Why APAP if Sleep Study result is 3.5 < 5AHI

[GuyScharf]

OH absolutely - I don't think anyone here is denying that some people just feel cruddy with a supposedly "treated" AHI.

I was one of those. To solve my problems I ended up with a VAuto and EERS. Now I sleep much better. AHI is generally less than 0.5 but I don't chase the AHI number.

[Ratchick]

It is of course possible to have a "good" night during the sleep study. I know that if I were in a clinic, I probably would have much lower results than I actually have at home, simply because a) I would find it almost impossible to sleep there and b) even if I did sleep, I would be in that hypervigilant state that means I wouldn't sleep deeply. That would guarantee that I spent little or no time in the kind of sleep where my events REALLY kick into gear. Plus, because my particular apnea is almost completely central apart from the odd event, it can be widely different depending on the day anyway. In the space of a week, I've gone from an AHI in the 40s down to 9 (my lowest ever) and back up to 31 yesterday. That's just because centrals are inconsistent and you can never tell what you're going to get. And it's happened to multiple people on here that they've only slept for a short time, or in the position that has less apnea, and have been underscored. But generally, they can't just put everyone on CPAP and see what's happening, without a reason, because like every medical therapy, CPAP carries its own risks. What I find more frustrating are doctors who are so focused on AHI and usage and nothing else. Or who dismiss how much harm central apnea can do when untreated. I feel like if you don't sleep enough during a study, you should be able to retest. The home tests aren't quite as accurate, because they tend not to have an EEG, but if they have breathing effort bands as well as measuring the pulse oximetry and nasal airflow, then it's good enough to get a better idea at home for initial diagnosis. After that, then yes... what is shown on your CPAP data should be taken into account, not just the initial sleep study.