Newly Diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep ApneaAfter many years of poor sleep, often waking up feeling more tired than when I went to bed, I have finally been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea.
In the past, I don't know how many years I've had problems sleeping. Sometimes its difficult to get to sleep, and other times difficult staying asleep. Even when I wake up thinking I've had a "good night" I am more tired, more drained and feel worse than when I went to bed.
Over the past 6 months or so it's been getting worse and worse, and when it was noticed that whilst sleeping I often stop breathing, it was time to seek medical advice. Apparently stopping breathing during the night is bad. The snoring is pretty bad as well.
So I went to see my GP and based on my descriptions, and responses to the questionnaire, she booked me in for a sleep study as it sounded like a classic case of obstructive sleep apnea. It obviously wasn't an urgent referral as I had to wait nearly 8 weeks for the sleep study, but the time eventually came. The study was conducted from the hospital, but I was able to take the equipment home. I was hooked up to all kinds of metering and measuring devices for respiration airflow, respiration effort, oxygen saturation, pulse, heart rhythm and a few other things. I took the equipment back the next day and got the results, which were surprising, to say the least. They showed that I had a serious breathing condition, so serious I was booked in for treatment the next working day.
The table below shows some of the stats recorded from the sleep study.
| Value | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Apnea Index Time | 461.4 minutes | |
| Apnea + Hypopnea | 394 | 51.2 / h |
| Supine A+H | 393 | 57.6 / h |
| Non-Supine A+H | 1 | 1.2 / h |
| SpO2 | Min 82% | Average 92.9% |
| Desaturation Events | 353 | 45.9 / h |
| Breaths detected | 5172 | |
| Below threshold | 1415 | 27.4% |
| Heart rate | Min 55, Max 105 | Av 73.9 |
From the data gathered it was clear that I do not get to deep sleep, in fact on average once per minute I stop breathing for 30 seconds or more. That means that on average, I spend more time suffocating than breathing during the night. This resulted in severe sleep deprivation and hypoxia (low blood oxygen). A blood oxygen of 96% sets off alarms in hospitals, mine fell as low as 82%!
Based on these results, it's no wonder that I was suffering from poor memory, lack of concentration, impaired judgement, moodiness and irritability.
During the treatment session I was fitted out with an Automatic Positive Air Pressure (APAP) device which literally forces air into my lungs keeping the airways open. Unfortunately, it means I have to wear this uncomfortable-looking mask (it's more uncomfortable than it looks, believe me) every night. There isn't any cure for sleep apnea yet, although obesity, smoking and alcohol are all contributing factors. Since I am not massively overweight and don't smoke, I'll just have to cut down on the booze and continue using the device each night.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep occur more often than normal. Each pause can last for a few seconds to a few minutes and they happen many times a night. Sleep apnea may be either obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which breathing is interrupted by a blockage of airflow, central sleep apnea (CSA), in which regular unconscious breath simply stops, or a combination of the two. Sleep Apnea is often a chronic condition. Risk factors include being overweight, a family history of the condition, allergies, and enlarged tonsils. Some people with sleep apnea are unaware they have the condition.
Do you suffer from sleep apnea? Do you have any tips for dealing with apnea or using CPAP devices? Please let us know in the comments.
