Sleep study tomorrow night need help!

[jwerley]

Hi all... have a sleep study tomorrow night and I am worried that I won't go into Rem sleep, where a lot of my long apneas and desats occur. The last study I had was a year ago and I did not go into Rem, so they did not get the full picture......I have been struggling ever since. I have also recently lost 30 lbs hoping if I got super thin it would, at the very least help with my apnea. It seems it has done just the opposite, as my AHI has gotten higher no matter what settings I use....and I have tweaked until I am blue in the face, literally!! Straight CPAP to APAP, different settings, everything I can think of. I am including a couple of pics here to show what I am most concerned about. Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated. I am going to take a picture of the long and linked desats with me to the study and discuss this with the tech....anything else?

Thanks,
Janice

[Mary Z]

Just try and relax. If you have a special pillow take that. Have an active, but not overly so, day so you will be tired enough for a normal nights sleep. Don't know any tricks to get you into REM, though. Sorry.
It's not a test you can study for...
Good Luck.

[chunkyfrog]

I'm crossing my fingers for you.
(slipped out of my frog suit a little bit--these webs are a nuisance)
Seriously, I think you are well-prepared, all that good data.
I wonder if there is any way you can enhance your REM without messing things up.
(do yoga?)

[Pugsy]

Discuss with the tech the availability of a bilevel machine mode to switch to in the event you pressure needs go above 12 cm.

Looks like you may need substantially higher pressure in REM if those peaks at around 1 AM and 5:30 AM are REM stages and the time frame fits.
Might also be supine sleeping but my first suspect would be REM.

Also the minimum pressure here was way to low. I don't remember what all you have tried but 8 cm minimum is too low...it's not doing a good job of preventing the airway tissue collapse and it takes too long to get to where it needs to be and it is always playing catch up and trying to fix things after the fact instead of preventing things in the first place.

I am pretty sure you are getting REM now...it's harder to sleep in a lab setting though.
If you think you need some medication help....take it. They really need to see you get to REM to get the best idea what pressure you need.

[jwerley]

Pugsy...I just tried that open pressure last night.....because tighter pressures or straight cpap still give me those long desats....believe me I have tried everything!! Way too many combinations to list here....and I have given each change a good try. At this point I am just desperate!!! I was titrated a year ago at 9....STRAIGHT C-PAP! which did not work for me at all when I go into REM. So I have taken it from there and done everything to try and hit a sweet spot. I am just hoping that tomorrow night we will be able to solve this problem. I have a new doc and he did mention to me that I am probably a failed cpap and need either a bipap or asv. I am like you a very tiny woman and even smaller now with the weight loss....so last night I just wanted to see how much pressure I needed. I cannot tolerate high pressures on straight cpap which my old doc wanted me on. The new doc also wanted me on straight cpap at 14....cannot do, wake up trying to breath fast to keep up with machine.

Anyway thanks for your input as always!

Janice

[Pugsy]

he new doc also wanted me on straight cpap at 14....cannot do, wake up trying to breath fast to keep up with machine.

You likely need a bilevel machine...maybe not the ASV type but at least the type that I use.
I think you will be more comfortable and sleep better.

Hopefully the doctor has already advised the sleep lab about bilevel trial.

[danielqk]

I am going sleep study next week also and my insurance said pap machine cost will
be covered if my AHI is 15 or more !

Beside that my last study AHI is 61 with mixed OA and CA. I asked my Dr what happen if I use sleeping pill Ambient and can not wake up during apnea events?
He said the technican will watch me and wake me up. Can I trust the technican ?

[stage0]

As to the needed REM for a full picture...no naps for the day (may be too late for this suggestion; and take some time release Melatonin along. I buy mine at local drug store. Get to the center early and ask for early hook-up.

[mollete]

Are you taking any REM suppressing medications (like SSRIs)?

[jwerley]

Mollete, I do not take REM suppressing meds. The doc actually gave me one Ambein to take, but not sure if I should take anything that I normally do not take. He gave me that because I said...I hope I can sleep. So I will take it with me and only take if needed. I don't normaly take Melotonin either, but I do have some here that I could take with me.

Thanks for all of your feedback!

Janice