Sleep apnoea and anxiety

[Dansworth]

Hi

I’ve been on effective cpap treatment since Aug 2018, generally getting around 8hrs sleep and <2.5AHI per night. I have started to notice a difference in my fatigue levels and I’m generally a lot more alert, although there is still some lingering tiredness, which I’m hopeful will reduce with continued treatment.

However, I have a question about mood and anxiety. I’ve had anxiety for approximately 4 years now (diagnosed, daily levels of around 3-4 out of 10), pre-dating my sleep apnoea diagnosis. I don’t know if sleep apnoea caused my anxiety or they are completely separate… although research does suggest there is a link. Does anyone on her have any of their experiences to share, how their cpap treatment effected their mood/anxiety.

I’ve read bits of research which suggests sleep apnoea can cause brain damage, although reversible with treatment, which effects the part of your brain which processes your emotions/mood etc. My theory is my brain is still healing from untreated sleep apnoea, which isn’t quite there yet, which is why my anxiety is annoyingly still hanging around.

I could be talking complete nonsense of course (I wouldn’t rule it out), but I was just curious to hear about other people’s experiences, particularly the relationship between anxiety and sleep apnoea. I guess it could be extended to depression too. How long, if at all, did you feel ‘cured’ of anxiety/depression since starting treatment.

[jnk...]

Bad sleep can affect mood. Treating OSA is all about keeping our breathing from disturbing our sleep. That is the primary connection.

CPAP alone does not correct our level of physical activity, our nutrition, our life habits, or the health of our relationships--it merely increases our ability to focus on those important aspects of life as a person who gets better sleep. We still have to do the work on those other things ourselves, and that work can bring huge payoffs in our overall health and feelings.

PAP helps us to keep our windshield clean, which, in turn, allows us to change the way we see the road and the way we drive. So it helps with clarity and focus when bad sleep was having an effect on those things. But it's what we do with our ability to have increased clarity and focus that makes all the difference going forward.

[Arlene1963]

Does anyone on her have any of their experiences to share, how their cpap treatment effected their mood/anxiety.

How long, if at all, did you feel ‘cured’ of anxiety/depression since starting treatment.

I would describe myself as having been a very anxious person for most of my life, including as a young child even, but it got a lot worse just before I was officially diagnosed with moderate OSA at age 51.

CPAP definitely improved both my mood and anxiety levels, not right away, but certainly within months.

I am not completely anxiety free of course, but am much less likely to "go off the deep end" and am much less prone to getting that panicky/out of control feeling I used to have very frequently in the past.

Also, my capacity for exercise increased greatly once my OSA was treated with CPAP. Daily exercise and being outside improves my mood and is certainly one of the most effective anti anxiety tools I have. For me this is one of the biggest advantages to effective CPAP …. improved stamina so that I get out there and run or swim.

[D.H.]

I'm on CPAP almost 20 years.

Although I felt radically better immediately, it took years to completely overcome daytime drowsiness.