Sleepy while driving

[cowponydesign]

Hi, I am new to posting here so hopefully I'm doing it correctly. I gave used my cpap for about a year or so. Started out with a resumed s9 at a presure of 7. I got a backup machine that turned out to be a resumed S9 autoset. Seemed like that might be a better machine so started using it as my main one. Was still having a lot of trouble with afternoon sleepiness, and feeling like my airway collapses at time even when awake ( I don't know if that is what it is, but it kind a feels that way)so bumped up my presure to around 8. The afternoon sleepiness was alittle better ( diet is healthy, decent exercise, regular sleep time most of the time, try to limit blue light in evening, etc) but still there. Also still have ALOT of trouble with sleepiness while driving more than an hour and a half. If I have to drive 2 or more hours it is REALLY hard to stay awake. I commute an hour twice a day, 4 days a week and tolerate that fairly well. I can't do caffeine, so that is out. I take extra B vitamins to try to help afternoon sleepiness and it helps some. Any one have any ideas. I think my mask fit is good according to my AHI and smiley face for mask fit.

[PaulaO2]

So you are doing this on your own vs getting a sleep test?

If so, allow me to lecture first. Don't use the machine unless you know for sure that you have sleep apnea. Snoring doesn't mean you automatically have it. Lots of people do. Driving and falling asleep doesn't mean it either. Lots of people can't stay awake in a car, even as the driver. take the Epworth test. If that comes up "positive", you can see your doctor and get a sleep test done in a sleep lab. You can also use your Autoset to do your own "sleep study". It takes a while but it is possible and it is worth it.

If you've had the sleep test and the diagnosis and are just going at this on your own, then you are using your Autoset incorrectly. APAPs are designed to be used with a range of pressure, not one fixed rate. And it is data capable, so you can use a free software to view the data and see how it is going. If this is your situation, here is my recommendation:

download the clinician manual. Go here and scroll down to Section Three to get it.
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual

download and install SleepyHead. http://www.sleepfiles.com/SH2/

If the machine does not have one, get a memory card for it. They take the SD cards. You don't need a big honkin' memory of one. Mine is 2GB and I'm barely using half of that I think. It only keeps 365 days of data anyway.

Use the machine at your current setting of 7 for one night. Take out the card and download the data into a "fake" user on SleepyHead. That way you'll have the previous data but now you can start over.

put the card back into the machine and using the instruction from the manual, erase the user data from it. Why? Because you want just your data now. You want to start clean and not be confused by the previous owner or anything like that. You'll have it already anyway in SleepyHead so it's not really lost.

set the machine's pressure to, say, 6 - 12. That's a good range since you've been going on 7 for a while.

use it at those settings for about 7 to 10 days. keep an eye on the data. you are watching for trends, not a night-by-night thing. Just remember to put the card back into the machine.

[zonk]

I think my mask fit is good according to my AHI and smiley face for mask fit.

Smiley face is good start but does not tells a lot, other than for 70% of the time using the machine, leak was at or below 24 L/m
Chinstrap helps kepes mouth closed and minimize mouth leaks
Mouth closed is important when using nasal pillows or nasal masks, no so important using full face mask

The software going show you more information and detailed graphs of whats going on

Also the machine display efficacy data on "advanced info menu" (press and hold both silver buttons for 3 sec) ... usage, mask fit, AHI, 95th percentile pressure and leak numbers, providing "Sleep Quality" set to "On" (not Usage) from the clinical menu

Welcome to the forum, cowponydesign

Edit: As for "sleepy while driving", optimal treatment is important because sleep disordered breathing is associated with car crashes and problems of the heart
CPAP is the treatment choice for sleep apnea, important to get test and diagnosed so you know what you're up against and trying to achieve

[trish6hundred]

Hi cowponydesign,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
What Paula and zonk said.
Much success to you.

[AlanE]

Nothing to add to the great advice already given. I to have a long commute at my current career. Years ago, when I used to drive a truck, it was not unusual to be on the road 10 hours. Post up some charts from sleepyhead and lets see what is going on.

[cowponydesign]

Thanks all for the relplies. I did have a study and I do have OSA. I do have a range set on my auto set I guess I just didn't state it correctly in my post. I think I tried downloading the software once but I don't think it work, or my computer was having a bad day ( don't remember which). I will try to follow the instructions given and see what happens. There is an sad card in the machine but it either went bad or full. I will find out which. I'm feeling a little bummed, because this sleepiness is affecting my quality of life so I am determined to see what is going on. I actually made an appt with my primary doc who will then maybe refer me back to the sleep doc. I'm hoping to get my data from my machine first and see what it says. Again, thanks.

[Mosquitobait]

Welcome cowponydesign. Good that you are seeing your doc as you can have other things going on that cause sleepiness that are unrelated such as anemia.