How to determine Good Sleep?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Pugsy
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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Pugsy » Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:42 am

Call your second and now primary sleep doctor and explain all of what you just said above.
You need more help right now than we can offer from where we sit.

I don't know that your medication is all that much of a factor or not...but it might be...that's all I know.
There are other options for anxiety or stress related issues that could be implemented on a short term basis.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Billymadison420 » Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:55 am

Pugsy wrote:
Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:42 am
Call your second and now primary sleep doctor and explain all of what you just said above.
You need more help right now than we can offer from where we sit.

I don't know that your medication is all that much of a factor or not...but it might be...that's all I know.
There are other options for anxiety or stress related issues that could be implemented on a short term basis.
Thank you. I did just that.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Billymadison420 » Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:56 am

lynninnj wrote:
Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:26 am
Billymadison420 wrote:
Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:12 am
I am not really sure what to do. I am close to a nervous breakdown. I need sleep badly. I haven't had good sleep in over a year. I know it is probably in part to having Tinnitus. While I have adjusted fully during the day, at night it keeps me awake. Am I sure of this. No. I am not totally sure that is the case, but I am just looking for things at this point.

I had 3-4 days with CPAP where I felt a bunch better. That was on the mirtazpine. I don't know if I have Narcolepsy on top of this like I mentioned in my original thread. I am calling my sleep specialist today to move up my appt.

I am taking care of my dying mother with ALS. I have to be present in my marriage. i have a full time job. I can't cope any longer feeling like this. I feel like I need to go on temporary disability.

I am also worried because of the TInnitus I will always have sleep trouble. I have habituated so much and its not a problem during the day, but it could be at night.

I am sorry to vent. I have been feeling this way for over 16 months now. I need help :oops:
Billy I’m still pretty new here but I know a couple things.

Sometimes antibiotics can cause tinnitus. Sometimes working in a loud environment can be the problem. I lost my mom in December and I can only imagine the stress you were going through right now. I know my blood pressure was up and when it was I could hear it pulsating in my ears. That just made the anxiety even more stressful. I wouldn’t be surprised if your blood pressure is high.

I think if it is the CPAP will probably help lower your blood pressure. Just have to get over that magical hump!

I wouldn’t be surprised if the sore on your nose what is keeping you awake. Someone posted info for newbies among the stickies at the top of this board. One suggestion was a product called Lanisoh which is basically 100% lanolin may help heal a sore a little faster. It may also help keep newly forming issues from becoming full-blown issues with the skin. You can find a tube of the stuff at Walmart in the breast-feeding section it cost about $10 for tube. A little bitty bit of this covers a large area. I don’t think he would want to put it on right before bedtime but you would want to put it on first thing the morning after you shower and shave or do whatever. It keeps the moisture in it does not add moisture to the skin. It may interfere with the seal if you try to put it on right before you go to sleep.

It sounds like you’ve got a lot of stuff going on. Nobody likes to hear it’s all in your head but in a way some of it is. And the lack of sleep is making everything more difficult for you. maybe you need to see if you can find a way to bring in an outside health aide to give yourself a little bit of a break if you were being the primary caretaker. I really don’t know the situation but if you are still working maybe take a couple of days off I just go to a hotel room for a night or some thing. I don’t know if that’s possible for you but it sounds like you need a break.

It’s easy to say don’t give up but don’t give up.

Thank you for your kindness. My blood pressure is nice and normal now thanks to the CPAP. The Tinnitus is permanent, 16 months on. I accepted that a long time ago. During the day it does not bother me at all. But I do think it ay still be intefering with my sleep.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Billymadison420 » Tue Aug 02, 2022 1:46 pm

clownbell wrote:
Mon Aug 01, 2022 9:54 pm
Bill - You asked what SWJ means? I'm sure Pugsy has a better definition, but TO ME it means when you are neither completely asleep nor completely awake, but in the grey area in between.

BTW, I believe the experts would prefer all your issues going in the SAME post so they can see your history without wasting time hunting through multiple threads.


I am sorry I will stick to one thread from now on. It makes complete sense.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Pugsy » Tue Aug 02, 2022 2:08 pm

Billymadison420 wrote:
Tue Aug 02, 2022 1:46 pm
clownbell wrote:
Mon Aug 01, 2022 9:54 pm
Bill - You asked what SWJ means? I'm sure Pugsy has a better definition, but TO ME it means when you are neither completely asleep nor completely awake, but in the grey area in between.

BTW, I believe the experts would prefer all your issues going in the SAME post so they can see your history without wasting time hunting through multiple threads.


I am sorry I will stick to one thread from now on. It makes complete sense.

Ignore what clown said. If it had been a problem I would have said something to you.
Did you see my response to clown?

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Billymadison420 » Tue Aug 02, 2022 2:11 pm

Pugsy wrote:
Tue Aug 02, 2022 2:08 pm
Billymadison420 wrote:
Tue Aug 02, 2022 1:46 pm
clownbell wrote:
Mon Aug 01, 2022 9:54 pm
Bill - You asked what SWJ means? I'm sure Pugsy has a better definition, but TO ME it means when you are neither completely asleep nor completely awake, but in the grey area in between.

BTW, I believe the experts would prefer all your issues going in the SAME post so they can see your history without wasting time hunting through multiple threads.


I am sorry I will stick to one thread from now on. It makes complete sense.

Ignore what clown said. If it had been a problem I would have said something to you.
Did you see my response to clown?
Just now seeing it thx :-)

Other things I plan to try

1. Chin strap (mouth breathing?)
2. Full face mask coming in 3 days
3. I have have Sleep Doctor appt tomorrow.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Billymadison420 » Wed Aug 03, 2022 6:40 am

Was never consciously awake last night. Felt like I was in deep sleep. I am seeing the sleep specialist today, thankfully. Feel heavy and lethargic.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/ufk39693svua3 ... M.png?dl=0

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Pugsy » Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:51 am

Can't really tell much from the report from last night.
Maybe load it in Sleephq???? so we can zoom in on the flow rate.
Did you take the medication last night? or something else?

Do let us know how it goes with the doctor today. We care.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Billymadison420 » Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:08 am

Thx Pugsy. I know you all do <3 Means a lot.

Last night: https://sleephq.com/public/a340239c-717 ... f2703abb63

I did take the medication last night, which helped me (at least I feel) stay asleep. Will report back on sleep specialist today.

Things I plan to ask about

1. Sleep quality
2. The narcolepsy question (does she suspect it at all, or not)
3. Further testing? PSG/MSLT


I also bought a chin strap. Just arrived this morning. I wonder if closing my mouth would help at all. Maybe I am mouth breathing often? I do get dry mouth, so I know its happening.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Pugsy » Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:17 am

How's the sore on the nose?

I will go zoom in on the flow rate in a bit.

I may be out of touch a while today....got some problems with my mom I need to fix.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Pugsy » Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:22 am

AHI is lower because not so many false positive SWJ flagged events but what is flagged....arousal related.
You may have slept a little more soundly (not so many false positives) but I haven't had a chance to go and scroll through each breath yet to count arousals....which obviously you don't remember....but please note that we don't always remember arousals and it doesn't mean they didn't happen.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Billymadison420 » Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:29 am

Pugsy wrote:
Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:22 am
AHI is lower because not so many false positive SWJ flagged events but what is flagged....arousal related.
You may have slept a little more soundly (not so many false positives) but I haven't had a chance to go and scroll through each breath yet to count arousals....which obviously you don't remember....but please note that we don't always remember arousals and it doesn't mean they didn't happen.

Sore is doing better! Almost healed. I used the larger Nasal attachment which doesn't rub up against it. I do feel a bit better today. It's weird. I feel a mixture of clear/awake, and heavy/tired. Sunken eyes, the body is tired. But I also feel awake and not sleepy. Hard to describe.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by lynninnj » Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:54 am

Billymadison420 wrote:
Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:29 am
Pugsy wrote:
Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:22 am
AHI is lower because not so many false positive SWJ flagged events but what is flagged....arousal related.
You may have slept a little more soundly (not so many false positives) but I haven't had a chance to go and scroll through each breath yet to count arousals....which obviously you don't remember....but please note that we don't always remember arousals and it doesn't mean they didn't happen.

Sore is doing better! Almost healed. I used the larger Nasal attachment which doesn't rub up against it. I do feel a bit better today. It's weird. I feel a mixture of clear/awake, and heavy/tired. Sunken eyes, the body is tired. But I also feel awake and not sleepy. Hard to describe.
Sounds reassuring!

I hope you get more nights like that. I find the mental clarity is the best.

I had about an hour and a half that I found myself awake last night for a reason I won't get into but after I finally fell asleep the rest of the morning gave me quite the restorative sleep.

Good luck today!

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Pugsy » Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:57 am

So scrolling through the flow rate.
Looks like actual sleep happened around 10:26 or thereabouts.
very minor irregular blips scattered up to around 10:55 where there was a bigger arousal but you went back to sleep fairly quickly.
Very minor blips up to the flagged Hyponea which upon further review...could be a real asleep hyponea. There is a large inhale just prior to the hyponea flag but I am leaning asleep for the hyponea.
Then a one minute segment of arousal breathing at about 11:44.
12:00...short arousal segment...
12:15 and 12:18 a couple of little blips or irregularities
again at 12:31 and 12:33 and 12:34 and 12:45 and 12:50 and very brief at 1:00 and 1:23 and 1:47 and

some vague can't put my finger on it irregularities up to 2:15 when there was an obvious arousal breathing segment that was short lived.
Then 2 minutes of very irregular breathing just prior to the CA flag at 2:19....definitely arousal related flag.
Back to sleep at 2:20....
at 2:52...the flagged hyponea...definitely arousal but again back to sleep a minute later.

And so it goes pretty much the rest of the night.
You did sleep more soundly as the amount of arousal segments were reduced in both numbers and duration.

Doesn't surprise me...your body finally catching up from being so sleep deprived from the prior nights.
You probably won't feel great today but I bet you feel better than yesterday.

Let us know what the doc says.

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Re: How to determine Good Sleep?

Post by Billymadison420 » Wed Aug 03, 2022 1:39 pm

Pugsy wrote:
Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:57 am
So scrolling through the flow rate.
Looks like actual sleep happened around 10:26 or thereabouts.
very minor irregular blips scattered up to around 10:55 where there was a bigger arousal but you went back to sleep fairly quickly.
Very minor blips up to the flagged Hyponea which upon further review...could be a real asleep hyponea. There is a large inhale just prior to the hyponea flag but I am leaning asleep for the hyponea.
Then a one minute segment of arousal breathing at about 11:44.
12:00...short arousal segment...
12:15 and 12:18 a couple of little blips or irregularities
again at 12:31 and 12:33 and 12:34 and 12:45 and 12:50 and very brief at 1:00 and 1:23 and 1:47 and

some vague can't put my finger on it irregularities up to 2:15 when there was an obvious arousal breathing segment that was short lived.
Then 2 minutes of very irregular breathing just prior to the CA flag at 2:19....definitely arousal related flag.
Back to sleep at 2:20....
at 2:52...the flagged hyponea...definitely arousal but again back to sleep a minute later.

And so it goes pretty much the rest of the night.
You did sleep more soundly as the amount of arousal segments were reduced in both numbers and duration.

Doesn't surprise me...your body finally catching up from being so sleep deprived from the prior nights.
You probably won't feel great today but I bet you feel better than yesterday.

Let us know what the doc says.

Long story short she does not think I have narcolepsy. In fact she wouldn't really want to order a PSG or MSLT. But she's going to because she wants to get that thought out of my mind. She of course mentioned that sleepiness and fatigue or two different things. The way I described my language to her she said was fatigue and not sleepiness. She said I was treating my obstructive apnea very well and was in full compliance. She was pleased with the results there.

My score on the Ebsworth scale was around six points lower. She really did not feel that I have narcolepsy. Of course depression can come into it. My mother is dying. And I was depressed before that. So at least this would be one thing I could knock off and focus on other things. I felt pretty satisfied with her explanation. I have an audio recording of the meeting. I'm almost of the mind of posting that.


On the off chance that I do have narcolepsy. It would show up on the test hopefully.