Do you have sleep study and/or CPAP use experience?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Looking for advice. I had a study done and the basic results follow. To start, I’m not sure how effective the test was. They told me it didn’t matter whether I took an ambien or not. My plan was to go to sleep without and to take a half (5mg) if, as I expected, I woke up after about three hours. That is something I do regularly and was told by my specialist that it is fine.

Well, that night when I rigged myself up I became so awake that I decided to take a full 10mg pill. That should have put me out for 5-6 hours. It didn’t… I woke up after about 3 1/2 and then tried to get back to sleep for another hour but I couldn’t.

That was the extent of the test. Now for the results and I know that you are not supposed to play doctor but if you have any personal experience to compare I’d appreciate it…

Very little snoring recorded
Overall 5.5 on the Sleep Apnea Index
Oxygen desaturations down to a low of 71% from a baseline of 94%.
Recommended home trial of auto PAP therapy at pressure settings of 4 to 12 cm

So I hope it is ok to get laymen’s advice on the matter. If discussing specific results is too close to doctoring then maybe just advice on your experiences. Like being hooked up to the CPAP, how long it took to get used to it and how much it improved your sleep.

2

First, of course I am not a sleep doctor.

But my sleep specialist has said that that up to 5 apnea episode per hour (AHI = Apnea Hypopnea Index) is within the range of normal. I think this is what you are likely referring to by the term Sleep Apnea Index. A reading of 5.5 would be just barely of notice.

My AHI was very high at 80+, which is near constant interruption of sleep. CPAP treatment lowered that to normal and made a HUGE difference in how I feel, as if I was actually sleeping for the first time in years. Not sure that going from 5.5 to 3 would make such a big difference.

As to adjusting to sleeping with a CPAP, it took a few nights to stop sleeping with my mouth wide open and trust the machine. The bigger adjustment was finding a mask that would work well and be comfortable. Initially I was given an oro-nasal mask but that rubbed uncomfortable on my cheek. A switch to a nasal pillows mask solved the problem.

3

IANAD, etc.

However, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and I use a CPAP at night. It has made a world of difference. I had to experiment with chin straps and a couple of different masks before I found what works best for me.

SWMBO claims it’s kinda like sleeping with Darth Vader, but my snoring isn’t waking her up any more, so she is also sleeping better as a result of my CPAP. :smiley:

4

I just got a new ResMed BiPap, thank you medical insurance carrier. This is machine #4. They last about 10,000 hours, but they are getting way better and way, way quieter. The one I have now has a page that tells you how you slept last night, including frequency of “events” as it calls it. Then it calls ResMed and reports your activity via Bluetooth. If you ever feel like it, you can access the company and look at your sleep reports, or your doctor can. Everything from pass/fail on leak tests (mask) etc, events per hour, hours of use, etc. Or, you can switch it to Airplane mode and it calls no one.

Masks are a pain in the ass until you find one. They run 125 to 200+ bucks, and last about 4 months. Finding one that fits and works for you is a problem, because you sort of have to guess which one will work. Even if you find one, you’re constantly washing the headband (they don’t replace those as often so you have to keep them clean) is a pain in the ass. Then you have to readjust it and leak test it. I’ve tried nasal and full face masks. The full face really seem to suck for me.

I don’t use the humidifier part of it, it’s turned off. Using that increases your cleaning and maintained many times over. I’ve never needed it. Cleaning is VERY important. Keep the mask and tubing clean.

User machine maintained consists of cleaning or replacing an air filter, very easy to do. Check it once a week.

Once you get used to it it’s a blessing to pull all the covers over your head on a cold night and breath fresh, filtered air all night long.

It is well worth it. WELL worth it.

5

This was my husband. He was snoring and I could hear the apnea - and he went in to get a sleep study and went on a CPAP because he thought I would sleep better and spend fewer nights on the couch - which worked out to be true. But what also happened that he didn’t expect is that once he got used to the CPAP (which wasn’t easy or instantaneous, and yes, he tried a few masks), he found he slept a lot better, woke up less tired, had more energy and his mood improved. Now he travels with the CPAP unless its just going to be one night - even if I’m not traveling with him.

6

I had a sleep study about 6 months ago and I got such different results than you! My snoring was Loud and Continuous and I found out that I was having approximately 130 apnea events per hour. My longest recorded apnea event that night was 83 seconds which was just a crazy amount of time to not be, you know, breathing.

The first morning after sleeping with the CPAP, I almost cried because it was such a huge difference. I have a Resmed brand machine as well, though I don’t think it’s the BiPap but it does all the same things as Morgenstern said, records AHIs, mask leaks, hours used, etc. I don’t use the humidifier either, but I don’t use it because it is way too much effort to finetune the tube temp and the humidifier level and the room temp to not get a bunch of condensation in the mask. I would say it was a couple of nights of fussing to figure out how to arrange the tube and mask but now, I strap it on and fall asleep, easy peasy. I wouldn’t go anywhere without my machine anymore. It has improved my quality of life by leaps and bounds.

7

I have used a CPAP for years and they do make a world of difference. I love my new Resmed Autoset S9 that I bought on the black market from someone that needed it way more than I did. I just use nasal pillows that slip on and off in about one second and I look at it more like a spa treatment more than a medical necessity. I had radical throut and mouth surgery to try to correct my sleep apnea a number of years ago but it only partially worked. It looks like I will have to use a CPAP for life.

I don’t regret it though. CPAP machines have become much more advanced and convenient, quiet and high-tech in recent years as others have mentioned. I like falling asleep and not waking up suddenly gasping for breath. The people I sleep with appreciate it too. I didn’t bring my CPAP machine one night when I slept over at my girlfriend’s house. She was terrified when I snored and then stopped breathing. I don’t know what it sounds like by definition but apparently it can be pretty bad. It is best just to let the breathing machine keep everything nice and smooth.

8

Yeah, one of the things that prompted me to have the sleep study was being told bluntly the next morning, “It sounds like you’re dying.”

9

Been wearing masks for oxygen for years flying high altitude in small planes.
Been using CPAP & BPAP machines for almost 20 years.
I have a full beard.
I like warm air.
I like a humidifier.
I like nasal pillows.
My machines last way more than 10,000 hours.
I use 2 hoses & the unit in a box with one side open, facing away from the bed, to keep noise away from the wife.
I do not RAMP UP, I start at 15 and stay at 15 all the time sleeping.
Routing of the hose cures any moisture problems that come along due to changing conditions: ie: winter, summer, window open or shut, A/C on or off, none of that makes any difference now.

I have it easy, adapted easily, really lucky because I can get used to most any conditions except chiggers & misquotes. :wink:

10

19 years on CPAP. I remember the first night I used it, I slept through the night, which I hadn’t done in years, and didn’t feel sleepy all day. It was a revelation. I use full face because I cannot reliably breathe through my nose, and I don’t think that surgery to correct that is worth the risk, even if it worked well enough so that I could use a nasal mask or pillows.

I don’t think I was ever told my readings in the sleep test, of which I’ve had two, the second one after having lost a bunch of weight. At that second one, I was only told my apnea had gone from severe to moderate, and that I could probably sleep without the CPAP at least some of the time. But I never tried because it had by then become part of my sleep routine. I dislike the sleep tests, who can sleep anyway with all that gear on, and they expected me to go to bed at 9pm. The second time I knew more what to expect, so I got up really early the morning before so that I would be sleepy, and ate a starchy dinner with turkey. That allowed me to actually fall asleep for a little while at least.

My masks last a lot longer than 4 months, and although I can replace just the soft part when needed, that too seems to last longer since I started cleaning them with a commercial wipe every day. I don’t mind washing the strap, but I don’t put it in the dryer, I just let it air dry, the Velcro lasts longer that way, and it dries quickly if you blot/squeeze it with a towel directly from the washing machine. I don’t use a humidifier, and I don’t have a problem with my mouth drying out.

I never liked or trusted my supplier so now I’m buying my supplies online. Now that I’m on Medicare I don’t know what hoops I’d have to jump through to get a new CPAP, so I bought my most recent one of those online too - it was a supplier who didn’t require a prescription (since I don’t have a copy of mine). I like it and it’s very small, suitable for traveling.

My final comment has to do with whether you need to use a CPAP. If you have mild to moderate apnea, there are probably other things you might try first, such as those nasal strips that hold your nose open, or those mouth inserts that push your jaw forward to keep your airway from closing up. I’ve never tried them but they might work for you.

11

With me it was when my 9 year old autistic nephew, who I rarely get to visit, asked me why I stop breathing when I sleep. First thing that came to his mind to talk to me about. Which led me to asking my doctor who wrote the referral and got things going.

I was able to do my sleep test at home, sort of like what this New York Times article describes, but my test was just one night. Just an elastic band around my chest with a sensor that detects breathing, an oxymeter taped to my finger, and some sensor under my nostrils. Much easier to be able to sleep on my schedule rather than go to a clinic.

12

Apnea–Hypopnea Index - events per hour: less than 5 Minimal / 5 to 15 Mild / 16 to 30 Moderate / more than 30 Severe

My first poly gave me an AHI of 89.5. The only thing I’ve noticed that’s different is I don’t wake up in the middle of sleeping to pee anymore. The big thing for me was seeing my untreated and treated arousal index, that’s when you think you’re asleep but your brain actually isn’t, went from an almost solid black bar to almost no arousals.

Don’t trust how CPAP makes you feel, trust the test results!

CMC fnord!

13

I pay under $40 for my mask. I don’t bother with insurance.

I took the home test and then had to go to a clinic for an overnight study. Apparently I stop breathing many times a minute. It’s to the point now I can’t sleep without a cpap machine. The only downside to my machine is that the power supply is specific to the machine. Even though it’s a common voltage the cpap machine only recognizes the charger it comes with. When I went camping and needed a 12 volt power supply I had to buy one that the machine recognized. when camping I don’t use the humidifier because it uses a lot of energy so I turn it off but I leave it attached because it acts as a muffler.

14

My writeup, which i think is pretty good.

i usually contribute to these threads as i have rather a lot of experience but am minus one hand for a few weeks so typing is quite tough.

15

Wow… I did a home test a couple of months ago, and got my results this morning. I was coming to the SDMB to start a thread asking about just this.

I scored 13, at the high end of mild. My insurer (Kaiser PNW) says I can choose between a CPAP machine or a mouth insert, and they recommend the CPAP. I really have no idea which way I want to go. I’m thinking wearing a mask would be less annoying than having a hunk of plastic in my mouth.

Does anyone have experience with the mouth insert? Should I just go with the CPAP?

16

Sleep study…ugh. I couldn’t sleep!
I don’t know how anyone can sleep with a hundred different wires attached to them and someone in the other room watching them on video.

Anyway, they said I did sleep and analyzed my non-sleep and said I was fine.

17

I have been using a CPAP for about a month. As others have said, it takes some getting used to. In my case not the machine itself. I got used to it the first night. It is taking time to unlearn decades of now unnecessary sleep habits that I developed to compensate for the apnea.

I suspected I would sleep better with the CPAP and I am. I am committed now. My doctor says 70-80% of the people who try the machine adjust well and continue to use it. I am in that group.

I am very impressed with the engineering that went in to the CPAP machine. Just about everything that could be a problem, the hose, the mask, the machine itself, the lighted display, everything has been optimized to make it easy to use. A fine piece of engineering!

I was originally sent to the sleep clinic by my cardiologist. It turns out that years of apnea produce enough stress that one wall of the heart actually thickens. It is apparently not harmful, but it is a symptom. My insurance hasn’t hesitated to pay for everything, so that is nice.

18

I’ve used CPAP 100% for about 7 years now, and my AHI went from 74 down to about 5. I use a mask that covers my nose and mouth but not my eyes. I like the machine because I dream again, like when I was little. I like the warm humid air too, and get fewer colds. It took me a few days to get through the night at first, but by about 10 days I was sleeping much better than I was accustomed to. Now that I have had the experience, I wish I had started sooner.

19

I tried using a boil and bite for a while before I was diagnosed. It helped with the snoring a little bit but was incredibly uncomfortable, would pop out after I fell asleep and got all gross and slimy. I like the CPAP much better.

Oh man, I loved doing the sleep study! I would do it again in a shot if my copays weren’t ridiculous. I must have annoyed the crap out of the technician with all my questions and I took like 20 pictures of me all wired up and sent them to all my friends and family.

20

Did the home sleep study. Y’know what, one night with the CPAP machine and my “jet lag” afternoon sleepiness disappeared. Any night I don’t use the CPAP and I have that afternoon jet lag feeling.

I could lose 20 pounds or so (5 down and 15# to go!), and I might not need the CPAP.

If you feel deadly tired in the afternoon, it’s a high probability it’s because of apnea…note: I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV