3 Months Until Sleep Study

[NewToSleepApnea]

Man I feel for you.  This is EXACTLY what happens to me.  Been going on for 8 months now.  Didn’t stop once I got the CPAP.   

Some nights I fall asleep - some nights it wakes me up right away over and over again for hours. When it does I find it helpful to take a break for awhile. 

I have heard of people getting better with this.  Especially if not using EPAP or flex.  

It will help to see your OSCAR results once you get the resmed.  I know I am very interested to see it. 

Good news is that it’s been happening for awhile but I’m still alive and no added health problems.  People will tell you it’s just SWJ and not to worry about it - but it sucks.   Hopefully it gets better for you right away.

[Hoagie73]

Thank you so much NTSA. You don't know how much you sharing that helps me..... or maybe you do.

Yeah, I feel this is probably central apneas during my transition to sleep. I remember first noticing it 3 years ago. It went away, or rather I probably stopped focusing on it, for about 18 months. I had fusion surgery on my neck Nov last year and started experiencing the sleep onset issues again. It has been happening on and off since then. But has really been bad the past month. I have started waking up every 1 -2 hours as well. Not sure why I'm waking up. But when I do, I start focusing on the sleep onset stuff and end up an insomniac for the night. Fun stuff. I just need to chill out I suppose.

Thanks again for sharing!

[NewToSleepApnea]

It helps knowing there are other people out there with the same issue.  You may be the 2nd other person I've spoken to.  I've read some posts of people with the same issue tho.  Seems so much worse than everyone else I know that has sleep apnea.  Getting sleepy enough to fall asleep only to awake 1 minute later for hours.

Do you think your issues are caused/affected by your neck?  There's spinal stenosis in my family and I don't have the healthiest back.

I have not heard of too many people having this.  I am currently experimenting with different pressures etc. to try and isolate the issues I have.  Turned the Flex off - / changed to a CPAP rather than APAP.  Have a mouth guard to limit leaks.  Keeping it at a pressure for a few days and basically having to Titration test myself.  Trying to really figure out what's needed.

Would love to hear from more people who have (preferably have had & fixed) this problem?

Here is what a graph of my onset issues look like - interested to see what yours will look like.


   

[Hoagie73]

I've read that cervical stenosis can cause apnea issues. Also, I have a plate on the anterior side of my spine at c-3 to c-5. This actually makes my already narrow throat even narrower. Not too much. But every little bit counts here. I also have a small lesion on my midbrain. The neuros believe I've had it for a while and that I'm asymptomatic. But I need to get another scan as it's been over 2 years since my last scan. I pray it's not growing now and is the cause. But it is on the top of the brainstem and would make sense. We'll see.

Thanks for posting that info. I will definitely be on here quite often after I get the machine and post my data.

Thank you!

[Sleeprider]

Hoagie73, in addition to the N20 mask, I would suggest the Resmed Airfit P10 as effective with deviated septum or chronic congestion. It does not fit around the nose, but delivers pressure directly to the nares. This avoids pressure on the sinuses and has worked very well with me. Once you get the test results and some OSCAR data we can help to interpret what is going on. Sleep onset CA is a possibility, but prior to therapy, and when I don't use my CPAP (if I fall asleep in a chair), I get the same startle reflex and I assure you it's obstructive not central. We don't know what we don't know, but read the positional apnea wiki. It has a simple self-evaluation that involves relaxing and letting your chin drop to your chest while observing flow resistance or obstruction. This may be what happens to you. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...onal_Apnea

NewtoSleepApnea posted a chart above which is classic positional obstructive sleep apnea. I recommend he also read that article and also the Soft Cervical collar wiki. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...cal_Collar

[Hoagie73]

Thank you SleepRider. The links were very interesting. This is great information! 

I have been aware of my positioning when falling asleep. I tape a tennis ball to my back as to not end up in the supine position, which seems to become my default position during the night. Not sure if it has been helping much as I'm still waking up frequently during the night. The answer may be in a collar.... and the machine.

I actually initially looked at a pillow mask for my therapy. A video I watched discussing the different masks and their pros and cons stated that the pillows may not be optimal for those with deviated septums and/or need high pressure. But they are what I would prefer if they work. Thanks. I will try the P10. It looks so much more comfortable than the others.

[Sleeprider]

Hoagie, we have members that use pressures near the top end of bilevel (25 cm) that use these nasal pillows without a problem. I think there is a great deal of misleading information out there about nasal pillows, and most of it is an opinion by individuals that have never used a CPAP mask. These are by far the lightest and easiest to use interface and the easiest to maintain a leak-free fit.

The Positional Apnea wiki should be convincing that the problem is not sleeping on your back, but chin-tucking which obstructs the airway. The Soft Cervical Collar wiki shows before and after examples of using a collar and links to reviews of different collars. Give yourself a break and lose the tennis balls, find something to support your jaw to prevent the obstruction. Most of all, avoid pillows that cause you to tilt your head forward. Interestingly, we see a lot of positional apnea in people sleeping on their side that tuck their chin in a sort of fetal position. This is every bit as effective at closing the airway as sleeping on one's back.

[NewToSleepApnea]

Not gonna lie - you having this issue and having brain lesions sounds terrifying.   Got a brain MRI and they didn’t see anything.  Need to get a neck / back MRI

[Hoagie73]

Sleeprider - I am so happy I joined this forum. I appreciate this information, Sleeprider. I'll be happy to get rid of the tennis balls. I'll get a P10 on order today. Thanks again! I will be getting my sleep study results later this afternoon when I go to my VA appt. Hopefully, I can get a print out from my primary care doctor.

[Hoagie73]

Not gonna lie - you having this issue and having brain lesions sounds terrifying.   Got a brain MRI and they didn’t see anything.  Need to get a neck / back MRI

It WAS terrifying when I first heard about it. But now I don't worry about it too much anymore. It is what it is. Good thing that you had a clear brain MRI!!  Have you tried using a cervical collar per what sleeprider recommended?