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Sleep study results: Stage 3 and Stage 4: 0%??
Hi all, I recently received results from my sleep study. The doctor indicated that I have very mild sleep apnea which apparently is not enough to cause my symptoms of feeling unrefreshed and tired all day. I asked him why I have 0% Stage 3/4, but he said that this number does not necessarily indicate sleep apnea. I thought stage 3/4 was deep sleep? I'm 31, How can he say that this number is not relevant? He suggests sleeping on my side, rather than on my back.
I should probably get a second opinion???
Mild snoring, no leg movement, O2 levels normal
Mild snoring, no leg movement, O2 levels normal
Sleep stages and position
Stage 1: 23.6%
Stage 2: 57.6%
Stage 3/4: 0%
REM: 18.5%
Supine: 55%
Non-supine: 45%
Sleep Dimensions
Time in bed: 432 mins
Total sleep time: 379 mins
Sleep effiendy: 87.6%
WASO: 50 mins
Sleep latency (1st eps) : 3 mins
Sleep latency (3 eps) : 3 mins
REM Latency: 129.5 min.
Arousal Analysis
# of awakenings: 36
Spn. Arousal index: 6.3/hr (<10 normal)
BR Arousal index: 11.4/hr (<10 normal)
Total arousal index: 17.8/hr (<20 normal)
Abnormal breathing events: All Events
Obstructive Apnea: 2
Central Apnea: 2
Hypoapneas: 46
RERA's: 23
Snoring arousals: 0
Total: 72
Abnormal breathing events: A+H arousals:
Total #: 49
REM: 16
Supine: 38
Non-Supine: 11
BR Arousals: 72
Apneas and Hypoapneas:
Total index: 7.8/hr
REM: 13.7/hr
Supine: 10.9/hr
Non-Supine: 3.9/hr
Thanks!
Views: 3360
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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The numbers are not always indicitive of the severity of a sleep problem. What was the average length of your breathing events? Is your physician sleep certified? Did you have your sleep study in a lab?
In the mean time there are some things that you can do to help improve your sleep. Research sleep hygeine.
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Permalink Reply by Jackie S. on
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Don't worry about not being in Stage 3/4. As we get older we tend to give up these stages. That has nothing to do with your apnea. We tend to see the most apnea in REM. Seems you had the most events on your back (supine). Do you know your lowest oxygen level throughout the night? Mild sleep apnea is enough sometimes to still feel sleepy throughout the day. I have patients who have the same score as you and cpap did change their lives. Sometimes you have to go by the individual rather than just the numbers. Being that its mild u may even want to consider an oral appliance. The questions Rock asked are right on point as well. Is this guy sleep certified?
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Permalink Reply by amith ram on
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My study was done in a large hospital sleep lab and the Dr is certified in sleep medicine. I am starting to think that I will have to get a second opinion
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Permalink Reply by The SleepGuide Crew on
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here are some sleep labs near Irving TX that you might want to look into
amith ram said:My study was done in a large hospital sleep lab and the Dr is certified in sleep medicine. I am starting to think that I will have to get a second opinion
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Your to young to have no stage 3. We should still see at least a somewhat normal sleep architecture at this age. Are you taking any meds?
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No medications other than some type of low dose tri-cyclines the Sleep med dr. prescribed to me a few days ago. I need to have a physical done with full labs to be sure there are no definciencies. However, my last full set of labs was a little over 2 years ago with no issues.
Rock Hinkle said:Your to young to have no stage 3. We should still see at least a somewhat normal sleep architecture at this age. Are you taking any meds?
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My lowest O2 level was 88%, so I think that is ok?
Jackie S. said:Don't worry about not being in Stage 3/4. As we get older we tend to give up these stages. That has nothing to do with your apnea. We tend to see the most apnea in REM. Seems you had the most events on your back (supine). Do you know your lowest oxygen level throughout the night? Mild sleep apnea is enough sometimes to still feel sleepy throughout the day. I have patients who have the same score as you and cpap did change their lives. Sometimes you have to go by the individual rather than just the numbers. Being that its mild u may even want to consider an oral appliance. The questions Rock asked are right on point as well. Is this guy sleep certified?
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Your individual numbers do show that your doc was correct in his Dx of mild apnea. When combined these numbers along with the severity of your symptoms indicate otherwise. An AHI of 7.8 added to an arousal index of 17.8 puts your sleep interruptions at somewhere between 15 and 25 per hour. Every hour. That means that on average your sleep is interrupted every 4-6 minutes This is indicative of a more moderate sleep problem than may have originally been seen.
Scoring a sleep study can differ from lab to lab. There is quite a bit of controversy concerning stage 3 and 4 among sleep technologist right now. The current requirements put an amplitude (height) requirement on the brain waves produced by the deep restoritive sleep of stage 3. The problems that these requirements produce is compounded by the fact that as we age the brain shrinks and recedes away from the scalp. This added gap causes a reduction in the amplitude of the brain wave. This will in turn cause a tech to score stage 3 as stage 2 thus adding to the scorer reliability issues that many labs are having.
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I'm just a patient - but - altho an AHI of 7.8 is considered mild, it IS considered OSA. It would seem to me that, your choice, a dental appliance or a CPAP trial would be indicated. This BS of scripting a "mild" tricyclines is a crock. I had a sleep neurologist go that route w/me .... didn't last long tho. I found a way to get an in-lab PSG w/o her. All she was doing was adding months to delaying my getting any sleep relief. The in-lab PSG indicated mild OSA and positional sleep training, a dental device and CPAP were all offered/suggested. Given the expense and no insurance coverage for the dental applicance I opted for the CPAP and positional sleep training. UNFORTUNATELY, altho I was 100% religously compliant, my local DME provider was a sheister. After 2 1/2 -3 months of torture on the bridge of my nose I took it all back to the DME provider w/some choice words about what they could do w/it (they wouldn't allow me another mask to try).
And thus cut my nose off to spite my face for the next 10 years.
DO NOT be a foolish as I was. (The positional sleep training DID help, just not enough - altho it got me thru the next 10 years - barely).
Frankly, altho the best advice is to find another sleep doctor, finding a GOOD one isn't all that easy I've been finding out. Even accredation doesn't seem to mean diddley-squat for sleep doctors. So I'd talk to my family doctor about a 3 month trial rental of an APAP w/the pressure range set from 6 to 10 or 12 cms or so. The pros here could better suggest a pressure range to try. You DEFINITELY do NOT want the APAP set wide open 4 to 20 cms!!!! That is a stupidly common fault of sleep doctors and APAPs.
Not too many people can breathe comfortably at 4 cms of pressure AND since the APAPs build the pressure gradually in response to need if the range is set too wide, starting at 4 cms doesn't give the APAP enough time to build up to the needed pressure.
Mind you, I am JUST a patient. (An impatient patient, but a patient nonetheless).
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Right on, jnk!!!
There you go, Rock Hinkle, picking on me again! *giggle* And (((hugs))) to you too!
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your oxygen levels should never be below 90%-fyi
amith ram said:My lowest O2 level was 88%, so I think that is ok?
Jackie S. said:Don't worry about not being in Stage 3/4. As we get older we tend to give up these stages. That has nothing to do with your apnea. We tend to see the most apnea in REM. Seems you had the most events on your back (supine). Do you know your lowest oxygen level throughout the night? Mild sleep apnea is enough sometimes to still feel sleepy throughout the day. I have patients who have the same score as you and cpap did change their lives. Sometimes you have to go by the individual rather than just the numbers. Being that its mild u may even want to consider an oral appliance. The questions Rock asked are right on point as well. Is this guy sleep certified?
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