Hello all, I'm new here but I've been lurking for a few weeks.  I just finished my fist sleep study last night and was told I had 135 pauses per hour in my breathing.  The nurse said anything over 35 is considered severe and wanted me back as soon as possible to begin the next step.  135 seems extremely high and really worries me, should I be worried?  I was told my oxygen levels dipped to 78 but I'm not sure how to interpret that number.  At any rate I'll be going back tomorrow night and was just wondering if my numbers are as bad as they seem.  Thank you for any advice in advance.

You have sleep apnea.  Don't worry about it, just get it treated.  Knowing you have it and getting it treated is a big plus.  Congratulations, you will no longer be at risk for those horrible things apnea can cause, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, short term memory loss, weight gain, fatigue, job loss, car accidents, etc.

As your questions come up, please post them!!

Vicki

Hello! You and I are in the same boat, if that makes you feel any better. My AHI was 136 and my O2 was also 78%. I'm so glad I found out and can start treating the problem. My understanding of the O2 problem is that it was causing my headaches, and it can raise your blood pressure if it goes on long enough. But the effects are reversable once you start sleeping well again. A normal 02 (and what you probably have when you are awake) is over 95%, or over 90% if you live in the mountains.  Good luck, and let me know how you are faring.    We will have to compare CPAP settings, once we know what those are.