Hello to Everyone,
I'm new to the cpap life. Been at it since mid-May but had an off-and-on experience in June since we were on a family vacation that alternated tent camping and hotel room stays. And I couldn't convince the hubby to get me a separate power supply for my machine to camp with.....
Anyway, here's the run down- did my first sleep study in April-an overnight and a sleep latency(nap) test the next day. Dr was surprised at my results because I don't look like the "typical" OSA patient. I'm not overweight, don't have high blood pressure, don't have regular headaches. I was just really sleepy. He did do an exam and said that my soft palate closes the wrong way, so he ordered the sleep study. I digress---after first sleep study Dr calls and wants second one done with cpap. My first study showed an average of about 15 respiratory episodes per hour (I'm guessing that means stoppage of breath) just a few legs kicks, absolutely no REM sleep and apparently I'm quite an impressive snorer according to the tech who wired me up both times. My sleep latency test showed that I fell asleep in less that 5 minutes each of the four times I went to sleep (1min, 2.5, 3.5, 1.5) during the next day. Then comes the test with the cpap. Then get my machine in May(latest model Remstar with c-flex and built in humidifier). Of course the first week is rough. After two weeks I can finally sleep all night with the mask and hear the alarm clock for the first time in I don't know how long. Also seem not to feel as though I desperately need a nap. Then comes vacation.
We have been back for almost a month now. It seems as though I'm not making any progress. I can still sleep 10 -12 hours, I feel really sleepy in the afternoons, I fall asleep in no time. I don't seem to feel any different.
Back in May also had lots of blood work done to rule out other causes of fatigue--all came back normal. So here's my question---am I still tired because I haven't made up my sleep deficit yet or do I need to call my Dr back and discuss what's going on?
I'm open for suggestions. I'm not having any trouble with mask leaks, I have no indication that I'm mouth breathing (no drool on the pillow LOL), Hubby hasn't noticed any thing out of whack. So what's up here?
Thanks,
Sandy
How much longer til I'm not sleepy anymore?
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NoWonderYou'reTired
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2006 3:09 pm
- Location: Lower Alabama
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RestInSeattle
- Posts: 62
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 12:53 pm
- Location: Seattle
Welcome to the forum, nice to have you in our community.
As to the tired feeling, I've been on CPAP therapy for close to two years now and when looking back, it took some time to make up for the deficit.
While not an immediate overnight experience for me as some have described, I noticed almost immediately that I was not drowsy during critical tasks like driving my car after a couple weeks of CPAP use. However, it was only over a period of a year with small gradual changes in feelings of daytime energy that I really finally noticed a marked difference.
If I understand correctly, your body will bank a large deficit of disordered sleep that can take months of good sleep to balance out.
Last month, I finished a complete garden/landscaping project I'd been wanted to do for years and couldn't accomplish. Yeah!!! Now I don't feel bad when family visits from out of town as they like to visit outside as much as in. A little as a year ago I could only manage light/medium weeding activities from the energy levels I had at the time.
I find that after lots of CPAP use that I've now finally have plenty of daytime energy, but I actually get quite tired in the evening before going to bed. I think it's because I've finally adjusted correctly for a healthy sleep cycle.
In the past I'd be fatigued constantly, falling asleep for short durations during work, or any activity where I was sitting for a while (forget enjoying movies or other relationship activities like going out to dinner, I'd just nod off). Finally when I'd get to bed, I'd be waking up all the time and actually compensated by not sleeping much at all, probably 4 hours at an average as I'd dread the results of the apnea waking me up all the time.
While it's normal for banked sleep deprivation to take time to counteract, there can be other causes for continued fatigue so I'd recommend that you follow up with your physician to ensure nothing else. It's worth it to have him/her state that it's just making up for the deficit and nothing else after doing a through phsyical checkup.
Good luck!
As to the tired feeling, I've been on CPAP therapy for close to two years now and when looking back, it took some time to make up for the deficit.
While not an immediate overnight experience for me as some have described, I noticed almost immediately that I was not drowsy during critical tasks like driving my car after a couple weeks of CPAP use. However, it was only over a period of a year with small gradual changes in feelings of daytime energy that I really finally noticed a marked difference.
If I understand correctly, your body will bank a large deficit of disordered sleep that can take months of good sleep to balance out.
Last month, I finished a complete garden/landscaping project I'd been wanted to do for years and couldn't accomplish. Yeah!!! Now I don't feel bad when family visits from out of town as they like to visit outside as much as in. A little as a year ago I could only manage light/medium weeding activities from the energy levels I had at the time.
I find that after lots of CPAP use that I've now finally have plenty of daytime energy, but I actually get quite tired in the evening before going to bed. I think it's because I've finally adjusted correctly for a healthy sleep cycle.
In the past I'd be fatigued constantly, falling asleep for short durations during work, or any activity where I was sitting for a while (forget enjoying movies or other relationship activities like going out to dinner, I'd just nod off). Finally when I'd get to bed, I'd be waking up all the time and actually compensated by not sleeping much at all, probably 4 hours at an average as I'd dread the results of the apnea waking me up all the time.
While it's normal for banked sleep deprivation to take time to counteract, there can be other causes for continued fatigue so I'd recommend that you follow up with your physician to ensure nothing else. It's worth it to have him/her state that it's just making up for the deficit and nothing else after doing a through phsyical checkup.
Good luck!
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inacpapfog
- Posts: 538
- Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 6:03 pm
- Location: SC
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littlebaddow
- Posts: 416
- Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2004 12:21 pm
- Location: Essex, England
Hi Sandy and welcome.
The answer is probably yes, you are still paying back your sleep debt, but even so it's worth talking to the doc again. Self help is good, as is this forum, but the doc can offer advice if you keep him/her up to date with your progress. With due respect to hubby, he may not know exactly what he's looking out for.
In spite of what you say about having no leaks and not mouth breathing, don't rule them out. For most people, it seems to take a lot of tweaking and fiddling to get the set up that's just right and then to adapt to sleeping with all the gear.
Even so, it may take some time to feel the full benefit and you've effectively started again after your vacation. In my case, it took a couple of months before noticing a gradual improvement and another couple before I felt really well. Others take longer, but however long it takes, it really is worth it, so do stick with it and let us know how you get on.
Good luck.
The answer is probably yes, you are still paying back your sleep debt, but even so it's worth talking to the doc again. Self help is good, as is this forum, but the doc can offer advice if you keep him/her up to date with your progress. With due respect to hubby, he may not know exactly what he's looking out for.
In spite of what you say about having no leaks and not mouth breathing, don't rule them out. For most people, it seems to take a lot of tweaking and fiddling to get the set up that's just right and then to adapt to sleeping with all the gear.
Even so, it may take some time to feel the full benefit and you've effectively started again after your vacation. In my case, it took a couple of months before noticing a gradual improvement and another couple before I felt really well. Others take longer, but however long it takes, it really is worth it, so do stick with it and let us know how you get on.
Good luck.
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| Machine | Mask | |
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birdshell
- Posts: 1622
- Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:58 am
- Location: Southeast Michigan (Lower Peninsula)
Sleep Debt
I have had my CPAP equipment since April. I was sleeping 12-14 hours per day, and have slowly improved that. I am now averaging around 9 hours per day after only 3 months of therapy.
My summary of the CPAP therapy: it has made a subtle, but significant, difference in my energy level and thinking abilities. I cannot wait to see if there is any more improvement!
Stick with it; you are bound to feel some progress. See your sleep doc, though, and give him/her a chance to weigh in on this topic. There may be some tweaks that would help you.
My summary of the CPAP therapy: it has made a subtle, but significant, difference in my energy level and thinking abilities. I cannot wait to see if there is any more improvement!
Stick with it; you are bound to feel some progress. See your sleep doc, though, and give him/her a chance to weigh in on this topic. There may be some tweaks that would help you.
Still tired
To NoWonderYou'reTired -
Sleep debt is such an individual thing. I have multiple sleep disorders, and in April I stopped working, and just allowed myself to sleep whenever and wherever, with no apologies or struggles to stay awake. Seems my best sleep is in the wee to early morning hours, and waking up in the middle of that to go to work was stealing my best opportunity to rest. When I gave in and stopped the struggle, I crashed so hard I began to wonder if I was going to be able to pull up out of it. Some days I never even left the bedroom area. It was two and a half months of this before I began to rejoin life again. Now I am awake in 4-6 hour blocks AND fairly alert quite a few of those hours. So, after at least 10 years of inadequate sleep, I see some progress.
Sometimes one sleep disorder masks another. For instance, treating the OSA sometimes allows a previously repressed Periodic Limb Movement Disorder to come out. You mentioned your first study, but were there any limb movements on the cpap titration night? Either something else is going on or else your cpap treatment is not yet therapeutic. (Or it's just the sleep debt thing).
Hope you begin to feel rested soon.
Kathy
Sleep debt is such an individual thing. I have multiple sleep disorders, and in April I stopped working, and just allowed myself to sleep whenever and wherever, with no apologies or struggles to stay awake. Seems my best sleep is in the wee to early morning hours, and waking up in the middle of that to go to work was stealing my best opportunity to rest. When I gave in and stopped the struggle, I crashed so hard I began to wonder if I was going to be able to pull up out of it. Some days I never even left the bedroom area. It was two and a half months of this before I began to rejoin life again. Now I am awake in 4-6 hour blocks AND fairly alert quite a few of those hours. So, after at least 10 years of inadequate sleep, I see some progress.
Sometimes one sleep disorder masks another. For instance, treating the OSA sometimes allows a previously repressed Periodic Limb Movement Disorder to come out. You mentioned your first study, but were there any limb movements on the cpap titration night? Either something else is going on or else your cpap treatment is not yet therapeutic. (Or it's just the sleep debt thing).
Hope you begin to feel rested soon.
Kathy
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| Mask: TAP PAP Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Improved Stability Mouthpiece |
| Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control |
| Additional Comments: Bleep/DreamPort for full nights, Tap Pap for shorter sessions |
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littlebaddow
- Posts: 416
- Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2004 12:21 pm
- Location: Essex, England
I don't think you do until you've paid it backSibby wrote:No one mentioned sleep deficit to me. How do you know how much sleep deficit you have?
There may be some scientific types out there who can confirm this in technical terms, but I suspect it's a combination of how long you've had untreated OSA and how severe it was. My guess is it's more about the time your body has been lacking proper sleep.
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mister_hose
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:21 am
Okay, that makes me feel a little better about my situation. Been on CPAP nearly 2 weeks now, and haven't noticed any difference in my wakefulness or perceived sleep quality. Still feel tired. Then again, I was diagnosed with severe OSA (AHI=71, avg. dur. 17 sec) and have probably had it for 10-15 years... so 2 weeks probably is barely scratching the surface of my "sleep debt".littlebaddow wrote:I suspect [the amount of sleep debt is] a combination of how long you've had untreated OSA and how severe it was. My guess is it's more about the time your body has been lacking proper sleep.
"Mister Hose, that's my name, that name again is Mister Hose!"
I've been on CPAP since mid-May. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the machine, all the while I was struggling with tiredness. Eventually it started to go away, and I would feel much more alert than I have been for many years, but now recently I'm having trouble with tiredness again. I think it will be a long while yet before my sleep debt is fully paid; although I am feeling much better since I started treatment.
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