CPAP mystery

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Shorty1979
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2025 12:03 am

CPAP mystery

Post by Shorty1979 » Mon Feb 03, 2025 12:10 am

Can somebody please tell me how you lose 40 pounds and your sleep apnea gets worse I can no longer sleep all night through without the machine I can’t lay with just one pillow and I actually fall asleep durning the day now

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robysue1
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Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2022 3:39 pm
Location: Buffalo, NY

Re: CPAP mystery

Post by robysue1 » Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:58 am

Shorty1979 wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 12:10 am
Can somebody please tell me how you lose 40 pounds and your sleep apnea gets worse
Because some people's sleep apnea is not related to their weight. Some of us just have a much smaller upper airway than normal. Some of us just have an upper airway that is more prone to collapsing even when our weight is in the normal range.
I can no longer sleep all night through without the machine
CPAP works by preventing the upper airway from repeatedly collapsing while we are asleep. Once the body gets used to sleeping without all of the apneas, it can really dislike the apnea-filled sleep that recurs as soon as you try to sleep without the machine.
I can’t lay with just one pillow and I actually fall asleep durning the day now
Without having a much more complete picture of your health history, no-one can answer these questions.

So:

How old are you now? How old were you when you first were diagnosed with sleep apnea? Our sleep changes as we age.

Any known history of GERD or related problems?

How old is your mattress?

How much actual sleep do you get each night with the CPAP? How much sleep do you wind up getting without the CPAP?

Have you checked the AHI data from you CPAP recently? Is the AHI still consistently below 5.0? (If not, that would probably explain why you fall asleep during the day)

Any history of other medical conditions that have daytime fatigue and daytime sleepiness as a symptom? Have your vitamin D level and your thyroid level been checked recently?
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AusJ
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2024 10:52 pm
Location: Australia

Re: CPAP mystery

Post by AusJ » Tue Feb 04, 2025 2:19 am

robysue1 has a lot of good points there and it would be very helpful to understand a bit more about your sleep environment.

Just to add my two cents, can you clarify
Shorty1979 wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 12:10 am
I can’t lay with just one pillow
Has your sleeping position changed since you lost weight and do you sleep on your side or back? If it has, you might want to look into a different (or new) pillow.

Keep in mind that if you sleep on your back, then multiple pillows or very thick pillows can push your head too far forward and restrict your airway.

Janknitz
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Location: Northern California

Re: CPAP mystery

Post by Janknitz » Wed Feb 05, 2025 3:13 pm

I had increased apnea when I lost weight, but I think in my case it was because the mask was no longer fitting as well. Seems like I lost weight in my face first!
Changing the mask helped.
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Nocibur
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Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2025 6:08 am

Re: CPAP mystery

Post by Nocibur » Fri Feb 07, 2025 2:45 am

Shorty1979 wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 12:10 am
Can somebody please tell me how you lose 40 pounds and your sleep apnea gets worse...
Define "worse".

D.H.
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Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2016 7:07 pm

Re: CPAP mystery

Post by D.H. » Fri Feb 07, 2025 3:39 pm

A significant weight loss (or gain) could mean that your pressure setting needs to be reëvaluated.

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Julie
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Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:58 pm

Re: CPAP mystery

Post by Julie » Fri Feb 07, 2025 4:22 pm

Good point!