theres126

Yikes - from what I'm seeing, I'm having a lot of clear airway events (and event flags). What's the number after them? How long they last?

That's the same mask my husband and I use, but somehow we get leaks when on our sides. I'm not sure why - and his are gushing leaks. I do like the design of it though. I also have permanent bruises on each cheek - it must sit funny on my face. All that being said though, I don't think I'll change. Which nose piece is which - cushion vs pillows? I get them confused!

Haha - good point!

Just downloaded sleepyhead and imported my data. To clarify your instructions above, the "home" button is the one on top? Just want to make sure I'm pressing the right thing :)

And with just a preliminary look at the first screen on sleepyhead, it sure does look like I had a lot more leaks and clear airway events when I stopped mouth taping....

Yeah, I actually get "Clear Airway" events every night. Usually about 1/2 of whatever my AHI score is. The doctor seemed okay with that though........ Of course, he's about 12 (or looks it), so I question his thoughts on it sometimes.....

Thanks for your reply. And, you're right - so hard to think through things when so tired. He's using the dreamwear headgear - same as me - and the Resmed Bipap (not sure the model). And, a chin strap. Doesn't seem to work. And, I can't do HRT, since I had hormone positive breast cancer about 12 years ago, which limits my options :/

I actually don't mind the mouth taping at all, and was actually looking forward to the CPAP, thinking/hoping, I'd finally not be tired. It really stinks that it hasn't worked. He's been in denial since his home study said he had 51 AHI - he didn't believe it, and still thinks it was wrong. It took months, literally, to get the sleep study in the sleep center, then another one when they couldn't get the pressure right, and then get the equipment and actually start using it. Opposite of me. I guess, having had a serious disease and seeing how treatment worked for me, made it a little more palatable for me.....

I'm not sure I know what EPR is. Is it a setting? And, I have a pretty short ramp - only about 5 minutes (I think).

I'll definitely check out the video on mouth taping. I had a physical therapist that recommended it to me - just in general, not for apnea. She does it regularly, since she said mouth breathing is so bad for you.

As for the pups, I'm definitely going to start working on keeping them off the bed. It was funny - way back when we had a double bed (first married), we let the pups sleep in the bed. Then we got a king bed, and kicked them out. Of course, that was 3 or 4 dogs ago, and now these are back. The one is a big snuggler - always wants to be right up against you, which is a problem when trying to sleep.....

Is there a specific oxygen meter you'd recommend? And, I may need some help interpreting the sleepyhead data, since I've never seen it before. Thanks again for your input.

My results were sort of weird. In my two night, home test, I had 22 AHI and oxygen didn't go below 89 or 90. When I did the sleep study at the sleep lab, it was a much shorter "test" period, since they were doing titration the same night, and my AHI was only 5.5, though my respiratory disturbances were 15. And, my oxygen was down to 84 at times. I didn't achieve REM for very long, and the centrals started around 11 (I think - need to find my results). But, being only a short window for testing before I started titration, I'm not sure how accurate it was. Plus, I dumbly took an advil PM, which I never do, and it gave me restless leg syndrome, which I NEVER get..... So, I'm not sure if those tests were skewed.

How often do they recommend you get a new sleep study?

Thanks for your response!

My doctor originally wanted to do a fixed pressure at 8, since that's where everything was best, but since I was going up to about 13 on my own, and had no centrals during the test at 10, I talked him into doing 8-10. But, I'm between 9.8 and 10 every night, so really I could have had him just go with 10. I wonder if 11 would be better?

My AHI with taping again this last week have been markedly better - about 1.4 and below. (compared to 2.5 and above). Funny thing is - when I was on vacation to Banff and sleeping in a hostel bed by myself, my numbers were so much better all week - even without mouth taping. I never figured that one out.

I think a lot of my problem is that I do wake up every two hours like clockwork - even though for a while it had gotten better - more like 3-4 hours. Now, I'm back to every two. And that doesn't count the waking up from my 70 pound dog deciding to sleep on me in the middle of the night, or waking with all the noise my husband is making. I'm pretty sure it's hormonal, but my sleep doctor just wanted to do "sleep training" by having me actually sleep less each night, so I sleep through those times, I'm so tired. (not a good idea with a 1-2 hour commute). And my regular doctor believes it's hormonal and wanted to prescribe medication, which I don't like the idea of either.

As for my husband, I've suggested the mouth taping. He was SO against using a CPAP - he hates it - and I haven't been able to convince him yet. He's on a bipap too, so not sure if that makes a difference.

I haven't used sleepyhead, but plan to. One thing I'm worried about is that I'm having a lot of respiratory disturbances that don't show up as AHIs, and that my oxygen levels are dropping like they did in the sleep study (down to 84). Would that cause me to feel so overwhelmingly tired?

Thanks again. And, yeah - we have a couple of the dog beds, but the dogs jump up after we're asleep. I may have to start keeping them out of the room, or sleep in my daughter's room (she's out of the house) for a week or two and see if that helps......

Hello- I was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea about a year and 1/2 ago after an in-home study. Started CPAP therapy in September 2017. Surprisingly, the CPAP was registering CA's, in addition to the AHIs, so they sent me for a study/titration at a sleep lab. They discovered Central Apneas when my pressure went above 13ish, so adjusted my Resmed 10 to a high pressure of 10. Since that time, my AHIs have been averaging about 2 or 2.5.

Problem is, I still have interrupted sleep - every 2 hours, probably due to hormonal changes (ie. hot flashes), and also due to my husband snoring and now using his own CPAP that leaks loudly all the time, and because of our two golden retrievers who like to sleep in the bed. I know all that needs to change, but even when I "sleep" (ie. I have the mask on, though not always sleeping), and am still so tired every day that I need to take short naps and find myself falling asleep on my long commute home from work.

I'm not able to do a full face mask, since I have TMJ and it was making my jaw worse, so use a nasal mask and have to tape my mouth, since I'm a mouth breather. (my AHIs are much lower when my mouth is taped).

I'm wondering why I'm still so extremely tired. Like, falling asleep in the middle of the day, tired. Could it be my oxygen levels? Or is it because of the disjointed sleeping, usually waking every two hours? At first, the CPAP seemed to help a bit, but the last 6 or 8 months, I feel exactly like I did before CPAP therapy.

Thanks!