Sleep disruption - daily naps

[Spirit]

For a long time, I was sleeping solid 8-10 hours, I was excited, when my apena symptoms began to subside, life was returning back to normal. I have mainly used pressure between 9-13, producing wonderful data and quality sleep. I strongly feel, I am not having a pressure issue, but something else.

Now, each time, I fall asleep I wake up 4, 5, 6 hours later, active approx 3 hours, then need to take a nap, I'm exhausted. If I sleep 4 hours, I nap for 4 hour, if I sleep 6 hours, I nap 2 hours. But, alway's have to sleep 8 hours min, to function.

If I force myself to stay up 24 hours, I'm super exhausted, I crash. Sleep between 8-14 hours, upon waking I can function.

It appears, I sleep best when, my mind/body is super exhausted. Other then that, seems I'm sleeping restless.

I increased my pressure to 10-15, this week, sleep pattern still the same, wake up after 4, 5 or 6 hours, of sleep. It appears I wake up while dreaming, as if I'm psychologically afraid to go deeper into sleep, to complete the cycle.

Although doc states no sedatives, I may try some melantonin next week, if this pattern persists. Each day, I wake up all I crave is more sleep.

I've completely eliminated sugar, soda (caffeine), approx 3 weeks ago. Still, no improvement.

Has anyone been on treatment for an extended amount of time, a year or longer, began to feel worse, after tremendous improvement ?

Sometimes, I really, really get tired of searching for answers, travelling up/down visiting hospital, talking to doctor, sleep doctor, any doctor, hoping for solutions.

And the worst part about it all is, not giving up on cpap, hoping to jump out of bed, and say I feel good !!!! You keep hoping and hoping and hoping and hoping, I'm sure you all get the point. I surely hope, I'm not one of those, that toss the cpap to the curb, going on 2 years Sorry for being so down, lack of sleep surely can create negative energy.

Thanks

[natethegreat]

I was just going to start a topic on this very issue. I havn't been on cpap that long, but I have been having a similar issue. I can sleep for anywhere from 4-8 hours, but feel extremely tired just a few hours after getting up. I was curious if the naps I had been taking to combat this issue were helping or hurting this situation.

[Spirit]

I was just going to start a topic on this very issue. I havn't been on cpap that long, but I have been having a similar issue. I can sleep for anywhere from 4-8 hours, but feel extremely tired just a few hours after getting up. I was curious if the naps I had been taking to combat this issue were helping or hurting this situation.

Hi Nate,
All of us experience, shorter sleep times, in the beginning. As we progress in treatments, sleep length improves, qaulity of sleep improves, along with apnea symptom relief. I experimented both ways, long naps help the situation, but also can cause poor sleep habits. By napping, a person can stay up later during the night, developing insomnia, which happened to me. But, by not taking a nap, the body is incapable of performing full speed. Short naps help, 15-30 minute naps, in time your body will began to adjust to the new lifestyle of cpap. Your quality of sleep will improve, in turn naps are no longer needed. Do not be discouraged my friend. I was once in your position, to becoming active, thanks to all the wonderful help I recieved at the forum.

I believe I am having a bad flare up of anxiety. Reason being, my mind/body and spirit, desires to achieve, and yet fatigue is not allowing me to, producing anxiety, producing fatigue, a cycle.

[Starlette]

Hi Gentlemen.

I have no answers. Just adding my .02 cents. As of late I’m experiencing the same thing. I’ve been on cpap for about 2 years. However, I feel I know what my energy stealer is *points towards job*. My job consists of 85% walking, and my home life is suffering for it. Today, I went in for my annual physical. Talked to PCP about it. She asked about cpap, I told her I don’t think it has anything to do with cpap therapy, rather my job. I told her I’m managing my therapy just fine and got software to manage it. So she did bloodwork on kidneys, liver, thyroid, vitamin b, the gamet (spelling?). We’ll see what the blood shows. My evening choices have been recently 1) walking zombie till bedtime; or 2) nap 1.5 – 3 hours after work, get up, putz around till bedtime, then go to bed. So I’m hopeful that it’s some deficiency that I just need to replenish.

Starlette

[JayR_1945]

I understand that a power nap (see book by James Maas) (for 1 to 1 and a half hours between 1 and 3 in th3e afternoon) can be good. Anything outside of that, in the morning or late afternoon/evening is bad, an indicator of a more serious sleep problem.

But about the end of January, my level of fatigue had increased dramatically. A blood test revealed high white blood cell count and a bunch of other stuff. My PCP put me on antibiotics. I feel a bit better, my hearing is starting to improve, but still get pooped easily. Feb/March is cardiac and flu season. And I hear there is a pnuemonia/flu bug going around. I'm hoping spring will fix a lot.

And, if you are still working in this crazy super stressful business world, I really feel for you.

[DoriC]

Just a thought, have you tried straight cpap pressure at somewhere around your 95%? Perhaps the changing pressures when you're dreaming are disturbing you. That's what's great about an auto, you have options.

[Emilia]

@ Starlette.... I hope the gamut included a vitamin D panel as well... most of us are deficient in D...especially D3, and this contributes to fatigue. 'Normal' range at most labs is 30-100, but the latest research shows that ideal levels should be 50-80. My initial test showed a D3 level of 33 and I have since gotten it up to 60.

[Breathe Jimbo]

Regular exercise seems to help me feel better, avoid napping, and sleep more soundly.

My urges to nap during the day seem to result from the boredom and stress of unemployment.

[Spirit]

Just a thought, have you tried straight cpap pressure at somewhere around your 95%? Perhaps the changing pressures when you're dreaming are disturbing you. That's what's great about an auto, you have options.

Hi Dori,
Thanks for input. Wonderful idea. I tried straight cpap last night at pressure 13.4 (1 month 95%),. And to my surprise, I woke up several times from leaks !!!

But having no data capability, leaves me in the dark.

Possible during auto, my pressure increases in deeper stages of sleep, creating leaks, disturbing sleep, decrease/increase etc.....

Will adjust mask tonight and give it another shot. Surely, wish I had data to review

[SleepyT]

why don't you have data?

[Spirit]

why don't you have data?

Data is malfunctioning. Records less then an hour, and now once/twice a week.

[SleepyT]

why don't you have data?

Data is malfunctioning. Records less then an hour, and now once/twice a week.

Ummm....bummer. That's a bit of a pickle! I hope you can get that corrected...

[Slinky]

Spirit, bypass your local DME provider and contact Resmed about the data malfunctioning of the AutoSet II. I'm willing to bet that they will repair/replace as needed to correct the problem. Resmed has always helped me out when I was still stuck w/that sheister first local provider until I could dump them.

[Spirit]

Spirit, bypass your local DME provider and contact Resmed about the data malfunctioning of the AutoSet II. I'm willing to bet that they will repair/replace as needed to correct the problem. Resmed has always helped me out when I was still stuck w/that sheister first local provider until I could dump them.

Hi Slinky,
Will contact ResMed tech support on Monday. Hoepfully they have a solution. Thanks.
Cheers

[idamtnboy]

The routine that seems to work for me, although it doesn't coincide ideally with world activities, is - I wake up around 7 to 7:30 after 6 to 7 hours in bed, sleeping good except for a few arousals long enough to roll over or fix the mask leak. Get up, but want to stay in bed. But the want is gone in less than 5 minutes. Go until I really want a nap anywhere from as early as 1 pm to as late as 6 pm. Nap for 30 to 45 minutes usually, then go until midnight to 1 am. Go to bed not really tired or sleepy, but knowing I must or I won't get up the next morn at a decent (?) hour.

I can go without the nap, but the need to go to bed an hour earlier than usual is there later. I don't really get tired or sleepy as long as I'm on the move, physically, but that's not the norm considering the time I spend drinking coffee and reading the paper in the morning and time on the computer throughout the day.