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1 year and still tired!
RE: 1 year and still tired!
Tess,

I do want to encourage you to start your own thread.

But I also want to respond to what you've already written.

(07-11-2017, 01:49 PM)Tess Wrote: Hello, all.  Not sure this is right place to post  . . . but I am 15 days and still tired.  I know it might be too soon, but I'm not sure what I'm awaiting to make me feel rested and refreshed.
It takes most people several weeks to a few months to start feeling less tired during the day. Many of us never have an "Aha" moment where we suddenly wake up feeling wonderfully different one morning.

Rather, we see gradual improvement in how we feel over many weeks and months. The improvement can be so gradual that you don't notice it if you're not looking for it.

So you might want to keep a simple log of how you feel to track small improvements over the next several weeks. What to track depends on what your OSA symptoms are/were.


Quote:I have always been a "long" sleeper, nine hours minimum with a nap if I had the time.  I suppose it could be the apnea, but I've been like this since I was a kid.

So 15 days on and I am averaging 7 hours 45 minutes.  I'm thinking oh, I'm not sleeping much although sleep is supposed to be better. 
It's not uncommon for new PAPers to sleep less at night than they did before starting PAP. Sometimes it's just that the OSA was causing them to sleep too much. Sometimes it's a matter of the body adjusting to the new kind of sleep.

Think of it this way: Pre-CPAP you had 9+ hours of apnea-filled sleep: Your AHI = 24, which meant that in 9 hours of sleep, your body had to deal with an apnea or hypopnea 216 times during the night. That's a lot of interruptions to disturb the over all quality of your pre-CPAP sleep.

Now you're sleeping about 7.75 hours and your AHI is in the neighborhood of 3.0. That means your body is dealing with 23 apneas or hypopneas over the course of the night. In other words, your body is getting far more uninterrupted sleep in 7.75 hours with the machine that it was getting in 9+ hours without the machine.

Sometimes that confuses the body and it wakes up thinking, "I'm done with sleep for the night because it feels like I've got as much sleep as I ever managed to get before starting to use the machine." With time, the body begins to realize that it is no longer struggling to breathe at night and it starts to crave a more normal amount of sleep. And once your body starts sleeping an appropriate amount to get the rest it needs, slowly but surely, your daytime energy levels should return.


Quote:I don't have access to a graph chart; no sd card, so I can't figure out how to use the resmed program from here.
Get a generic SD card from a store like Walmart, Target, or a camera shop. There's nothing special about the SD card the machine uses. (You may need to hunt for a plain SD card rather than an SDHD card, however. Some cpap machines cannot use the SDHD cards.)

Quote:I can't fall asleep at night, a new problem, so sleep numbers could be an hour or two less.  Am I really sleeping 6 hours a night? 
Teaching your body to fall asleep with a six foot hose attached to your nose takes a bit of time and effort. But it can be done, and we can help you figure out how to do it.

Right now you might indeed only be sleeping 6 hours a night. As I said before, your body is not used to uninterrupted sleep, and it may not realize that it needs more than 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It's possible that 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep gives your body about the same amount of rest as 9+ hours of apnea filled sleep does.

Quote:I now watch shows on my computer until I get sleepy enough.  I don't want to fall asleep to TV.  I don't think that is a good sleep routine for me; did that years ago when I was in high-stress/depression mode.
So don't get into this habit.

I would suggest listening to quiet, sleep inducing music while you are lying in bed instead of watching TV on your computer.

Or read with the mask on if you like reading in bed.

Quote:I can't fall asleep for a nap either.  What is happening? 
You're trying to get to sleep with an alien monster on your face. Smile

More seriously, it takes time for your unconscious mind to fully accept that the mask is a friend rather than an alien monster out to do something nasty to you in your sleep. Your unconscious mind has been vigilant through the years, waking your body up just enough to restart the breathing every time you had an apnea or a hypopnea. Now that you're using a CPAP, the unconscious part of your mind has not yet accepted that (a) it doesn't need to be super vigilant during the night and (b) this new, and not particularly comfortable, thing on your nose is not a threat.

As a result, you're having trouble fully relaxing into sleep.

(07-11-2017, 02:08 PM)Tess Wrote: Not a new reply.  Just me again.

I wanted to note that I have dark circles and bags under my eyes, which is unusual.   I think I am not sleeping enough. 
Probably. I had a real problem with this for the first several months when I was most definitely NOT sleeping very soundly with the CPAP. Sensory stimuli from the CPAP takes some of us a long time to get used to, and until we do, our sleep is often quite light, even if it is apnea-free.

Quote:I have no recollection of waking up a lot at night.  Get up once to use the bathroom and that's all. 
That's good. Much better than feeling like you're awake for most of the night, which is what happened to me.

Quote:The mask is comfortable enough.  I did look up how to end condensation from collecting and dripping into my face.  Going to put the machine on the floor tonight. 
Are you using a heated hose? That can help. Hanging the hose can help. Running the hose under the covers can help.

Quote:I am considering using CPAP at night and then sleeping later in the day without it.  I am retired but still have stuff to do. 
Personally I would advise against that. Here's why: Every time you sleep without the hose, you continue to let the unconscious part of your brain believe that it does not have to get used to the CPAP.

My advice about the naps is more hard nosed: If I were you, I'd try skipping the naps altogether for a few days. That may make it much easier for you to fall asleep more quickly at night.
Questions about SleepyHead?  
See my Guide to SleepyHead
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RE: 1 year and still tired!
All great advice by Robysue above. I would second especially not watching any tv to fall asleep. The light spectrum from the screen has been proven to disrupt sleep. Quiet music or reading (my favorite) is best right before bed.

No naps, but especially until it gets easier for you to fall asleep with your equipment is also a great idea. I used to need naps too before CPAP, not anymore.
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RE: 1 year and still tired!
(07-11-2017, 11:35 AM)Crimson Nape Wrote:
(07-11-2017, 11:29 AM)Scott C. Wrote: This may be a silly question but, what does the smiley face mean? And why is my event chart blank.

If you look at the lower left section of the screen you will see the "Flags" are turned off.  Click on each to make them green.

Thanks  Don't know how I turned those off. How about that happy face?
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RE: 1 year and still tired!
That's in case you can't afford the proper therapy, you can touch-up the results. Bag-head
Crimson Nape
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com
___________________________________
Useful Links -or- When All Else Fails:
The Guide to Understanding OSCAR
OSCAR Chart Organization
Attaching Images and Files on Apnea Board
Apnea Helpful Tips

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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RE: 1 year and still tired!
(07-11-2017, 06:42 PM)Crimson Nape Wrote: That's in case you can't afford the proper therapy, you can touch-up the results.    Bag-head

L.O.L. I reloaded page no more happy face. Dang it! I thought I had done something good. Cool

Crimson Nape I just bought a CMS50F Do I need special software to import data into Sleepy head? Or just the softwaer it came with? Thanks!
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RE: 1 year and still tired!
If you're using Windows, install the supplied software so it will use the UART to USB drivers. If using a Mac or Linux machine, you;ll need to download the drivers from the internet..
Crimson Nape
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com
___________________________________
Useful Links -or- When All Else Fails:
The Guide to Understanding OSCAR
OSCAR Chart Organization
Attaching Images and Files on Apnea Board
Apnea Helpful Tips

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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RE: 1 year and still tired!
(07-11-2017, 07:50 PM)Crimson Nape Wrote: If you're using Windows, install the supplied software so it will use the UART to USB drivers.   If using a Mac or Linux machine, you;ll need to download the drivers from the internet..

Have Windows Thanks Crimson Nape!
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RE: 1 year and still tired!
Scott C.,
I forgot to tell you that, due to an ownership/permission problem, you won't be able to import a ".spO2" file into SleepyHead directly from the SpO2Assistant data location.   For it to work correctly, you will need to copy the data files to another directory that you create.   The error displayed if you try importing directly will be something along the lines of "No suitable driver found".  It won't provide the hint that it is a permission problem.  

Happy Breathing! Big Grin
Crimson Nape
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com
___________________________________
Useful Links -or- When All Else Fails:
The Guide to Understanding OSCAR
OSCAR Chart Organization
Attaching Images and Files on Apnea Board
Apnea Helpful Tips

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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RE: 1 year and still tired!
in the drop down on the o2 wizard of sleepyhead, you have a choice of 2 cms50 I think the F is the second one down from memory. it will ask if you want to sync with sleepyhead say yes...now, you start the machine and the 50f at the same time at night, so they will sync.
you will get a better chart with the software that comes with it, it filters a lot of the spikes.
mask fit http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ask_Primer
For auto-cpap, from machine data or software. You can set the min pressure 1 or 2cm below 95%. Or clinicians commonly use the maximum or 95% pressure for fixed pressure CPAP, this can also be used for min pressure.
https://aasm.org/resources/practiceparam...rating.pdf
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RE: 1 year and still tired!
Welcome back "robysue"  Not sure why this is displaying this way? Showing code maybe?



Q1) Why do you describe July 9 as a "fail"?  Is it just the leak line? Or is it the marginally higher AHI? Or is the assessment based on how you actually felt the next day?

answer: Mainly the mask leak rate and how I felt. Woke up  feeling like a train hit me. Knew higher AHI before looking.


[i]Q2) When do you look at your data, in particular your AHI data?  Any chance you are allowing the AHI (or leak data) to "tell you how to feel"?  [/i]

[i]answer: I don"t think so. Because I have over a year of feeling like this and I have a pretty good baseline. But since I installed Sleepyhead I do check stats every morning now. In the past I would just check it periodically via machine and dream mapper.[/i]


[i][i]Q3) In your opinion, which is more likely to be disruptive to your overall sleep: The leaks or an AHI > 2.0ish? Why?[/i][/i]

[i][i]Answer: I think both because with the leaks I'm probably not getting the pressure I need for effetive therapy. Which would lead to an increase in AHI.[/i][/i]


[i][i][i]Q4) I see you've switched from APAP to a fixed pressure. Does the fixed pressure make it any easier to fall asleep? Get back to sleep? Stay asleep?[/it][/i][/i][/i]

[i][i][i]answer:  The thinking was that some people found pressure changes caused awakenings. I don't think it makes a difference that I can tell. Thinking of going back to a range of pressures to see what my air needs are.[/i][/i][/i]


[i][i][i][i][i]Q5) Please ignore the CPAP data when you answer these questions. How continuous do you think your sleep is right now?[/i] Do you feel like you're tossing and turning a lot during the night OR do you think you are sleeping reasonably soundly through the night? How long does it take you to fall asleep at the beginning of the night? How long does it take to get back to sleep after you wake up? And how do you feel right after you get up in the morning? Rested, even if it's only a little bit rested? Or exhausted right from the time you climb out of bed?[/i][/i][/i][/i]

[i][i][i][i]answer: Well I don't lay in bed trying to fall asleep. Guessing on a average 15-20 min. Some nights longer. I do wake up several times with dry mouth long enough to get my mouth all lubricated then back to sleep pretty quickly. And then there's the bathroom breaks and that's when I turn off the machine. ( love the nights I don't have to do the bathroom breaks because I feel I little more rested)[/i][/i][/i][/i]
[i][i][i][i]I have read that OSA causes a hormone to be released that tells the bladder to urinate. [/i][/i][/i][/i]
[i][i][i][i]Waking up, I go buy how my eyes are feeling. Most mornings I feel like I've pulled an all-nightrer cramming for a final with tired eyes. I would say after about 5:30 and when the sun is coming up is when I have the hardest time sleeping. And then that is were I end up just lying there in bed wishing for more sleep. Tossing and turning.[/i][/i][/i][/i]

[i][i][i][i]"robysue" Thanks so much for taking the time to go over my charts. Last nights chart to follow.          [/i][/i][/i][/i]
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