sufocation event

I had an interesting experience last night, I currently have some kind of upper respiratory infection and a stuffy nose. Sometime early this morning, I looked at the clock when it happened, I startled awake not breathing. I use a nasal mask, and have pretty much trained myself to breath through my nose, maybe too well. I believe because my nose was stuffed up, I failed to breath in for long enough to have an issue. Sleepyhead data doesn't really show much, no events appear to have been logged at the time I think it happened. I can see a huge jump in tidal volume which I presume is after or as I startled awake, but no particular gap in the flow rate. I'd post some charts, but I don't currently have the energy to figure out how, and I don't think there's too much to see. It was a little scary, but doesn't look serious in the data.

I will say, if I try to sleep without CPAP any more, it's a disaster. I used to be able to "sleep" through the events, but now I appear to be dependent on the machine, and without it I wake up every few minutes. Takes the fun out of informal napping.

Your stuffy nose was what woke you up. Ain't nature great?
I usually consider that a cue for a squirt of nasal decongestant on each side,
wait a bit, then blow out the crud.
Keep the magic handy; then if it happens again, you are ready.
I think it unusual that you have gone nearly 5 years without this experience,
but I have lived with allergies for a quite a long time.
Cpap was the 2nd best thing for my allergies--antihistamines are #1.

Yup, that's exactly what I did. Usually the pressure from the CPAP keeps my nasal passages open. I must be extra stuffy right now.

jim22 wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:52 am

I will say, if I try to sleep without CPAP any more, it's a disaster. I used to be able to "sleep" through the events, but now I appear to be dependent on the machine, and without it I wake up every few minutes. Takes the fun out of informal napping.

People tell themselves this, but it's a fallacy.

Previously, you were passed out from exhaustion, your body desperate for any bit of rest it could get, and you just wouldn't remember the hundreds of times you were jolted out of sleep every night.

jim22 wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:52 am

...I used to be able to "sleep" through the events...

Our bodies change our biochemistry to attempt to deal with the oxygen desaturations that occur with apneic events. It shifts to resemble those who live at high altitudes with increased red blood cells, increased hemoglobin, amongst others. I had this shift the first 2 years or so as I was not getting optimized therapy. I had good not ideal results from CPAP therapy with increased restful sleep, low AHI, restoration of many cognitive functions BUT my progress was very slow. Finding this forum, getting educated, switching to a full-data APAP, changing to a hybrid-style FFM, tweaks to increase low pressure to be closer to my reported median pressure (on ResMed S8) -- all optimized my results so that I have had an annual AHI of 0.1 since those changes in 2009 and returned my bloodwork to normal ranges. It is rare for me to have a daily AHi >0.3. My sleep doc and I consider me an excellent example of well-treated OSA. I think he checked out this forum when I told him how much peer-to-peer help I got as he's remarkably open-minded without the typical God complex. Having lost those biochemical attempts to deal with desaturations, I think sleeping without my equipment would be very risky as I tested in the severe category.

palerider wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:45 pm

jim22 wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:52 am

I will say, if I try to sleep without CPAP any more, it's a disaster. I used to be able to "sleep" through the events, but now I appear to be dependent on the machine, and without it I wake up every few minutes. Takes the fun out of informal napping.

People tell themselves this, but it's a fallacy.

Previously, you were passed out from exhaustion, your body desperate for any bit of rest it could get, and you just wouldn't remember the hundreds of times you were jolted out of sleep every night.

That's why I put the quotes around "sleep".