First, like many people's experiences, this was not a true representation of how I would normally sleep.  I just want to see how this information looks to the minds of those who have been diagnosed with apnea.  

My background, is that i'm 30 years old, get roughly 7 hours of sleep every night, and I am extremely tired all day, every day - regardless of the amount of sleep I get.  This has been going on for years, but in the last two or so years it has gotten to be unbearably bad, since I cannot counteract sleepiness with caffeine (it fouls up my digestive track), and I rarely drink alcohol.


My results look something like this:

sleep efficiency: 62.2%
0 Apneas
7 Hypopneas, max duration was 20 seconds, mean was 15 seconds
02 saturation level mean was 95%
total sleep time was 248 minutes
Sleep staging:
stage 1 - 17%
stage 2 - 70%
stage 3 - 3%
stage 4 - 0%
REM - 7.7%
0 limb movements
Total number of arousals: 132
70 snoring episodes
% of total sleep time with snoring was 26%

Their impression was:  Mild snoring with significant sleep disturbance.  The arousal index was 32.1 events per hour and an AHI of 1.7 events per hour were noted.

The evaluator did not initially recommend CPAP as a treatment.  However, after my doctor and a neurologist ruled out narcolepsy, they are going to try me on the machine to see if there is improvement.  I would appreciate any feedback on what your impressions are based on these statistics.

Rehmus wrote:

they are going to try me on the machine to see if there is improvement.

Rehmus, I'm not a doctor or anything in the health care field, but.... I think that is an excellent idea!  

I believe Dr. Colin Sullivan would agree with your doctors -- "give it a try and see."  

THE APNEA-HYPOPNEA INDEX: USEFUL OR USELESS?

I hope the machine the doctors choose for the trial is the Respironics REMstar BiPAP Auto with Bi-Flex.  (And a heated humidifier!)   I truly believe that specific machine would give "cpap treatment" the best chance possible to show if it can help you or not.  That specific machine can act as both an autopap and bipap at the same time.

"Auto" will vary the pressure up and down as needed.
"BiPAP" will give a specific amount of relief from pressure every time you exhale.
Those two modes working together in that machine offer the best of both worlds, imho.

If the doctors will not prescribe that particular machine, then I hope they'll at least be sure what they prescribe for the trial is an autopap.  Preferably the Respironics REMstar Auto with C-Flex ("C-Flex" giving at least some relief from pressure when you exhale.)

If you could wheedle three masks right from the get-go from whomever sets you up, you'd REALLY have a fair shot at seeing what cpap can do for you, Rehmus...those three masks being:

ResMed's Swift (with ALL three sizes of the nasal pillows, not just the one size the DME thinks best for you.  The Swift comes with all three sizes included, so you're entitled to all of them.)

ResMed's Mirage Activa - nasal mask (covers the nose)

ResMed's Ultra Mirage FF - full face mask (covers nose and mouth, not the whole face)

Why three masks all at once?  Because using any one mask night after night is always putting pressure on the same places of your cheeks and nose.  Even if a mask suits you so well that it doesn't irritate or cause tenderness, it can suddenly be annoying to wear on any given night.  (Christine, you know what's coming!    )  As christinequilts has said, "We don't wear the same pair of shoes every day."  

Being able to switch to a different mask on some nights (or even DURING a night) can make a difference in "doing this kind of treatment" comfortably or not.    It's always good to have a full face mask in the stash in case you have a night when your nose is congested and you can breathe only through your mouth -- still get uninterrupted treatment.

Good luck, Rehmus!

P.S.  Maybe you have UARS (Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome.)  XPAP can help that.  
"X" standing in for "any kind" of cpap machine:
 CPAP - one straight pressure.
 AUTOPAP -  sensing the airflow and automatically varying the pressure as needed.
 Bi-LEVEL - two pressures, one for Inhaling and a lower for Exhaling.
(BiPAP and VPAP are Respironics' and ResMed's respective tradenames for their bi-level machines)

Thanks for your suggestions.  I have been reading about the different masks available, and see that many prefer the swift.  I still have yet to go for an appointment to set me up with a machine, although after reading more about them I will try to get some kind of auto bi level device.  

I'm still not quite sure if my arousal numbers are very high or not, but 132 seemed like alot

Hi Rehmus,

I am a sleep professional and a CPAP user. Unfortunately some insurance companies will not approve a Bilevel or Auto machine unless clinically indicated. You will have to prove to them that you need a machine that is much more costly than a standard CPAP. Bilevel is not always the answer for everyone. The concept of a machine that has a higher pressure upon inhalation and lower pressure at exhalation is sound. However, for some patients it can actually fragment sleep due to the transition in pressure with every breath. C-Flex uses this concept, but the transition and difference in pressure is not substantial enough to cause arousals. In Bilevel, typically the difference in pressure between IPAP (Inspiratory) and EPAP (Expiratory) can be 4-7 cm. For some this difference in pressure causes a sensation in thier lungs described as a "kick". Patients with chronic lung problems learn to enjoy this sensation, but others may be bothered by it. Keep an open mind about treatment and mask systems. The reason there is many different choices in interfaces is obvious. There is no such thing as the perfect mask. I hope this helps.

I have just recently been diagnosed with upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) and your sleep study results sound quite similar to my first study.  I had an AHI of 0, very few respiratory effort related arousals (RERAs) but an arousal index of 30 with a sleep efficiency of 53%.  Working with a good pulmonologist, the possibility of UARS was raised.

I was started on a trial of CPAP at 5.  I felt sl. better.  The level was increased to 7 and again felt a little better.  

I had a titration study done and at a pressure of 6, the arousal index was 39 with a lot of RERAs.  At a pressure of 7, the sleep efficiency increased to 80% but still with quite a few RERAs.  At a pressure of 8, went straight into REM and stayed there for 45 min.

I would strongly recommend the trial of CPAP or whatever is recommended.  Work with them until you get a mask that works.  Keep working with them until you find a pressure that seems to help or not.

Good Luck.