please help me feel rested

jrock_jeep · Post by **jrock_jeep** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 3:49 pm

I have been using cpap since 6/26/2019, still feel tired most of the time. My DR just changed my air to a straight 9 vs 7-15. not sure 1 day @ that and I will noticed a difference, but the DR says everything else looks ok. I don't know how to read these charts for what is good and what to look for. Around January 2019 I started training for a relay race that I would run in August, Hood to Coast, I would run 3 legs all about 6 miles. I have been fairly active my whole life, just a tad bit heavy. About 1 month in to traing I felt like crap and had zero energy, after several DR appointments it was suspected that I has OSA. All other test's, blood work, ekg, etc, check out good. My DR was very happy with the blood work and stress test. So on to the Cpap. It helped at 1st but has been up and down since july. some days are ok most i'm still tired. I do a lot of hiking and am ok doing 5-10 miles of strenuous hiking, but just feel tired. I am hoping that someone on here can shed some much needed light into how I may start to feel rested after sleeping.
Thanks

palerider · Post by **palerider** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 5:07 pm

Step 1, set your machine's max pressure to 20, right now, you're preventing it from taking any action to help you breathe better.

Sometimes, doctors are stupid.

jrock_jeep · Post by **jrock_jeep** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 5:25 pm

it was set @ 7-15 for the last couple months. the switch to straight 9 was done just yesterday. Also I take no medications.

palerider · Post by **palerider** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 6:25 pm

jrock_jeep wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 21, 2019 5:25 pm
it was set @ 7-15 for the last couple months. the switch to straight 9 was done just yesterday. Also I take no medications.

And?

7 was too low, your machine isn't very responsive.

I read what you said the first time.

jrock_jeep · Post by **jrock_jeep** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 6:27 pm

ok I will bump the high level up. Thank you

jrock_jeep · Post by **jrock_jeep** » Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:10 pm

this is the data the last 2 nights, Also I feel a little more energy throughout the day. Any thing in this data that I should focus on more? Something else I need to start doing? I am a sidesleeper and will roll to my back at times.
Thanks for the help.

zonker · Post by **zonker** » Mon Dec 23, 2019 3:20 pm

jrock_jeep wrote: ↑
Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:10 pm
this is the data the last 2 nights, Also I feel a little more energy throughout the day. Any thing in this data that I should focus on more? Something else I need to start doing? I am a sidesleeper and will roll to my back at times.
Thanks for the help.

you continue to look good, as far as i can see. others may see some tweaks ahead. if it were me, i'd stay with your current settings for a few days. maybe santa will come see you and give you truly restful sleep!

this is going to take a bit of time to get your mind and body adjusted. you say you're noticing some improvements during the day. that's the most important bit, right there. good numbers aren't the end all and be all if you don't feel the improvements.

so let us know how it goes over the coming week. you may have this dialed in already!

palerider · Post by **palerider** » Mon Dec 23, 2019 5:17 pm

The numbers look great, the machine thinks you're sleeping well most of the night. Let it go for a couple more days, and see if you're feeling any better. bumping the pressure up to 10 might smooth things out more, which could result in better sleep...

jrock_jeep · Post by **jrock_jeep** » Thu Dec 26, 2019 5:40 pm

here are the last 3 days, with last night being bumped up to 10 on the min. other than waking a couple time I slept ok. On the Pressure graph am I looking for what the line was last night?
Also thank you for the help, a week here has been so much more help than my DR/

palerider · Post by **palerider** » Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:18 pm

Are you feeling more rested?

> On the Pressure graph am I looking for what the line was last night?

I don't understand the question.

zonker · Post by **zonker** » Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:41 pm

jrock_jeep wrote: ↑
Thu Dec 26, 2019 5:40 pm
here are the last 3 days, with last night being bumped up to 10 on the min. other than waking a couple time I slept ok. On the Pressure graph am I looking for what the line was last night?
Also thank you for the help, a week here has been so much more help than my DR/

grrr. i just typed a long response and then due to my slippery fingers, lost it! grrr.

basically, you are looking at the red line on the pressure graph. see how it rises in conjunction with the splotches of color in you events graph? this means the machines pressure rose to help combat these events.

specifically, look at the pressure graph. slide your eyes to the left. there will be tiny numbers in a column. this shows you how high and low the pressure went through the night.

at least, i think that's what your asking. if not, rephrase it and we'll take another shot at it!

as pr asks, how are you feeling? there is more to sleep apnea than good numbers. all the good numbers you can get doesn't mean you slept well. it helps but it's not everything.

as for doctors....yeah, you're learning what all of us have learned!

jrock_jeep · Post by **jrock_jeep** » Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:42 pm

yes feeling slightly more rested. When I look at the pressure graph, what should it look like in an ideal situation?

zonker · Post by **zonker** » Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:49 pm

jrock_jeep wrote: ↑
Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:42 pm
yes feeling slightly more rested. When I look at the pressure graph, what should it look like in an ideal situation?

AH! now i get you.

and the answer is-

not much. we are each of us different. the events in that make up my ahi and your ahi and palerider's ahi, these are all different because we are all different. so what works for me won't necessarily work for thee. this means that we will each have a different pressure line. there is no "ideal".

this is what i think is what of the hardest things to get used to about cpap. it's not a one size fits all situation. it's not one and done. i think sleep doctors(the majority of them) do a disservice by acting as though by just hooking up to the machine, you'll be good to go.

that's why we emphasize how we feel after a nights sleep rather than what those numbers are. true, once you optimize the therapy, things should fall into place. and that can take a some time to accomplish.

good luck!

jrock_jeep · Post by **jrock_jeep** » Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:58 pm

Zonker,
Thank you. just trying to figure out what I should look at for optimizing my setup, or if there is something that sticks out and can change. This has been a big help. Every time I called the DR they just said give it more time and you should feel better, but I wasn't going in the right direction and now I feel as if I can only go forward from here. Is there anything that one should look at on these graphs that might be red flags for posting for help? I do understand that the #'s aren't everything and how I feel is more important that the #'s, just looking for insight on catching something before it goes on too long.

palerider · Post by **palerider** » Thu Dec 26, 2019 7:54 pm

jrock_jeep wrote: ↑
Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:42 pm
yes feeling slightly more rested. When I look at the pressure graph, what should it look like in an ideal situation?

With your machine? in the hypothetical 'ideal' situation, it'd look like a saw blade, little spikes all the way across, which I've never seen happen.

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