CPAPtalk.com

Even if I have more time to sleep, I'm generally ready to get up after 6 1/2 hours, unless my sleep has gotten interrupted. If I have had a really tiring day, sometimes I can go an hour beyond that. I still sometimes get sleepy during the day, but nothing like I did pre-CPAP, when I would generally get 8 hours of sleep.

BTW, I saw a segment by a doctor on one of the TV morning talk shows. He said that for a long time, the medical community pushed for a standard of 8 hours sleep a night. He said his opinion is that it is an individual thing. Some people do need 8 hours, but a lot of people don't. He said how you feel during the day should be your guide, not some standard. This will not be news to anyone here, but I thought it was interesting that there was some public discussion of it. The week before I saw another news segment on specifically on Apnea and CPAPs. Nothing new for this group there either, but at least the word is getting out!

Last night was my 60th night on PAP. I'm falling to sleep faster. I still get up at least once during the night to go to the bathroom but I fall right back asleep so I don't even count that as interrupted sleep. Its the nights before CPAP where I would often get up and NOT be able to get back to sleep that were the roughest. And getting to sleep was tough. So there is definite improvement. But I'm averaging 5-6 hours sleep per night w/PAP.

I'm also one who seems more "productive" in the late night, early morning hours and so tend to NOT want to go to bed regardless how tired or sleepy. I love it when I get my "second wind" and the sleepiness passes and I can keep "doing" into the late/early hours. Thankfully, I'm retired so don't have to fight the alarm clock in the morning!!!! I can sleep as late as I want - well, as late as my internal clock lets me.

Thanks.

So how do we know our CPAP's are doing what they should be? I notice many of you (myself included) are still very tired.

I get about 7 hrs a night.

I'm no pro, but I judge PAP as I judge everything else: by results. I'm still tired BUT I "am" seeing some improvement so I'll continue w/PAP. But I will NOT judge it a success until I DON'T wake up tired, until I can make it thru out the day w/o being excessively tired or until some other cause of my tiredness if found and proven. I don't expect miracles, but I do expect results that I recognize as results.

Anonymous wrote: So how do we know our CPAP's are doing what they should be? I notice many of you (myself included) are still very tired.

I don't believe the CPAP is the 100% cure for our problems, but is a fantastic beginning! What about exercise? What about diet? Other health issues?

The lower the AI and HI each night the better! Besides, for those of us who have suffered from sleep depravation for many months, it will take many months to build ourselves back up. Thank God for CPAP therapy, but let's keep it real and not expect it to solve all of our problems. Sometimes even normal people wake up tired! But then I'm not normal so what do I know?

Jeff

jrfoster wrote:

Anonymous wrote: So how do we know our CPAP's are doing what they should be? I notice many of you (myself included) are still very tired.

I don't believe the CPAP is the 100% cure for our problems, but is a fantastic beginning! What about exercise? What about diet? Other health issues?

The lower the AI and HI each night the better! Besides, for those of us who have suffered from sleep depravation for many months, it will take many months to build ourselves back up. Thank God for CPAP therapy, but let's keep it real and not expect it to solve all of our problems. Sometimes even normal people wake up tired! But then I'm not normal so what do I know?

Jeff

Mr.NoSleep wrote:
Not to sound dumb but what is AI and HI? I do have several health problems (mostly minor) and am on meds for them so that might have something to do with it.

I am talking about those episodes that we have when we stop breathing or almost stop breathing and our oxygen gets low. Those event wake us up and cause stress on our system. CPAP is to help bring those numbers down and help us prevent stroke, heart attacks, or simpy dying in bed!

Jeff

jrfoster wrote:

Anonymous wrote: So how do we know our CPAP's are doing what they should be? I notice many of you (myself included) are still very tired.

I don't believe the CPAP is the 100% cure for our problems, but is a fantastic beginning! What about exercise? What about diet? Other health issues?

Excellent point, Jeff! If OSA is the only problem we have, effective CPAP treatment can work wonders...immediately for some; over time for most. But it's not a panacea for every health issue that can make people feel tired or ill.

Typically eight hours a night. Up at the same time every day (6 AM) whether it is a work day or not.

Prior to Cpap I woke up every 1-2 hours and went to the bathroom every time, took three naps in the morning before going to work in the afternoon and falling asleep at my computer. Since starting treatment 16 months ago I now sleep 7 hours soundly, never wake up and have an average AHI of .04, am dreaming again, loads of energy and thank God every day that I got my life back.

I'm a little amazed by these responses. They feel a little anomalous. As someone who has struggled with sleep in a variety of ways over the years I pay more than cursory attention to news reports about sleep although I am not expert in any way. Most of the items I have read report that we are a sleep deprived nation, that few folks do well on less than 7 hours of sleep and the normal range of sleep requirements ranges from 7-10 hours. A remarkable number of respondents to this note report getting less than 7 hours (on xPAP) and doing OK with it.

For myself, if I don't get 8 hours even with CPAP I start out grouchy and feel seriously fatigued in mid-afternoon. If I can get 8.5-9 hours for a few days in a row I start to feel really good.

I find this thread interesting because of the low numbers. I have some other opinions about some (some, not necessarily respondents here) who report the requirement for low sleep hours but I'll hold them.

David