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More Apneas With CPAP Than When Sleeping On Side - What Should I Do?

by Richard

I'm 36 years-old with a normal BMI that was recently diagnosed with Sleep Apnea after having a Sleep Study done. It seems I may have had this condition for most of my life as I can remember not being able to get refreshing sleep even as a kid in school.

Anyway the results of my Sleep Study said that on my back I had an AHI index of 24 per hour. On my side it was only 1.1 per hour due to 1 OSA. The second part of the night I was put on CPAP at 7 cm of water pressure and my AHI was 11 per hour, with most being CSAs.

What bothers me is that even when I was sleeping without the CPAP, I only had 1 CSA for the entire time--but on CPAP I had 11 of them. I've been prescribed CPAP but I'm honestly freaked out by the rise in CSAs I had on it. It looks like my numbers were best when sleeping on my side than they were using the CPAP. I'd like to use the machine while I look into seeing if surgery could possibly help me, but I'm worried about the CSA increase I experienced on it.

If the CPAP is causing the increase in CSAs, are they likely to decrease if I stop using it? As crazy as it may sound, I'm concerned that my body will become conditioned to having these CSAs and that I'll keep having them at the high frequency I have on the CPAP even if I'm able to go off the machine in the future.

Your thoughts on the subject would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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More Apneas With CPAP Than When Sleeping On Side - What Should I Do?

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Nov 26, 2010
 central apnea on cpap
by: Robert Dawkins

Your central apnea associated with initial CPAP usage will probably decrease in time. There is some debate over what causes the central apnea but I subscribe to the theory that it is the stretch receptors in your chest. The other theory is that you have less CO2 in your blood because you are breathing better.

Also, since your apnea is positional, in my opinion you should see an ENT doc as you might, and I emphasize might, be a person who can benefit from surgery.

I address all of this and more in my ebook, "How to Tolerate CPAP Therapy for your Sleep Apnea" available at www.sleepingwithcpap.com

Good luck.
Nov 26, 2010
 central apnea on cpap
by: Robert Dawkins

Your central apnea associated with initial CPAP usage will probably decrease in time. There is some debate over what causes the central apnea but I subscribe to the theory that it is the stretch receptors in your chest. The other theory is that you have less CO2 in your blood because you are breathing better.

Also, since your apnea is positional, in my opinion you should see an ENT doc as you might, and I emphasize might, be a person who can benefit from surgery.

I address all of this and more in my ebook, "How to Tolerate CPAP Therapy for your Sleep Apnea" available at www.sleepingwithcpap.com

Good luck.

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