No REM sleep!

[vgrando]

I have a question for the community. My husband, who is 80, has been on an APAP for some 20 years. I am concerned because he never goes into REM sleep at night. He has excessive daytime sleepiness, falls asleep anytime he sits still, and he cannot drive on the highway anymore because he falls asleep driving. He wakes up numerous times during the night. He is on meds for daytime sleepiness, which no longer works well. His sleep MD only prescribes the meds for daytime sleepiness and offers no other help. I am wondering if there is anything that we can do to help him sleep better at night.

[Crimson Nape]

Is the AS11 your CPAP or his? If it is yours, what model does he have?
- Red

[vgrando]

It is his. He has been on a CPAP for over 20 years. His AHI was 2.7 last night from OA. He has a diagnosis of narcolepsy without cataplexy. While in his 50s, he had an enlarged prostate; as a result, he voided frequently at night. He had a prostatectomy about six years ago but still wakes up to void at night. Why are we not sure? Is it just a habit from years of getting up at night, or is it a complication of the prostatectomy? But he was incontinent after the surgery for a year. During this time, he did not wake up at night but still had extreme daytime sleepiness.

[Crimson Nape]

To offer any help, the following steps need to take place.

1. If you don't have one, a blank SD card. If using an old card, format it first. The format should be a FAT32.
   
   
2. Download a free copy of OSCAR (Download link in the name -or - at the top of every page here). This software is available for multiple computer operating systems.
   
   
3. An SD card reader, only if your computer doesn't have one. USB card readers are in expensive and available online and in big box stores.
   
   
4. Read the links in my signature to learn how to capture the Daily screen and post the image here.
   

-- Red