Tired: is it possible to get too much sleep?

[chezdan9]

I just started on my CPAP a week ago, and for the first 4 days or so I was waking up feeling great - hadn't slept so well in years! My diagnosed AHI was 88, and when I check Sleepyhead in the morning, I am between AHI 0.9 and 2.0. However, the last two days, I have felt completely exhausted upon waking and throughout the day - even though I have been sticking to a regular bed time and getting 8 - 9 hours of sleep a night. I am sleeping through the night now (never before) and not getting up for the bathroom as I did previously. What gives? Why am I so tired all of a sudden? Could it be some sort of "boomerang" effect where my body is reacting to having too much sleep? Anyone else ever experience this?

[Julie]

You didn't give your AHI (or anything else like leak rate) for the last 2 days, so while you seemed to do well at first, we can't tell what's going on now. Is it possible you breathe with your mouth open even a bit once asleep? You'll lose all the Cpap air that way and if it's likely, you need to look into a full face mask or at least taping, chin strap, etc.

[chezdan9]

My AHI for the last two days was 2.2 and 2.0 (diagnosed at 88). Two days prior to that were 1.2 and 0.9. I'm 99% certain I'm not breathing through my mouth as I have a chin strap and it's pretty tight. Leak rate is low (I think the 95th % was around 3.0, not sure since I'm not at home right now, which I thought was pretty good). I've been trying to sleep on my side as much as possible since my doc said that is my best position, and use pillows to make sure I don't roll onto my back. I've seen other people mention feeling initially very good and then "crashing" after a few days or weeks, so I was wondering if this is common or something that needs adjusting. Should I contact my doc and let him know how I'm feeling?

[Wulfman...]

At only one week into therapy, your problem is NOT too much sleep. I also think it's something else.
You don't have your pressure settings in your profile.......please add them. If you're using a range of pressures in your Autoset, it could be the changing pressures during the night are wrecking your sleep.


Den

.

[Wulfman...]

Are you using software to analyze your data?
The answer(s) should be fairly evident if you are.


Den

.

[Bill44133]

You have what is called a Sleep debt or sleep deficit. Depending how long your OSA was going on before you started therapy matters so I have learned. My AHI during my first sleep study was 140. This was going on long time.

Initially, when I started therapy I felt 100% better. I felt like hell for so long to actually sleep and breath was big improvement. It didn't last long the body says you owe and in my case I owed big time. It took me a good 6 months to be able to make it through the day without feeling sleepy or needing a nap. I am now 7+ months into this therapy and day by day I have returned to "normal". I hope that this makes sense to you.

My advice is to stick with your therapy, monitor your data that your machine offers and most importantly watch for leaks. Leaking mask will compromise your therapy.

You are in a good place with this forum with lots of smart people. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Some of the people here do get cranky but remember they have sleep issues also.

I wish you good luck!

[jnk]

General answer to the general question:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/30/ov ... h.effects/

[dankoziolek]

Not according to my sleep doctor. I started BiPap 7 weeks ago. I am slightly less tired; still struggling to think and function but no longer worried about falling asleep driving to or from work. Ironically, the days when I think I slept well and have the lowest AHI and periodic breathing, I feel the most tired. My AHI has been <1 except for 3 nights in the past month. My PB is averaging 14% in the past month, which is about half what it was during the first few weeks. I have averaged 8.14 hours per night on the machine. I started having more problems with mask leak during the past week, realized it was time for a new seal, but stupidly thought I could just pick one up when I saw my doctor today. Even though I have tracked my data in Sleepyhead, brought a printout of it for the doctor, and even though my machine has reported no large leaks on 44 of the 51 days I have had it, my doctor loaded my machine data into his software, looked at the last week only, and saw leaks on 4 of the past 7 days. So my assignment is to get the leak problem corrected, sleep 9 to 10 hours a night instead of 8, and see him again in a month.

[bavinck]

So my assignment is to get the leak problem corrected, sleep 9 to 10 hours a night instead of 8, and see him again in a month.

My goodness, I literally don't think I would have enough time in a day for even just 9 hrs of sleep. Job, many daily responsibilities in my large family do not leave that much time in the day!

[Wulfman...]

Additional Comments: CPAP 12.0 cmH20

Thanks for adding the pressure setting to your profile.
Now that we know that bit of information (that you're apparently using CPAP mode with a fixed pressure of 12 cm.) we can essentially eliminate the pressure changes disturbing your sleep stages........and can try to narrow down other possibilities.

I would be inclined to look at the leakage in the reports........and, the fact that you're just getting started with this new way of sleeping.
It can take some weeks to months to pay off that "sleep debt". Some people argue that "sleep debt" isn't real, but many of us who actually use this therapy will argue that it most certainly IS.

Hang in there.


Den

.

[archangle]

Even if everything's "right," new CPAPers sometimes feel more tired for a while.

Many explanations have been proposed, but the important thing is that if it's just "new CPAPer syndrome," it goes a way after a while.

I prefer the theory that it's sort of withdrawal from panic, oxygen deprivation, poor quality sleep, etc. Your body chemistry, brain, etc. adjusted to being strangled every few minutes during your sleep. Now that that's not happening, you're sort of "out of balance" like you are when you quit smoking, drinking, drugs, and other bad habits.

Of course, it's possible that something is wrong with your treatment as well, so don't get too complacent.