06-23-2023, 12:34 AM
Is a new sleep study warranted?
Ever since the pandemic my sleep medicine providers have been very restrictive about offering sleep studies.
I was recommended to use pressure at 14 on a full face mask in the study I did about seven years ago. Since then I've lost 40 lbs. and have gotten in much better shape. My provider has backed me down to pressure 10, and sometimes I wonder if I still need the CPAP at all. I'm a very sensitive sleeper with a history of severe generalized anxiety and some OCD tendencies, and I find the feeling of the mask on my face hard to deal with. I also develop what I call "meta-insomnia," the insomnia you get from worrying about having insomnia. I worry about the mask not fitting and leaking too much and being uncomfortable, and I work myself up into a tizzy. (Yes, I meditate. No, it does not always help.)
It seems like the best thing to do is retest with a real sleep study. But my provider has been reticent about authorizing one. Does that seem unreasonable? I'm not sure what the line is between beneficial and overkill. Thanks for any advice.
I was recommended to use pressure at 14 on a full face mask in the study I did about seven years ago. Since then I've lost 40 lbs. and have gotten in much better shape. My provider has backed me down to pressure 10, and sometimes I wonder if I still need the CPAP at all. I'm a very sensitive sleeper with a history of severe generalized anxiety and some OCD tendencies, and I find the feeling of the mask on my face hard to deal with. I also develop what I call "meta-insomnia," the insomnia you get from worrying about having insomnia. I worry about the mask not fitting and leaking too much and being uncomfortable, and I work myself up into a tizzy. (Yes, I meditate. No, it does not always help.)
It seems like the best thing to do is retest with a real sleep study. But my provider has been reticent about authorizing one. Does that seem unreasonable? I'm not sure what the line is between beneficial and overkill. Thanks for any advice.
