CPAPtalk.com

I think the causes, diagnosis, and treatment for breathing problems while awake is generally very different from the causes, diagnosis and treatment for "sleep apnea," even for "central apnea.

In practice there may be some overlap, but the mindset is different for the doctors. Mentioning "apnea" may get them into a bit of tunnel vision for sleep specific problems.

Logically, it would seem that breathing problems while awake would probably still be there or be worse while asleep.

To my mind, the big danger is for someone with severe OSA to think "oh no, my daytime breathing got a little funny soon after I went on CPAP, so I'd better stop doing CPAP."

For me, the commonness experience of some with severe OSA noticing some harmless daytime glitches in their daytime ventilatory drive for a while soon after initiating nocturnal CPAP is enough to convince me that a few pauses in breathing during the day may be a good sign, not a bad one--a sign that things are changing/healing. As the chemoreceptors adapt to the changes in O2 and CO2 occurring at night, especially when that is a dramatic and sudden change, would, it seems to me, naturally have some noticable effect on daytime breathing for some.

However, yes, ANY changes in daytime breathing that seem out of the ordinary should be discussed with a doc, since it may be an indication that something more than CPAP is needed.

Then again, I'm in way over my head. I just remember doing a bunch of research on it back when I was experiencing it. Didn't save any of it though after it stopped happening to me.

And, by the way, if anyone wants to check his or her daytime O2 levels, a recording oximeter is not needed--just a cheap one that gives a reading.