Can Itamar WatchPAT distinguish types of events?

[Morbius]

The tech at the sleep center I went to had nothing good to say about WatchPAT; he pointed out that you can desaturate simply by turning over in bed, because it's natural to hold your breath when moving, and supposedly it is likely to then call that a respiratory event, whereas he, the sleep technician who is watching your night in bed, would call it a turning-over-in-bed event.

Did you show him your study, where body position changes are clearly noted, and those artifacts can be edited? And even if all position changes had associated "respiratory events", it would still only amount to a handful?

[Darth Lady]

Well, no, I didn't. And I know he would not have commented on it, because after all, there are "rules." That night was probably pretty average for me, which meant that I did a bit of moving without completely changing the side I was lying on. Although I guess it excludes anything that happens while it registers that you are awake. While that may not generate 22 arousals/hour or an AHI of 12, it might account for more "junk."

I'm getting pretty cynical about the whole experience myself. While I don't know yet what came out of the sleep study, the times I was awake, the pressure being supplied seemed, if anything, lower than what I use at home. My doctor believes the WatchPAT study over what my machine says, the sleep tech of course believes in himself, and what none of them can do is actually help me (well, among them, I'm laying my bets on dear Dartha the ASV in the help department). I'll ask about the PLM possibility; there was some talk of involving a neurologist specializing in sleep, and I guess I'll let them have their fun. Whatever. I'll work on pain relief, hope that the menopausal process winds down sooner rather than later, and who knows? eventually someone might figure out what is causing my neuromuscular problems and whether that is screwing up my sleep. Honestly I don't expect much.

What the heck. An AHI of at worst 12 is better than an AHI of 27, which is what I started with. and if it's really less than 1 as Dartha says, so much the better. I don't mind xPAP at all; I'll keep using it.

I also thank you, Morbius, once again, for trying to figure out what is going on here.