Waking up very often during a night

[Aleks]

Hi!

I have had my AirSense10 for about 2 years. I made a 2-year pause as I found it not helping my apnea problems and the reason was that I woke up in the middle night even though I used the CPAP.

The reason I started to use it again (started last night) is because my sleeping pattern has deteriorated severely. I'm waking up very often and it's taking a huge toll on me. I feel completely exhausted and depleted of energy with headaches in the morning and constant mood swings.

So, last night, I decided to put on the mask again and to make a serious attempt of trying to do something about it. The charts are from the last night. The blank space between 01.25 and 3.23 is simply due to me falling asleep before I managed to put on the mask after I had been to the bathroom. Bathroom visits go for the 23:1 and the 23:19 mark. Please, can you see if I have the correct settings by looking at the chart, or do I have to change the settings? I would really appreciate your comments.

My settings are:

Mode
APAP
Pressure Min
7.00 cmH2O

Pressure Max
15.00 cmH2O

Auto
EPR
Full Time

EPR Level
2 cmH2O



Best Regards
Aleks

[Jlfinkels]

Possibly the pressure changes are part of the issue. Consider setting EPR to 3 and turning off ramp (not sure if it’s on as that part of the left panel is cut off), which should help with the flow limits that are driving up the pressure. Let us know how it goes.

[Miss Emerita]

It's excellent that you're starting PAP therapy again. Don't be surprised if it takes a while to feel the benefits.

I agree with both of Jlfinkel's recommendations. Please do let us know how it goes. I'll be especially interested to see what happens to your flow limitations. They may or may not be contributing to your difficulty in feeling rested; in case they are, it's good to control them if possible. Depending on how things go with these two changes, there might be some further changes to try.

Meanwhile, I strongly recommend that you make room in your life for more sleep. You may be one of those people who really needs 8 or more hours; you'd certainly benefit from trying to get more than 6.5.

And you might check this list of recommendations for better sleep to see whether there are any other changes you could try:

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
• Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
• If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
• Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
• Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
• Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
• Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening.
• Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.
• Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.

[palerider]

I have had my AirSense10 for about 2 years. I made a 2-year pause as I found it not helping my apnea problems and the reason was that I woke up in the middle night even though I used the CPAP.

Waking up between sleep cycles is perfectly normal, even if you don't *remember* it.

The reason I started to use it again (started last night) is because my sleeping pattern has deteriorated severely. I'm waking up very often and it's taking a huge toll on me. I feel completely exhausted and depleted of energy with headaches in the morning and constant mood swings.

waking up at night isn't what takes a toll on you, it's not getting restorative sleep *between* the wakeups.

Your pressures are way too low.

Change them to a min of 10 and max of 20.

[bierhere]

Diabetes/high blood sugar is another cause of waking during the night. When I was originally diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, I was waking 4-5 times per night. I've used a CPAP for 20 years.

[Miss Emerita]

If you raise your minimum per palerider’s advice, you can do it gradually, say, 1 at a time, staying several days at a given pressure before moving up.