08-30-2024, 02:35 PM
Confusing WatchPAT One results
I’m new to this forum and sadly it’s because my doctor didn’t do a great job of answering my questions. I’m hoping y'all have some ideas. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s skeptical of an OSA diagnosis. I don’t wake up refreshed most days, have anxiety and depression, and apparently snore mildly (based on my phone recording me through the night), but I attribute the lack of refreshing sleep to my mood issues and anxiousness.
So I did a WatchPAT One at-home sleep study. The finger probe was unbearably uncomfortable — super tight, felt like someone was using super glue to remove my cuticle. I managed to keep it on for the minimum amount of time, shifting it around a bit on my finger, which I know it says not to do but the stinging felt like I was gonna lose my finger. I barely remember sleeping more than 2 hours though and felt like it was a waste.
The results apparently disagree: they showed a total pAHI of 20.4, which fits into moderate sleep apnea. Yet I remember being awake most of the night when the device says I was sleeping.
I was at first excited about the diagnosis. I considered the options and decided to start with a CPAP since it was the most sensible one — I’m already a thin person so losing weight didn’t apply, and there’s nothing else glaringly wrong with my help.
The first night with the CPAP was terrible. I heeded the technician's advice and wore the mask for half an hour while reading in the evening, then went to bed. I couldn’t fall asleep wearing it for 2 hours, so I took it off, and still couldn’t sleep until an hour or two later. I’m not someone with insomnia usually and I fall asleep within 20 minutes of laying down, so this was strange. This experience ruined the whole next day. I tried again that evening, and after 3 hours of just laying there, couldn’t sleep. Now I’m stuck in a bad loop, and I’m terrified of the damn thing.
Now I’m wondering about the validity of the test. Am I in denial? Are there false positives on these at-home tests? Or am I just in for a long-haul of getting used to the mask? I’d appreciate any comfort that others can provide from their own journeys.
So I did a WatchPAT One at-home sleep study. The finger probe was unbearably uncomfortable — super tight, felt like someone was using super glue to remove my cuticle. I managed to keep it on for the minimum amount of time, shifting it around a bit on my finger, which I know it says not to do but the stinging felt like I was gonna lose my finger. I barely remember sleeping more than 2 hours though and felt like it was a waste.
The results apparently disagree: they showed a total pAHI of 20.4, which fits into moderate sleep apnea. Yet I remember being awake most of the night when the device says I was sleeping.
I was at first excited about the diagnosis. I considered the options and decided to start with a CPAP since it was the most sensible one — I’m already a thin person so losing weight didn’t apply, and there’s nothing else glaringly wrong with my help.
The first night with the CPAP was terrible. I heeded the technician's advice and wore the mask for half an hour while reading in the evening, then went to bed. I couldn’t fall asleep wearing it for 2 hours, so I took it off, and still couldn’t sleep until an hour or two later. I’m not someone with insomnia usually and I fall asleep within 20 minutes of laying down, so this was strange. This experience ruined the whole next day. I tried again that evening, and after 3 hours of just laying there, couldn’t sleep. Now I’m stuck in a bad loop, and I’m terrified of the damn thing.
Now I’m wondering about the validity of the test. Am I in denial? Are there false positives on these at-home tests? Or am I just in for a long-haul of getting used to the mask? I’d appreciate any comfort that others can provide from their own journeys.
