Daily Variability of OSA

[Emaz]

Hi everyone. I’m grateful to have been recently diagnosed, and I’m still in the process of selecting a unit and getting it ordered. I am so looking forward to eventually, after getting everything dialed in, getting a good night of sleep. I can’t imagine how life changing it must be.

While I’m waiting, I still suffer from some really horrible sleepless nights. Now that I know what it is everything makes sense. I can actually feel my soft tissue start to close as I fall asleep, and I’m jolted awake. Over and over. 

And yet some nights I manage to get a good night of sleep. And I don’t really understand how. What is the physiology behind that? Is it what I ate? My sleep position? How stressed I am that day?

It just doesn’t make sense to me. And my test results didn’t show any significant difference between my sleep positions. I am naturally a side sleeper, but after a shoulder injury over the past few months I’ve completely trained myself to also sleep on my back, so either works for me. But last night for example, there was no difference at all for these sleep positions. Somehow I managed to get a few hours of sleep in the very early morning hours. But how was that any different than earlier in the evening when I couldn’t sleep? And how is it possible that on some nights I manage to actually get good sleep? It just doesn’t make any sense.

I would love to get any insights even for small improvements in my sleep while I’m waiting to select, receive, and then get used to a machine. Any help would be appreciated. I’m soooooo tired. ?

[Sleeprider]

Without CPAP the best control will be to prevent chin-tucking which compresses, twists or bends the airway causing apnea. This can happen even with CPAP, but you can do some things to prevent your chin from dropping towards your chest and occluding the airway. Read our Positional Apnea article and see how a soft cervical collar often helps even with CPAP. Also note how you can test yourself for the problem. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...onal_Apnea

[Emaz]

Interesting.

So the randomness of good nights vs bad nights could be as simple as how much chin tuck was happening - something I would have never have thought to consider.

Very helpful, thank you.

[SarcasticDave94]

Yes chin tuck could be one variable. Another is that Apnea along with general sleep is variable nightly to some degree. On your tour of the forum, you'll see our Apnea therapy goal will not be zero events but low enough to be repeatable with good comfort. I myself will be fine on AHI 3 or less.

As for the machine, ResMed is choice number one. Fun there, there's straight CPAP, APAP an Auto CPAP, BPAP bilevel, then your higher priced specialty machines. I think ResMed's AutoSet will be fine to start unless you tell us there's a need for BPAP.

[Emaz]

Yes I am going with a ResMed 11 auto sense. Still working on which mask, and financing. But my AHI is 28, so I’m probably going to feel a whole lot better when I can get therapy going.

[clownbell]

May I recommend starting with a PILLOW mask. They are the easiest to get used to, and easier to seal because the area to be sealed in smaller with pillows than with a nasal mask or full face mask. The ideal mask depends on the results it gives and whether it is compatible with you face shape, and this may take some experimentation. I happen to use the Fisher & Paykel "Brevida" pillow mask. I know of a few experts (I'm not one) who use the Brevida also. One of the experts feels that F&P's sealing technology is the best out there. Good luck going forward. Time, patience and perseverance are key.

[Emaz]

Yes I’m thinking ResMed Airsense 11 auto set with a P10. One concern is that skin irritation and dry nasal passages seem to be common. Also, I’m a mouth breather so I’m reading that that could be an issue with the air simply coming out of my mouth. And even the sales rep says that all that air coming in to your nose takes some getting used to.

Yet I don’t see a better solution so I may just have to deal.

[staceyburke]

This is just a guess without data.  OSCAR is a free download at the top of the site. Use it as soon as possible and get data you can post and analyze.

Now for a guess. Positional apnea is when you sleep in a position where you cut off your own airway. It is also called chin tucking wher your chin drops down to your sternum cutting off your airway. 

Sometimes it is sleeping on your back or sleeping on to high of a pillow. If you are doing that one night your night will be terrible and if the next night you don’t get into that position you have a good nights sleep. AGAIN ONLY A GUESS