Sleepy Head graphs.
Good luck!

If you are getting sleepyhead graphs, you have the wrong machine showing in your profile....Airsense 10 CPAP doesn't give any data.

[Julie]

My personal interpretation of things (to the OP, not mimilou) is that you don't have what I consider to be apnea so much as just a tendency to back-sleep (yes, on your side would make all the diff - I've seen worse numbers for others who were fine once they side-slept routinely), plus I think you may have some depression (not OSA related) and want a label you can 'belong' to, something to blame your problems on so you can use Cpap as a fix... but I think you should look elsewhere. The 30 lbs could affect not only how you feel, but could also convince you that you must have Apnea, but again I think it's a red herring here. Plus your oxygen numbers are excellent... nothing like what most have turned out here on testing. Certainly if I were you I'd much rather expend energy on learning to side sleep than set myself up with a whole Cpap routine, expense, trial of masks, etc. etc.

And you can always get retested at some time in the future if I'm all wrong... but I don't think I am.

[ilatruman]

No, I agree! I obviously think sleeping on my side is a much better solution than CPAP if that’s all I need. I just wanted to get the opinions of those on the forums.

I definitely have sleep apnea - it is mild, but I do have it. The doctor just diagnosed me with it. Only 3% of my study was REM sleep so my OSA is likely worse than it appears. However, if sleeping on my side can help me with my daytime sleepiness I’ll be very grateful.

My depression is well controlled but I still need to nap daily and wake up tired. I also snore loud enough that I can be heard through a closed door down the hall. So I did pursue this for legitimate reasons. I was expecting/hoping for CPAP because I’m so tired, I just really wanted that to improve. But I’m willing to give positional therapy a good shot!

[ChicagoGranny]

But I’m willing to give positional therapy a good shot!

Try it tonight. Use an app to record your sounds. If you sleep on your sides or stomach and still snore, you need to use CPAP.

[Bigtonguehypopnea]

My sleep doc and my sleep psychologist say that needing up to 10 hours of sleep per night is normal. Totally unfair that some people need 6 and others need 10. But still considered normal. Just FYI.

[ChicagoGranny]

My sleep doc and my sleep psychologist say that needing up to 10 hours of sleep per night is normal.

They are both wrong. The best and latest science contradicts them. (Unless you are a teenager or younger.)

Newborns (0-3 months ): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previously it was 12-18)
Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previously it was 14-15)
Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previously it was 12-14)
Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previously it was 11-13)
School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previously it was 10-11)
Teenagers(14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previously it was 8.5-9.5)
Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)
Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hours
Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)

https://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-w ... eally-need

[ilatruman]

But I’m willing to give positional therapy a good shot!

Try it tonight. Use an app to record your sounds. If you sleep on your sides or stomach and still snore, you need to use CPAP.

I will do this as soon as I get my Rematee! I’m sleeping with a Snoogle but no matter what I do I keep turning onto my back.

[ilatruman]

My sleep doc and my sleep psychologist say that needing up to 10 hours of sleep per night is normal.

They are both wrong. The best and latest science contradicts them. (Unless you are a teenager or younger.)

Newborns (0-3 months ): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previously it was 12-18)
Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previously it was 14-15)
Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previously it was 12-14)
Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previously it was 11-13)
School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previously it was 10-11)
Teenagers(14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previously it was 8.5-9.5)
Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)
Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hours
Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)

https://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-w ... eally-need

As a teenager I needed a good 10 hours of sleep and was often still tired with that. I couldn’t cope with less, as other teenagers could. When it didn’t decrease as I got older, I realized it was very abnormal.

[ilatruman]

Update: Tried the Rematee Bumper Belt. Was still snoring all night and would turn onto my back on top of the belt. Doctor says he’s never heard of that happening before. I’ve been prescribed a trial of CPAP and currently have a loaner machine while I wait for my titration study. He has me on a pressure of 8 (straight CPAP) with the Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset for Her.

[zonker]

Update: Tried the Rematee Bumper Belt. Was still snoring all night and would turn onto my back on top of the belt. Doctor says he’s never heard of that happening before. I’ve been prescribed a trial of CPAP and currently have a loaner machine while I wait for my titration study. He has me on a pressure of 8 (straight CPAP) with the Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset for Her.

thanks for the update. when you start out your journey on the cpap, would you please continue to use this thread for awhile? it will help people keep track of you and your past.

you could still use this thread and change the title if you want.

good luck!

[ChicagoGranny]

Doctor says he’s never heard of that happening before.

Doctors just don't know. Use the resources here where people with tens of thousands of hours experience can help.

[ilatruman]

Thanks everyone!

I had my first full night last night. My first night I took it off after two hours and last night kept it on the full night. I had an AHI of 1.5 last night, most of those being central apnneas. I hadn’t had any CAs on my recent sleep study so that was interesting.

[palerider]

Doctor says he’s never heard of that happening before.

We hear that all the time here... about common things.

That said,

Tried the Rematee Bumper Belt. Was still snoring all night and would turn onto my back on top of the belt.

I'll admit I haven't seen that one before... but people sleep in all sorts of strange positions