Is it normal to feel sleepy in the afternoon?

I think they were more likely referring to long term effects being reversed easily once on Cpap, rather than e.g. individual late nights that you catch up on a day later. And the trouble is (as far as I see it) that other things can be involved, some not present when we first started Cpap (unfortunately, we're all getting older), like thyroid problems, low T, fibromyalgia, etc. etc. that take their own toll.

Sleeper Agent wrote:I had sleep apnea my whole life, and so has never known what is normal. Just started CPAP for 2.5 weeks.

Recently worked out most of the problems and has been extremely refreshed and awake. But I would often get sleepy in the afternoon, say 1 pm to 6 pm, but very awake in the morning and night. A different kind of sleepiness however; much less severe, more like drowsiness.

Is this normal? Or am I still paying off my sleep debt?

at 2.5 weeks you are still healing from years of sleep deprivation.

I work for a very large company (over 300K employees). The company has a policy that actually permits afternoon "power naps", for 15-30 min, especially for salaried employees that don't have a manufacturing related position. They acknowledge that after 5-6 hours of working on projects/solving problems, that fatigue can set in. If all that you need is a short nap, then it's probably not much to worry about. If you need 4 hours of sleep, then your treatment may not be fully effective.

BlackSpinner wrote: at 2.5 weeks you are still healing from years of sleep deprivation.

Just turned 1 month today.

It will definitely take a year or more to heal from the sleep deprivation. I was just wondering if the fact that I am still sleepy in the afternoon is something every successful CPAPer goes through, or do I have a another problem.

I have started going back to sleeping 9-10 hours recently (8-8.5 of them with mask on). Maybe my body is craving for the good sleep? I wish there was documented research on how CPAPers feel as they recover.

I have been on CPAP since Feb 2014. Before that, I would drift off quite frequently in the late afternoon, especially while watching TV. Since starting therapy, it is unheard of. I have not had an AHI score above 1.0 since starting and the infamous head bob in the afternoon is gone. And the sleepiness while driving is also completely a thing of the past.

I can't say that I sleep through the night uninterrupted. I wake up a fair amount to fix leaks etc. But obviously, I am getting much better sleep than before.

There are other sleep disorders besides OSA. I have narcolepsy, and never know when I will suddenly get the urge to sleep. Especially in the afternoons, if I am not engaged in a task I will drift right to sleep. For me it has nothing to do with the amount of sleep I had the night before. Narcoleptics are in a constant state of sleep debt. I use CPAP to treat my very mild REM induced hypopnea (my O2 saturation never went below 95% even with an AHI of 9 during my last sleep study). I finally sleep through the night, but I am still tired during the day. Sometimes I just have to give in, and close my eyes for a few minutes. I wake up refreshed and ready to go, until the next wave hits.

RobertS975 wrote:I have been on CPAP since Feb 2014. Before that, I would drift off quite frequently in the late afternoon, especially while watching TV. Since starting therapy, it is unheard of. I have not had an AHI score above 1.0 since starting and the infamous head bob in the afternoon is gone. And the sleepiness while driving is also completely a thing of the past.

Was the improvement incremental? Meaning that you felt better and better over months before you realized how much you have improved? Or was there a sudden switch?

Do you also feel alert and focused during the day? And do you need less sleep than before CPAP?

Sorry for barrage of questions but its hard to find accounts of successful CPAP treatment.

SA - I don't remember what equipment you have or if you said what your pressures are, and don't know how much you track things on your computer, but have you looked into raising the pressure at all, or any other obvious issues?

Julie wrote:SA - I don't remember what equipment you have or if you said what your pressures are, and don't know how much you track things on your computer, but have you looked into raising the pressure at all, or any other obvious issues?

Resmed S9 autoset, with humidifier, full face mask.

I read my results everyday. I have been trying to fix the aerophagia (viewtopic/t99251/My-fight-with-aerophag ... owing.html), but recently resolved most of it.

With a "successful" 2 < AHI < 4, I wonder why I am still feeling sleepy. There were a few days in the beginning where I was super awake, clear minded and productive. But not anymore.

Sleeper Agent wrote:

BlackSpinner wrote: at 2.5 weeks you are still healing from years of sleep deprivation.

Just turned 1 month today.

It will definitely take a year or more to heal from the sleep deprivation. I was just wondering if the fact that I am still sleepy in the afternoon is something every successful CPAPer goes through, or do I have a another problem.

I have started going back to sleeping 9-10 hours recently (8-8.5 of them with mask on). Maybe my body is craving for the good sleep? I wish there was documented research on how CPAPers feel as they recover.

All sleep needs to be with the mask on or you are undoing the good of sleeping with a mask on. Yes your body is probably craving that. I went through about a month or two of sleeping up to 10 hours a night, then t cleared up and went down to 7.5 hours.

Keep a journal of time slept, ahi and how you feel mentally, physically and emotionally - start with a couple of pages about how you felt before you started. Then you can see the change as you get more time under your belt. So of the changes are subtle - like mood and perceptions.

Also remember we all have natural rhythms - many people have lows in the afternoon, especially if the eat a big meal with carbs and sugars at lunch. Try sticking to salads and meat.

In the run up to my sleep lab I was training myself to take a 30-45 min "siesta" straight after eating and early lunch at or just before noon. Since starting clap 2 months ago that routine has stayed with me and seems to help with energy throughout the afternoon and evening. If I sleep later or longer though I am kinda out of it for the rest of the day.

I always needed a nap before CPAP and lost several hours every weekend sleeping in the afternoon. It was better with C
Pap but the following is also true:

If you eat late lunches made up of mostly carbs (i.e. pasta), it can mess up your blood sugar like mad and turn you into a half asleep zombie for hours... one thing to think about I guess... if the shoe fits, consider lightening your lunch to more protein and salads, etc.

If you don't find a relief to afternoon sleepiness once you get your treatment well-dialed in, consider this advice.

There are very few afternoons that I don't feel like taking a nap. Sometimes I give in and sometimes I don't. I've felt that afternoon sleepiness for many years. I rarely "sleep" tho. I close my eyes and just relax... which is a good thing because if I actually fell asleep I'd never sleep at night.

However, just to be on the safe side, I'd double check that your pressures are correct as well as going over your meds with your doctor.

Update: after 1 month and 1 week of 7+ hours a night with low AHI....I no longer feel sleepy in the afternoon!

Looks like I was sleeping off my debt!