Diet [affect on Sleep Apnea]
Although this is not always the case when my weight goes up my sleep apnea gets worse .
But I have noticed over the last 3 years every time I try to go on a low carb diet my sleep apnea
gets a lot worse with my Dreamstation Auto usually needing to up my presure about 2 cm
along with my AHI going up from about 3 to 7. On the other hand grab a very big dish of ice
cream and a bag of cookies right before bed and instead of an AHI of 3 or 4 it will typically be
between 1 and 2 ! Ok I know this is counter productive to say the least but anyone have any idea
what could be happening other than a sugar coma ! I sort of feel like the AHI fairy is rewarding
me for bad behavior.
RE: Diet [affect on Sleep Apnea]
if only! I'd be in sugar hog heaven. seriously though, in a wild stab in the dark, I wonder if you can be in some kind of agitated sugar withdrawal and satisfying your 'need' is temporarily enabling calmer sleep? it'll be interesting to hear what others have to say. I've been a sugar hound much of my life but never noticed it had an effect on sleep.
RE: Diet [affect on Sleep Apnea]
This reminds me of a guy I knew who suffered a lot of back pain. The doctor kept telling him to lose weight, but when he did the pain got worse. When he packed on a few pounds his back got better. A specialist finally decided that the shift in weight distribution caused by the additional pounds actually provided relief at the site of his pain. This probably doesn't help explain your experience, but interesting nonetheless.
RE: Diet [affect on Sleep Apnea]
Have you looked at the data to see what the increase is? All obstructive? More hypopnea? More central? More of everything?
PaulaO
Take a deep breath and count to zen.
RE: Diet [affect on Sleep Apnea]
What I have observed, is that a lot of people tend to gain weight as they grow older. Then, there is a fine line you cross once you get to be really old, and some tend to lose weight.
I'm at the stage that I've gained some weight, but quite far from that line I cross that I begin to lose weight. I have to assume that I will lose the weight as easily as I gained it.
RE: Diet [affect on Sleep Apnea]
Side thought, maybe low carb gets you into deeper sleep and that loses tone in your airway so you have more apneas, while carbs amp you up into lighter sleep?
RE: Diet [affect on Sleep Apnea]
I have a similar experience. I haven't tracked the data to back up my claims, but I know when I sleep well and when I don't.
My diet, admittedly, is not good. I'm a cookie addict. When I clean up my diet I will sleep less. It's a very restless sleep. When I go back on a cookie binge it's like my body says "ok, he's back to normal" and I seep fine. There have been times when I clean up my diet for a few months and initially I sleep less, but eventually my body gets used to a new normal and I sleep very good. I think that's the lesson here; stay on your diet and in the long run you'll do better.
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you get there.