Sleep apnea?

Without knowing how low it actually gets, it DOES, to me, suggest that you have oxygen deficits multiple times each night, and I would be willing to bet you have hypopnea at the very least, flow limitations as a cause, and possibly full-blown obstructive or central apnea. I agree with John, you are overdue for a comprehensive sleep lab, done over night, sometimes on two separate nights, one where they determine how bad your sleep is, and the next time what pressure of air you need fed into your nose/mouth to keep your airway properly splinted.

Jumping in here as I was recently prescribed a sleep study by my Cardiologist (regarding Afib & LBBB diagnosis). I snore and have done so for most of my adult life. For most of this time I've also been 60 - 70 lbs overweight.

My sleep study was at a local Pulmonologist Sleep Center. Unsual for a town of 12,000 people to have such a facility. I'm 45 minutes from UAB Medical in Birmingham and probably the best place for this type procedure (or any thing medical) but decided I'd go local instead of the 50 mile drive back and forth.)

It was a bit of a disaster. I walked into the room (reminding of a cheap hotel room) that was clean on the surface. I see the chest straps and 10 or so leads balled up and sitting on a chair by the bed. There is an old and faded finish C Pap machine under the nightstand and another ball of straps and leads in the floor between the bed and nightstand. I think you're getting my drift by now.

I was very positive going in as my brother and a best friend both rave about their C Pap life. The differences I've noticed in conversation is they both complained of being tired all day before C Pap. I've not had that problem. I've never awakened because of snoring or gasping for air according to my light sleeping bride. I do snore often and loud at times and she suffers the results. I've always slept well and most mornings need no alarm.

To cut to the chase, I could not go to sleep on my back and laid there for 3-1/2 hours as wired pulled on my scalp and my head was sticking to the headboard with all the glue. About 1 hour in I called the tech in and asked if I could move to my left side as I never in 70 years have slept on my back (he boldly said no in the beginning because "people with sleep apnea usually sleep on their back"). The tech said fine at this stage. No luck. Seems everything was too tight and straps felt like they were cutting in to my underarm area. At 2:00am, I called tech in and told him to unhook me, I was going home.

So where am I? I continue to monitor my snoring through a recording app "Snorelab". My sleep scores have decreased (less snoring) from 45% to 26% since starting in Nov 1, 2024 till Mar 13, 2025. I've lost 22 lbs during that time also due to low Carb, measured portion diet and attribute the snoring change to that alone. My heart issues have my attention regarding weight. REM sleeping is up during that period as well according to my I-watch. My sleep score was "3%" last evening with no loud or epic snoring.

Should I go somewhere else and try this again or continue my current course of weight reduction, exercise and proven sleep enhancing behavior. (No alcohol, low to no Sugar, 4 hour fast before bedtime, etc)

Jumping in here as I was recently prescribed a sleep study by my Cardiologist (regarding Afib & LBBB diagnosis). I snore and have done so for most of my adult life. For most of this time I've also been 60 - 70 lbs overweight.

My sleep study was at a local Pulmonologist Sleep Center. Unsual for a town of 12,000 people to have such a facility. I'm 45 minutes from UAB Medical in Birmingham and probably the best place for this type procedure (or any thing medical) but decided I'd go local instead of the 50 mile drive back and forth.)

It was a bit of a disaster. I walked into the room (reminding of a cheap hotel room) that was clean on the surface. I see the chest straps and 10 or so leads balled up and sitting on a chair by the bed. There is an old and faded finish C Pap machine under the nightstand and another ball of straps and leads in the floor between the bed and nightstand. I think you're getting my drift by now.

I was very positive going in as my brother and a best friend both rave about their C Pap life. The differences I've noticed in conversation is they both complained of being tired all day before C Pap. I've not had that problem. I've never awakened because of snoring or gasping for air according to my light sleeping bride. I do snore often and loud at times and she suffers the results. I've always slept well and most mornings need no alarm.

To cut to the chase, I could not go to sleep on my back and laid there for 3-1/2 hours as wired pulled on my scalp and my head was sticking to the headboard with all the glue. About 1 hour in I called the tech in and asked if I could move to my left side as I never in 70 years have slept on my back (he boldly said no in the beginning because "people with sleep apnea usually sleep on their back"). The tech said fine at this stage. No luck. Seems everything was too tight and straps felt like they were cutting in to my underarm area. At 2:00am, I called tech in and told him to unhook me, I was going home.

So where am I? I continue to monitor my snoring through a recording app "Snorelab". My sleep scores have decreased (less snoring) from 45% to 26% since starting in Nov 1, 2024 till Mar 13, 2025. I've lost 22 lbs during that time also due to low Carb, measured portion diet and attribute the snoring change to that alone. My heart issues have my attention regarding weight. REM sleeping is up during that period as well according to my I-watch. My sleep score was "3%" last evening with no loud or epic snoring.

Should I go somewhere else and try this again or continue my current course of weight reduction, exercise and proven sleep enhancing behavior. (No alcohol, low to no Sugar, 4 hour fast before bedtime, etc)

I know high hemocrit and hemoglobin are also signs of possible heart disease & lung disease. I'm hoping it's apnea coz that seems to be the better of the 3 to have 😔

I would say you are doing very commendably well. You can also find a doctor who issues home kits to detect sleep apnea. Also, a Holter monitor worn for maybe two nights...and days...would reveal variations in heart rate and rhythm, and if they rise and fall grossly during the night hours it may signify either REM sleep, which is ideal and desirable, or a heart under duress due to hypoxia....which means apnea. A RESMED 11 Airsense 'Autoset' would titrate you automatically and you would do well...PROVIDED...that you don't have significant CA..central apnea.
You are doing all the right things. Try to get your BMI down below 28 if possible, so great progress there, no snacking after about the time that is three hours prior to sack time, so about 1900 for many of us, caffeine and alcohol are probably okay occasionally, but early in the day, not after 1500 hrs for the caffeine.
Incidentally, my cardio asked me what my neck circumference is/was. I thought it odd, but when I got his formal diagnosis of paroxysmal AF, I began an intensive study to determine what my options and prognosis were likely to be, and learned that, statistically across patients, a neck girth of 17" and up is highly correlated with OSA. Mine never gets above 16", but I still have a formally assessed diagnosis of 'severe sleep apnea.'

Anyone who had palpitations before your cpap machine did they stop? I know they are one symptom of sleep apnea.