Hi everyone!

I just came across this forum because I was just diagnosed with severe sleep apnea.  I am a 31 year old female who really doesnt have any symptoms except for occasional tiredness and the fact that I get up at least 5-6 times per night to use bathroom, and that I snore like 2 bears fighting.  My dad and aunt were also recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, which is why my mom was adamant about me speaking to my dr. about it.  

The first sleep study I had a really hard time at.  I kept hearing noises throughout the place, plus it was hotter than h*ll in my room when I am used to sleeping in a cooler room.  I also could not get used to those wires.  In the morning I felt about how I usually do upon waking, so it must not have been THAT bad of a night.  One week after the study I got a call from the sleep center asking me if I could come in to speak to the dr. right away since my apnea was very severe.  I went in the next AM.  Here is what the dr. said.  

I slept on and off about 6 1/2 hours that night.  I had approximately 181 episodes of apnea per hour, and totally almost 1200 throughout that night.  She said my O2 sat was between 75-80% most of night, except during my 2 REM cycles of sleep, when it dropped down to 60%.  She said I had over 175 episodes of tossing and turning through the night.  I dont have any other info like those percentages and different stages like some of you post.

The dr. suggested I have another sleep study with CPAP and I did that one that night.  I was fitted with a couple different masks and picked one out.  I got all hooked up to all those wires and to the CPAP mask.  I fell asleep about 10:30pm and the next thing I knew the lights were coming on in my room.  I first thought why are they turning the lights on, the last time I was here they came in here with a flashlight to adjust things.  Then the sleep tech came in and said good morning.  I was shocked that I had slept the entire night without waking up once!!  I dont think that has ever happened to me before.  She said that when they got my CPAP level up to 15 that I stopped snoring and stopped having apneas, and I never moved the entire night.  I usually toss and turn ALL night long.  I actually felt like I had slept so good...I felt like a real human in the morning, instead of a monster like I usually do for at least an hour.  I had such a good day at work too, I felt ready and energized all day.  I cant wait to get one of these CPAP machines.

My question is...how common is it for someone my age, I'm 31, to have sleep apnea this severe?  And any info you can tell me about my numbers or any advice would be very helpful to me.

Thank you for reading this...I know it was a long post!!

Renee

It's not unusual for someone your age to have sleep apnea. I've probably had it since I was very young too.

You have very severe apnea.  An AHI of 181 is the highest I have ever seen.

However, the good news is that a moderate pressure on the cpap has solved your problem... and the even better news is that you are getting instant results.  Many apnea sufferers take months to get any relief.

I was like you: I felt really terrific the day after my titration... and I've felt really great ever since (four months.)

It did take some time to tweak everything so I was comfortable at night and didn't have any leaks but now everything is great.




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Hello Renee,

You’ve already successfully taken the major steps of diagnosis and titration study.  I am very glad to hear that you felt better after one night on the CPAP.

Your report that you got up several times at night is a very common symptom in people with sleep apnea. This often gets better with treatment and there are more posts about this on the forum just today.

You reported 181 episodes of apnea per hour. AHI (apnea plus hypopnea index) determines the severity of the condition. Mild is considered to be 5-15 per hour; moderate is 15-30 per hour; severe is 30 or more. But as you already experienced, the condition is treatable for you at xPAP level of 15.

The initial studies of sleep apnea patients were done usually on middle-aged, overweight men. Now it’s known that men and women of all ages, and even children, can have sleep apnea. People of normal weight can have sleep apnea, and being overweight increases the risk.

I recommend that anyone who suspects they have or has been diagnosed with a sleep related breathing disorder get at least one of the books from this site - http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/books.html
These books may also be available at your local library.  The first two explain sleep studies, understanding sleep study report, treatment options etc. Very helpful to have on hand as a reference book.
 

Good luck as you go forward.