sleep onset apnea

[ciounoi]

Hello everyone-

It's been a long time since I've been on here (and that's a good thing!). I'm still not sleeping through the night on my bipap, but I usually get in about 6 hours and feel much better.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about sleep onset apnea. Every once in a while I'll have difficulty falling asleep because I stop breathing just as I am falling asleep. The only way of making it go away seems to be to stay awake and do other stuff for about an hour - not sure if it helps because my brain calms down or what. Since I was up until 430 this morning (yuck!) because of this apnea... it's in my mind at the moment and was wondering if anybody else had experienced this.

Thanks!
Grace

[Riv]

Hi Grace,

I have the same problem when falling asleep but my nightly reports (on EncoreViewer) show this problem to usually be caused by hypopneas (once in awhile by apneas).

Is it possible that you might have hypopneas when falling asleep?

Hello everyone-

It's been a long time since I've been on here (and that's a good thing!). I'm still not sleeping through the night on my bipap, but I usually get in about 6 hours and feel much better.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about sleep onset apnea. Every once in a while I'll have difficulty falling asleep because I stop breathing just as I am falling asleep. The only way of making it go away seems to be to stay awake and do other stuff for about an hour - not sure if it helps because my brain calms down or what. Since I was up until 430 this morning (yuck!) because of this apnea... it's in my mind at the moment and was wondering if anybody else had experienced this.

Thanks!
Grace

[SaltLakeJan]

Hello Grace:

I wish I could tell you a definitive answer for stopping breathing. But I don't have one.

Every once in a while I'll have difficulty falling asleep because I stop breathing just as I am falling asleep. The only way of making it go away seems to be to stay awake and do other stuff for about an hour - not sure if it helps because my brain calms down or what. Since I was up until 430 this

All our apnea problems are centered around our breathing, or lack of it.

I have an opposite situation. If I am having a hard time drifting off to sleep, I find I had to hold my breath to about a count of ten - if I do this several times, I find I concentrate on my breathing, and forget to "stew" because Iim not sleeping.

On a forum with this many people, you will undoubtedly get several suggestions to help.

Jan

[elg5cats]

Hello everyone-
I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about sleep onset apnea.
Grace

Do you know if your sleep studies noted how quickly you enter REM sleep after going to sleep?

My first concern for possible OSA came after I gasped as I was falling asleep and being startled by the gasping. When I now have an apnea it typically is soon after falling asleep and just before waking up. I fall asleep quickly and don't know I've had an apnea until I look at data.

elg5cats.

[terrydk]

Hello everyone-

It's been a long time since I've been on here (and that's a good thing!). I'm still not sleeping through the night on my bipap, but I usually get in about 6 hours and feel much better.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about sleep onset apnea. Every once in a while I'll have difficulty falling asleep because I stop breathing just as I am falling asleep. The only way of making it go away seems to be to stay awake and do other stuff for about an hour - not sure if it helps because my brain calms down or what. Since I was up until 430 this morning (yuck!) because of this apnea... it's in my mind at the moment and was wondering if anybody else had experienced this.

Thanks!
Grace

Not sure that this question was ever answered in this thread but I have the same problem...have problems falling asleep. I too have tried making myself exhausted but it hasn't helped the last couple of nights. It's like just as I am just falling asleep my breathing is disrupted and it wakes me back up. I have my machine set on 'Settle' and the pressure is 10cm, it doesn't seem to matter what the 'Settle' time is. I am thinking maybe I should just skip the 'Settle' mode and let the machine instantly start the slow ramp up from the 10cm setting as I try to fall asleep. I am also considering taking some over the counter sleep aids but would prefer not taking that route if possible.

[DreamOn]

Hello everyone-

It's been a long time since I've been on here (and that's a good thing!). I'm still not sleeping through the night on my bipap, but I usually get in about 6 hours and feel much better.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about sleep onset apnea. Every once in a while I'll have difficulty falling asleep because I stop breathing just as I am falling asleep. The only way of making it go away seems to be to stay awake and do other stuff for about an hour - not sure if it helps because my brain calms down or what. Since I was up until 430 this morning (yuck!) because of this apnea... it's in my mind at the moment and was wondering if anybody else had experienced this.

Thanks!
Grace

Not sure that this question was ever answered in this thread but I have the same problem...have problems falling asleep. I too have tried making myself exhausted but it hasn't helped the last couple of nights. It's like just as I am just falling asleep my breathing is disrupted and it wakes me back up. I have my machine set on 'Settle' and the pressure is 10cm, it doesn't seem to matter what the 'Settle' time is. I am thinking maybe I should just skip the 'Settle' mode and let the machine instantly start the slow ramp up from the 10cm setting as I try to fall asleep. I am also considering taking some over the counter sleep aids but would prefer not taking that route if possible.

terrydk,

I don't know if this may help you, but you may want to check out this current thread, where sleep-onset central apneas are being discussed: viewtopic/t47801/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47 ... 18#p433318. If that's what you're experiencing, it may be a perfectly normal part of the transition to sleep. I know that's not really a "solution" to the problem, but just knowing that may help?

~ DreamOn

[happysleeper]

Ciounoi,

Do you have your cpap machine set on ramp or settle? If so, that may be contributing to apneas/hypopneas as you fall asleep. For instance, if your sleep study found that you needed an air flow of 9 to keep your airway open, but your ramp/settle starts at 5 and reaches 9 after 45 minutes, then you potentially have 45 minutes when you are going to sleep when your air flow is less than optimal for keeping your airway open. You may choke (have an apnea or hypopnea) and then awaken from the physicial stress.

If this is the case, you may want to consider not ramping/settling, or ramping/settling for less time, such as 15 minutes.

Cheers,

Happy Sleeper