08-27-2023, 12:20 PM
Excessive Sleepiness Despite "Good" Data. Advice Wanted
I was hoping to get some advice on why I've been experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness, despite being young (23 y/o), having "good" CPAP data and no other apparent health issues. This has been an ongoing issue since I was 18.
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a few months ago and have been using it steadily since the beginning of July (2 months usage). I was originally at a fixed pressure of 9, with an EPR of 3. It has since been changed to a fixed pressure of 10, no EPR, and ramp off. My sleep doctor has also remarked that things look good based on my current AHI.
From my CPAP data, it looks like I've been slightly mouth breathing since I've increased the pressure to 10. I've also noticed very frequent flow limitations, but I'm not too familiar with how to interpret these. I've attached a few screenshots at the bottom.
As a side note, these are the other things I've investigated as to what's causing my sleepiness:
- Narcolepsy / idiopathic hypersomnia - current Epworth Sleepiness Score of 15, no cataplexy (narcolepsy), no SOMREPS (narcolepsy), and MSLT showed that my sleep latency was too long for either diagnosis
- Bloodwork - ferritin, B12, thyroid, and others values seem to be good. I had this done last week
- Mental health: I'm currently on an antidepressant (celexa 30mg) for anxiety/depression and seeing a counsellor. I've also seen a psychiatrist, but she wasn't too knowledgeable
- Sleep hygiene: I have a very consistent schedule where I sleep from 10PM until 7AM (9 hours). I don't have any trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- Diet - not perfect, but I do eat regular meals that are fairly nutritious.
- Work - I work a desk job for 40hrs a week, nothing too exerting or stressful
Any advice would be appreciated!
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a few months ago and have been using it steadily since the beginning of July (2 months usage). I was originally at a fixed pressure of 9, with an EPR of 3. It has since been changed to a fixed pressure of 10, no EPR, and ramp off. My sleep doctor has also remarked that things look good based on my current AHI.
From my CPAP data, it looks like I've been slightly mouth breathing since I've increased the pressure to 10. I've also noticed very frequent flow limitations, but I'm not too familiar with how to interpret these. I've attached a few screenshots at the bottom.
As a side note, these are the other things I've investigated as to what's causing my sleepiness:
- Narcolepsy / idiopathic hypersomnia - current Epworth Sleepiness Score of 15, no cataplexy (narcolepsy), no SOMREPS (narcolepsy), and MSLT showed that my sleep latency was too long for either diagnosis
- Bloodwork - ferritin, B12, thyroid, and others values seem to be good. I had this done last week
- Mental health: I'm currently on an antidepressant (celexa 30mg) for anxiety/depression and seeing a counsellor. I've also seen a psychiatrist, but she wasn't too knowledgeable
- Sleep hygiene: I have a very consistent schedule where I sleep from 10PM until 7AM (9 hours). I don't have any trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- Diet - not perfect, but I do eat regular meals that are fairly nutritious.
- Work - I work a desk job for 40hrs a week, nothing too exerting or stressful
Any advice would be appreciated!
