Catching up?

[Oddprofessor]

My Sleepyhead data is looking better and better. I'm down to very few episodes of apnea each night, and I'm sleeping somewhat better. I certainly am sleeping later every morning, and it's much harder to get up than it used to be. So... what's up with that? I thought that it was not possible to make up for lost sleep. I thought that one good night's sleep was pretty much all you could do for any deficit. Or maybe it didn't, but that you couldn't make up for it over time.

So, what's happening? I don't feel markedly different now that I'm sleeping better. I've been waiting to feel at least SOME different, but so far, no biggie. But will I? As time goes on, and I sleep better, will I feel something? I didn't realize that I'd put such store on feeling "better," whatever that means.

Vicki

[Wulfman...]

My Sleepyhead data is looking better and better. I'm down to very few episodes of apnea each night, and I'm sleeping somewhat better. I certainly am sleeping later every morning, and it's much harder to get up than it used to be. So... what's up with that? I thought that it was not possible to make up for lost sleep. I thought that one good night's sleep was pretty much all you could do for any deficit. Or maybe it didn't, but that you couldn't make up for it over time.

So, what's happening? I don't feel markedly different now that I'm sleeping better. I've been waiting to feel at least SOME different, but so far, no biggie. But will I? As time goes on, and I sleep better, will I feel something? I didn't realize that I'd put such store on feeling "better," whatever that means.

Vicki

(from my own experience) I think it's that your body is trying to pay off your sleep debt and is also enjoying this new experience. Good sleep just feels "good". Enjoy it.


Den

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[SleepyToo2]

It seems that everyone's experience is unique. It can take a few days (as few as 1 for some lucky people) to many months. It probably depends to some extent on getting the pressure dialed in correctly, but an auto machine is not the answer for everyone. Think pressure (fixed or auto), ramp, humidity, exhalation pressure relief, leaks, and you start to get some idea of the variables in the machine itself (without thinking about all the different types and shapes of mask). Then add the variables around our selves and environment: stress, temperature, bed, clothing, pillows, bed partners, pets, air temperature, cleanliness of the air, how often we clean our equipment, allergies, colds/flu, mood. Just keep on trying to get as many variables under control as you possibly can, and things will start to improve. You may find things improve suddenly, or you may find them improving over time. My migraines went away/got less very quickly, the brain fog feeling a lot longer. It sounds like you are doing great, so please continue what you are doing!

[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. Whoever said you can't catchup has no idea what they are talking about.

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 wish you good luck!

[Pugsy]

How many hours of sleep do you think you are now averaging..like average for the last 7 nights?
Do you take any meds of any kind (even OTC) and if so...what, dose and when you take it?

You may simply need more time before you start seeing some benefits but it doesn't hurt to do a little detective work while you are "giving it time".
When I first started therapy I noticed 2 main improvements...my killer morning headaches went away and my need to get up an pee every hour went away. The other stuff for "feeling better" came on real slow and gradual like. I still don't feel like running a marathon when I get up in the mornings but at least I don't feel like I just ran one. I have never been a morning person though...I was kinda hoping the machine would transform me into one but it didn't do that. Unrealistic expectations on my part in that arena.

What were your main symptoms pre cpap? Anything like I had with the headaches or nocturia? Or just general energy level stuff? Sleepiness during the day? It took 2 years and a different machine before my need to nap in the afternoon went away.
What is it that you want to be "better"?

[kteague]

From what I've read, catching up on sleep doesn't really take as long as it takes some people to feel they've caught up. I think of the time between repaying the sleep debt and feeling caught up as a recovery period. With any illness or trauma we are advised to get extra rest and and allow ourselves to heal. As long as there aren't other contributors to any desire to sleep beyond what is reasonably expected, I think when the body and brain heals it will need less sleep. Took a long time for me to wake up one day, see the sun outside, and feel like I was ready to wake up and go out. Hadn't felt that in so many years it was like a rebirth.

[Oddprofessor]

I go to bed every night at about 10:30 and get up at about 6:30 or 7:00, every day, weekends included. I use the machine all night, every night. I fall asleep easily, and normally wake up (awake enought to remember being awake) between 2:00 and 3:00 AM. Sometimes I can go back to sleep almost immediately, sometimes I'm awake for 2 hours. I take a couple of meds, none which should have any sleep impact. No caffeine after noon. There seems to be no difference between nights when I haven't had alcohol and nights when I have. I never drink just before bed, in any case. I hate going to bed even with a tiny buzz, so no booze for me after 7:00 PM ever.

I was never very sleepy during the day. I had just lost any enthusiasm for life. My job (which objectively rocks) was meh, I never wanted to go out. Just getting ready for the day took a monumental effort. ("How bad would it be if I didn't shower today?") I was anxious about things that I can't help, and often kept myself awake obsessing about an some small unkindness I perpetrated 20 years ago, or reviewing every horror in the news. Bupropion is helping the anxiety and the catastrophic thinking quite a bit. But I still don't have a lot of enthusiasm for life, and I used to be on the go all.the.time. Of course, I'm not young anymore (61), but still... I want to look forward to my days. And since I have to work for a few more years anyway, I want to enjoy it. I really do have the best job in the world, and I'd really like to dig back into it instead of just kind of being competent and leaving it at that.

I don't seem to have to get up for the bathroom in the middle of night anymore. I hadn't noticed that, but that is a change. It was never a serious problem, but it's not happening at all anymore. Hm.

Vicki

[Bill44133]

My best advise to you is to give it more time.. Just keep monitoring your data make sure you don't have leaks.

Since you arent severe it will take more time for results. My guess is day by day you will get better.

I wish you good luck!

[BlackSpinner]

Before I got cpap I used to leap out of bed early, now I don't. I finally realized it was the massive adrenaline rush of getting an event that gave me that "jump out of bed, it's a beautiful morning" feeling.

It took about a month to 6 weeks and I suddenly got excited about my art work and my job again. It was subtle at first. <i remember that before I got my cpap I got a flyer about a conference on doll making in the next city over about an hour from me then. I just tossed it aside. about 3 -4 weeks after starting cpap I was cleaning up(really?) and found it again and thought "why not, its not far" and I registered. about a week later I thought "Hey I can finish the piece that is sitting there (for 6 months) and enter it into the show".

[Pugsy]

Please take the time to do some research on the possible side effects of Bupropion.

[araris]

New to this forum but this thread relates to me

I was diagnosed sleep apnea a little over two years ago. My sleep apnea is mild but I feel like crap all the time
Sleep study said my ahi was 9 but that whenever I entered REM sleep my ahi went up to 28-33 time Ann hour


My Dr prescribed me a cpap and I tried for a year to get acclimated to it but could adjust to it because it caused me terrible stabbing pain gas. Dr advice was to take gas x.
That don't work

I eventually tried various mouthpieces with not
Much luck

My apnea is so bad now I feel rotten all the time. I've aLways kept myself in shape but have gained about 20 pounds because I try to ready myself into wakefulness and its very hard for me to get up at 4:30 in the morning anymore. I work two jobs so it's hard working out at night add well.
Very depressed about all of this

I had my Dr get me another cpap asked for an apap but got an auto cpap.
I've been compliant for two weeks now but still feel like crap

My ahi is all over the place. One night it's 7 the next it's 12 next it's 4 next it's 9

Questions:
Will my ahi normalize eventually and be under 5?

How long before I start feeling ?
Unless I take modafinil I struggle throughout the day

[SleepWellCPAP]

I really like this thread a lot.

Certainly not because you're realizing less than expected benefit, but because your comments reflect so many people's experience with pressure therapy. Gosh, I have heard stories like this so many times, I don't think I could count them all if I tried.

The interesting thing about xPAP therapy is that, it, by itself, though certainly helpful, does not guarantee a recuperative night's rest. So many other things can play a part, as others have suggested here. Medications, sleep timing, naps longer than 15-20 minutes, stress, chronic pain, lack of aerobic activity, and what I think may be most prominent in your case, is the deceptively disruptive act of simply thinking about things during resting hours.

Recuperative rest is based on rhythmic sleep stages. These are defined by your brain activity. Start solving problems during the night and voila!, you will not feel as rested the next day.

I'm sorry this post might raise more questions than answers. Another thought that came to mind, since 60 is the new 40, could hormone or body clock issues be playing role?

[archangle]

My Sleepyhead data is looking better and better. I'm down to very few episodes of apnea each night, and I'm sleeping somewhat better. I certainly am sleeping later every morning, and it's much harder to get up than it used to be. So... what's up with that? I thought that it was not possible to make up for lost sleep. I thought that one good night's sleep was pretty much all you could do for any deficit. Or maybe it didn't, but that you couldn't make up for it over time.

So, what's happening? I don't feel markedly different now that I'm sleeping better. I've been waiting to feel at least SOME different, but so far, no biggie. But will I? As time goes on, and I sleep better, will I feel something? I didn't realize that I'd put such store on feeling "better," whatever that means.

Vicki

There's lots of debate about "sleep debt," but even if everything is right withe the CPAP, some new CPAPers feel more tired for a while. It usually goes away in a few weeks or months. I think it's just that your body chemistry, sleep patterns, brain, etc. have adapted to being strangled every few minutes during sleep and you're "out of balance" until your body adjusts to breathing all night long. I think it's a bit like stopping smoking, drinking, caffeine, or other drugs. You feel bad for a while despite things being better for your health.

[Bill44133]

New to this forum but this thread relates to me

I was diagnosed sleep apnea a little over two years ago. My sleep apnea is mild but I feel like crap all the time
Sleep study said my ahi was 9 but that whenever I entered REM sleep my ahi went up to 28-33 time Ann hour


My Dr prescribed me a cpap and I tried for a year to get acclimated to it but could adjust to it because it caused me terrible stabbing pain gas. Dr advice was to take gas x.
That don't work

I eventually tried various mouthpieces with not
Much luck

My apnea is so bad now I feel rotten all the time. I've aLways kept myself in shape but have gained about 20 pounds because I try to ready myself into wakefulness and its very hard for me to get up at 4:30 in the morning anymore. I work two jobs so it's hard working out at night add well.
Very depressed about all of this

I had my Dr get me another cpap asked for an apap but got an auto cpap.
I've been compliant for two weeks now but still feel like crap

My ahi is all over the place. One night it's 7 the next it's 12 next it's 4 next it's 9

Questions:
Will my ahi normalize eventually and be under 5?

How long before I start feeling ?
Unless I take modafinil I struggle throughout the day

Part of being able to lose weight is proper rest. Reads like you are monitoring you sleep data. Are checking for leaks?
Leaking masks will compromise your therapy? If you were diagnosed over 2 years ago then you most likely will have to
pay your sleep debt before you can feel "normal" again.

I wish you good luck!

[araris]

Yes not any big leaks. Thanks man. I've actually lost muscle and gained fat. I was 215 last January with around 12,% body fat. Now I'm like 198 with 18% bf

I hate this.
I just feel soo tired all day long