CPAP machine

[Mustangman]

Hello,

I've been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea 5.9 episodes per hour. Just wondering if anyone at that level is using a CPAP machine with those sort of readings?

[Okie bipap]

While an AH I of 5.9 may not sound very bad, your sleep is being disturbed almost every six minutes. Do you have a copy of your sleep study report? If so, what does it say about oxygen desaturation? Anything greater than 5 is considered mild sleep apnea. How do you feel during the day? Do you have excessive sleepiness?

[Julie]

Strongly suggest you make an effort to not sleep on your back if you do... it provokes more events, but not doing it can make quite a difference for people with 'mild' apnea. You'll probably need something to discourage back-sleeping - e.g. wearing a backpack with towels rolled up, or some kind of pillows behind you that stay there all night, etc. etc. But unless you do it consistently and then get rechecked (or feel a lot better) you can't assume it's made a difference of course.

[D.H.]

The measure of "severity" for Sleep Apnea (and probably most other conditions), is imperfect. Thus, you might have a "mild" case by clinical standards and feel awful, or have a "severe" case and fell fine.

As already pointed out, 5.9 means an interruption every nine minutes (the math was off). They can call this "mild," but I' have to wonder.

[Wulfman...]

Hello,

I've been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea 5.9 episodes per hour. Just wondering if anyone at that level is using a CPAP machine with those sort of readings?

They may have caught your condition before it got much worse. This stuff doesn't go from nothing to severe overnight. It can take years before it reaches the higher levels. And, at some point along the way, it can do great damage to your health. Don't "poo-poo" it. Get with the program and start treating it. Head it off before it gets bad.


Den

.

[Snoregone Conclusion]

While an AH I of 5.9 may not sound very bad, your sleep is being disturbed almost every six minutes. Do you have a copy of your sleep study report? If so, what does it say about oxygen desaturation? Anything greater than 5 is considered mild sleep apnea. How do you feel during the day? Do you have excessive sleepiness?

Your math is a bit off (a little longer than 10 minutes) but the rest is right.

[Mancub495]

As previously mentioned, that one statistic puts you at mild sleep apnea. however there is more to the story. I was feeling exhausted all the time so I had the sleep study and found that i only had an AHI of 5.1. however my events lasted up to a minute and a half causing my oxygen levels to drop. I am currently waiting for the sleep center to contact my doctor so i can get my machine. The night of my titration study i woke up and felt amazing.

[Okie bipap]

I was thinking six times an hour and wrote every six minutes. As my smart-a**ed daughter would say, I had a brain fart. As I age, they happen more often.

[rileyrd22]

i was also diagnosed with mild apena with an AHI of 5.2. My doc said treatment was optional, but I knew I had lousy sleep. I did a three month trail of Cpap and felt a lot better with AHI of under 1 most days. I also have other risk factors include diabetes and small stroke, so i wanted to reduce those risks, Now been on it for 6 months and do not regret the decision at all.

[chunkyfrog]

My kneejerk frogbrain says, "Cpap, of course!"
At this level, it could go either way, but insurance may not be on board.
Still, it might be worth trying--surprises can be so nice.
If it helps, consider how much we spend on beds.