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+--- Thread: Still sleepy during the day - low tidal, high resp.? (/Thread-Still-sleepy-during-the-day-low-tidal-high-resp)
Still sleepy during the day - low tidal, high resp.? - mildOA - 09-18-2023
I started CPAP about a month ago and I'm still in bed a lot and sleepy the next day, so I've been trying to adjust my settings to see if anything helps. I will note that I have not had to urinate in the middle of the night a single time since I started CPAP, when it used to be 2-3 times consistently, so something is definitely working. My AHI is consistently very low since CPAP.
I just sure wish the time spent in bed would decrease and I felt less sleepy during the day. It's a _little_ better but I'm still in bed 9-10 hours a night and need a nap during the afternoon.
I've gotten a few critiques on my CPAP data so far, among them low tidal rate, leak rate, high resp. rate, and erratic breathing. It was suggested to me to fiddle with pressure setting, EPR, and potentially taping my mouth closed.
I have since just tried the pressure and EPR changes. I'm up to 10-15 pressure and 3 EPR, from 4-20 pressure and 1 EPR. It seems like my tidal rate is still low and my resp. rate still pretty high. I can still try taping my mouth closed, but I thought the leak rate was lowered since my recent changes, so I'll see how it goes.
The only explanation I have for something odd about my breathing pattern is that I've had more vivid dreams, some were nightmares, ever since I started CPAP.
RE: Still sleepy during the day - low tidal, high resp.? - SarcasticDave94 - 09-18-2023
There's one area that looks to stand out to me. It's not a really big issue, however it could be if it's persistent. Occasional leaks like this can cause sleep disturbance. Although it's not very bad overall, it looks worse later in the sleep session, so it could be associated with sleep position changes.
Secondly, I'm not at all certain how long you actually suffered from apnea, however it's likely not to be addressed in a month of CPAP treatment. It's going to take persistence on your part to stick with it.
RE: Still sleepy during the day - low tidal, high resp.? - mildOA - 09-19-2023
Ok, thank you, Dave. I am going to try a night with the full mask that I had to stop using earlier from discomfort and see if that fixes the leak issues, at least. Confirm if I'm mouth breathing.
Do you know of a scientific explanation for getting used to CPAP? I know some people say they suddenly got way better after like 3 months or 6 months of usage. I'd really like to know more about how the body is adapting to it over that time that creates such an emergent effect.
RE: Still sleepy during the day - low tidal, high resp.? - SarcasticDave94 - 09-19-2023
It's a very individual thing honestly. Both in getting used to CPAP and seeing results. Some see instant results, others it takes a while. I think in part it's going to depend on how bad your apnea was and how long you'd gone untreated.
Others with better knowledge than I will be along with input too. I've been untreated myself for about 2 years after ASV therapy became the incorrect answer. So all those therapy nuances I knew by heart kinda faded from no practice.
Regardless, stick with it and it'll pay off.