I just received the results of my sleep study and seem to have been given much less information than most of the studies posted on this site.  What I have been provided is shown below:

Lights Out: 10:11:16 p.m.  Total Wake Time 176.5 min  Time in Bed: 419.1 min  Total Sleep Time: 176.0 min
Sleep Efficiency: 42.4%  Sleep Latency:  35.3 min   REM Latency:  206.0 min
% Stage I: 13.7%, % Stage II: 30.6%, % Stage III/IV: 0.0%, % Stage REM: 6.3%
RDI: 5.5, AHI 5.5, supine AHI 21.3
Mild oxyhemoglobin desaturation with a nadir of 88%

I won't see the doctor until next week and just received the written report today so I haven't had a chance to discuss it with anyone yet.  If I'm interpreting this correctly, the apnea problem appears to be mild and perhaps only a problem when I sleep on my back (which would be only if I turn in my sleep, I always start out on my side or stomach).  Insomnia appears to be a greater problem.  The report-writer recommends "position training", avoidance of alcohol (which I don't use anyway) and sedating medications (I do occasionally use Tylenol PM), and a formal weight loss program.  I have to admit I was a bit miffed at the last.  Obviously my history wasn't reviewed as I've already lost 60 pounds in the past year and am working on the remaining 50.  Since the apnea appears to be mild, and CPAP wasn't recommended, if I continue to lose weight do you think it's possible that I could eliminate the apnea entirely?

Thanks so much for your help.

Hi Sher:
Well, that sleep isn't bad-- you'd have to sleep for another hour and a half just to get to bad!

Seriously, I think if you do all the things you said, things should work out.  That means the method you use to insure positional sleeping does in fact, work, be it the tennis balls in the T-shirt, backpack with towels trick, or whatever.  And that the desaturations are corrected by the positional therapy.

Say, why's your sleep quality so poor?  Any medications that would disrupt your sleep?  Aches and pains?
sleepydave

I'm not sure precisely why my sleep was so poor although there were several factors in play the night of the study.  First, they required that I sleep on my back for the first two hours and I'm unaccustomed to falling asleep in this position so that was a distraction.  Plus I have a bad knee and it's hard to find a position where it's comfortable when I'm on my back.  After I was allowed to turn on my side it was better, but I still couldn't seem to fall asleep.  The room I was in was right next to the room where the sleep technicians were located and they were quite loud, laughing and talking all the time, but you'd think I would have been tired enough to ignore that.  After a couple hours more I asked if I could take some Tylenol PM and that's when I finally was able to fall asleep.  I don't know that my meds are a problem although I do take Allegra D and I noticed a posting that said it could be a problem.  I also take Kariva (a birth control pill), levothyroxin, and verapamil (the latter as a prophylactic for my migraine headaches; I don't take the dosage that one would if they were using it for blood pressure control).  Only pain is occasionally the bad knee, but that's not usually a problem when I'm free to assume any position I wish.  I have been under a lot of stress which is more likely the problem, can't seem to shut my brain down.  Sher

Hi Sher:
Yeah, Allegra-D has 120-240 mg of psuedophedrine, that'll keep you awake, you might ask to maybe do something about that.  I would assume that your levothyroxine is at therapeutic dose and you're taking that in the morning, too much thyroid replacement can also contribute to insomnia.
sleepydave

Thank you for your advice, Dave.  Now I feel more prepared for my meeting with the doctor later this week.  Sher

Just thought I’d let you know that I’ve been using the tennis balls in the T-shirt trick and it has worked wonderfully.  The very first night I slept straight through the whole night and even had a dream!  I’m so fortunate that my problem appears to be so easily remedied compared to the very serious problems most of the people in this forum experience.  Sher