Another newbie here, hi!
I've been so sluggish when waking up in the mornings,  and can't wait to leave my part time work in the afternoons so I can get home and take a nap, then I go to bed early.  This of course is affecting my family, housework, etc.  Plus, I look like h*ll!  This has been going on for too long so I asked for a referral for a sleep study and got my results yesterday and would like some opinions please!  The sleep study Dr.'s office didn't schedule an appt. for me since the test wasn't "positive". (The recommendation was to lose 30 lbs and take sleeping pills and see an ENT dr. for surgery for snoring.)

--Total study time 7.25, total sleep 5.85, efficiency 80 %.
--Sleep architecture demonstrates increased time spent in stage 2, no REM identified.
--104 arousals identified with an associated awakening index of 20 per hour.   Could  this be why I feel so exhausted everyday??
 --69 respiratory events identified with an AHI of 11 per hour. The longest was 26 sec. and all were obstructive. Tremendous snoring was noted.
--Patient spent 23 % of the night on left side with AHI of 18 per hr. and 56 % in supine position with AHI of 9 per hr.
--Baseline o2 sat was 98% dropping as low as 75%, mean o2 sat was 97%.

Impression:
  Mild sleep apnea
  Marked sleep fragmentation

I guess I'm wondering, #1) Do you think sleeping pills help?  #2) By not having REM sleep, is that why I'm so tired all the time?  #3)Is o2 sat dropping to 75% a concern?

(My referring Dr. wants me to try a 2 wk trial of Rozerem)

Get another doctor!!

I don't understand why another sleep study appointment wasn't scheduled because you have sleep apnea.  The second part of the study is called the titration study where they retest you but using the cpap to determine the pressure that will control your sleep apnea.  You need that part of the study.  

REM is important, and cpap treatment can restore that. You didn't indicate percentages of sleep architecture, but if there was increased time spent in Stage 2, then likely the time in Stages 3 and 4 were reduced, and that is the period of deep sleep.  Those stages do not represent largest percent of time in sleep when normal, but they are important as well.  Your apnea is in the mild range (AHI of 5-14 is mild; 15-30 is moderate; 30 or more per hour is severe), but your apnea is in the moderate range during side sleeping.  It's a little odd that your apnea is worse while sleeping on your side, for it's usually worse when on your back.  But either way, you have sleep apnea.  

Do not use sleeping pills if you don't need them, and if you do, it's only a temporary measure.  Surgery?  Surgery can help some people, if their apnea is mild.  But there are a few different types of surgery for apnea.  There are risks and there is no guarantee they will be successful, some people have even experienced problems with surgery, and some found they still have apnea after surgery.  You should still read up on it.  But I say use cpap before ever considering surgery.  

Not having REM and having reduced sleeping in Stages 3 and 4 can definitely affect you, but I your tiredness is likely more from the apnea.  You stop breathing upwards of as much as 18 times per hour and for as long as 26 seconds.  That will affect you, both healthwise and your symptoms.  Your mean oxygen levels were very good, which was the average during the study.  It did dip to 75% and that is very low but not unusual for sleep apnea.  Yes it's a concern, as is the apnea.  So don't listen to your doctor!!  You said your doctor said see an ENT for surgery for snoring .... that's irresponsible. If one has surgery, it's for the apnea, not just the snoring.  I would be cautious of any doctor who is quick to recommend medication and surgery over what is the least invasive treatment for sleep apnea, cpap.  Talk to someone else.

Let us know how things go.


Linda

Thanks Linda for your info!  I totally agree with your replies!  Surgery is not of interest to me.  I too was surprised that the most apnea episodes occurred on my left side because my husband says that's the ONLY side where I DON'T snore!
It also took 4 1/2  wks to get my sleep study results back, so, I was not happy about that!   I just feel that my sleep study and recommendations were lacking.

edited to add:  I know losing weight and exercising will help some and I'm already doing that.