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+--- Thread: Newbie with Mild Sleep Apnea (/Thread-Newbie-with-Mild-Sleep-Apnea)
Newbie with Mild Sleep Apnea - BeachyKeen - 07-03-2016
Hello all. I never thought I would find myself in this situation at 41 years old, but here I am! I had a home sleep study done in June after complaining to my GP about my snoring and morning nasal congestion (well my husband's complaints
). I have sort of restless sleep (not legs), waking to change positions a lot or use the restroom but I never felt excessively tired, and I even sit in front of a computer all day at work.Insurance wouldn't pay for the full study, probably because my symptoms were minimal. I pushed though because my mother has moderate sleep apnea - she is not overweight at all. I am overweight, but not obese. So I may have both genetics and lifestyle influences.
Anyway, my study showed AHI = 12.6 with ODI at 14.3. I had mostly hypopneas (67) and 1 obstructive apnea in 5.5 hrs (the machine turned off somehow before I woke up).
Anyway, I was prescribed an auto CPAP with a pressure range of 5-12. I've only been on it two nights but have a couple questions. I'm already set up on MyAir and installed Sleepyhead because I'm a data geek but don't yet understand this kind of data! I will be going back to the dr. for a followup in August for him to review my data, but until then:
1. What is considered a "successful" night in terms of AHI? What am I aiming for? Most of my events are "clear airways."
2. Does my Airsense 10 really record snoring? If so, I'm excited because it showed 0 both nights.
3. As a sometimes mouth breather, I opted for the full mask. Having some trouble with minor leaking, especially laying on my side. Need to figure that out. Funny though, I think this mask is keeping my mouth shut because it rests on the chin.
Well, I'm not very excited to have to use CPAP but I am thankful this was caught early and I didn't spend the next 20 years having worse and worse sleep like my mom did. My congestion is already non-existent which is a pleasant surprise even though I don't feel like my sleep was that great. Hopefully that improves with time.
RE: Newbie with Mild Sleep Apnea - wxmcpo - 07-03-2016
Congrats on your persistence paying off with your insurance company. Hopefully someone much smarter and experienced comes along and answers your questions, but I can take a stab at #1. An AHI below 5 is considered as your sleep apnea being treated. Of course the aim to to get it down as low as possible. I can tell you I have been on Bi-Pap for almost 15 months and the lowest my AHI has ever been is 1.04. Many people will tell you theirs has been 0.0 and I hope for that one day as you should too.
As for the snoring part I'm not sure, but I gotta believe it does, although how I don't know. The leaks could be a result of just not having the mask tight enough or it presses on your pillow and you are on your side. I get leaks as well, especially if the pressure is higher.
Good luck and stick with it.
RE: Newbie with Mild Sleep Apnea - chill - 07-03-2016
There are more than a few data geeks here, you are in good company! Your story sounds much like mine, only I did not get a machine until long after I should have.
Any AHI under 5 is considered treated. The crucial question is how you personally feel. I don't feel good unless mine is well below 3. Recently mine have consistently sunk below 1 and I have had a few 0.0 nights. It is not unusual to have clear airways when starting out. I would not be concerned unless you have a LOT of then or they last a long time. Unless you have a medical problem causing them, they will gradually reduce to near zero. It takes time for the mind and body to adjust to this.
The machines don't record snoring as in the noise, they detect changes in air flow as a proxy for snoring. I don't know how accurate it is, I get a lot recorded but I am asleep so I can't verify.
My wife says she has heard me snoring still.Minor mask leaks are not a problem as regards the effectiveness of the therapy, but they can be annoying if blow in your eyes or make noises (the infamous Face Fart). It can take some trial and error to get a mask adjusted correctly for your face and pressure and sleeping style.
RE: Newbie with Mild Sleep Apnea - OpalRose - 07-03-2016
BeachyKeen,,
Welcome to Apnea Board!
Here is a link to the Beginners Guide to SleepyHead. Don't let it overwhelm you. There is an index, so you can just look up what you want to know.
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Beginner%27s_Guide_to_SleepyHead
A successful night....could be many things: no leaks, AHI under 5, sleeping fairly good, most important...feeling good when you wake.
You may want to request the Clinicians manual for your machine.
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pressure/change-cpap-pressure-settings-adjusting-your-machine-with-a-clinician-setup-manual
Good luck, ask questions anytime.
RE: Newbie with Mild Sleep Apnea - trish6hundred - 07-03-2016
Hi BeachyKeen,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck to you with your CPAP therapy and hang in there for more responses to your post.
RE: Newbie with Mild Sleep Apnea - Rcgop - 07-03-2016
All of the above pluse patience. It took me 4 months and I had my first 0.0 last night. But the numbers mean nothing until you start to feel better. In the past 4 months I have learned a lot, made some adjustments, and felt a bit better every week. Little adjustments make for big improvements.
Last night was the best night ever, again.