Natural stimulants for sleep apnea?

[CyclingQueen]

Hello, I was diagnosed this week with mild SA but my symptoms are certainly not mild. I have excessive daytime sleepiness which is becoming impossible and depressing to live with. My anxiety is so bad when I get up for yet another morning feeling groggy, drunk with exhaustion and sleepy. I'm also perimenopausal so certain times of the month are even worse.

The study revealed that when I am on my side the AHI is 4.2 but on my back it's 6 and that's how I spend most of my sleep. The pRDI figures were higher. I was advised to try to sleep on my side so I have duly bought a special 'vest' with a ball in it. I used it last night but too soon to notice any difference. I know CPAP is an option.

I'm about to go on a family holiday for two weeks and just keep crying at feeling such a zombie and how I won't enjoy it (sleep deprivation will do that to your mental health!). I just want to sleep all day but I have a child and also work (from home) which is becoming harder and harder. It started a year ago and has just got worse.

So, preamble over, does anyone have any natural stimulants to recommend to get me through the next few weeks? Or tips? Caffeine helps briefly but I limit to two cups a day. I know that I obsessively google symptoms for reassurance/support on forums like this, so too much screen time can't help.

[PleasantPink]

I can totally relate to the frustration you are feeling with the sleep deprivation. And yes your AHI is in the mild range for both side lying & supine, I had a similar situation & struggled adjusting to APAP ( like CPAP but it automatically adjusts to your needs & usually better tolerated ). Since you are looking for tips to help in the near future let me suggest tips to improve your sleep hygiene ( sleep routine ) which made an enormous difference for me once I was consistent. I didn't believe at first that it would make such a positive difference, but it has for sure. First caffeine & alcohol both interfere with our natural sleep cycle so stop or reduce both of those; and the last thing you need are stimulants of any kind. I was given a guide with multiple suggestions but the one's I found most helpful were structuring my sleep time, go to bed within an hour or so of the same time every night & get up at the same time every morning ( set alarm if needed but it's the consistency that made the difference ). I realize having a child that might be a challenge but do what you can. Try to stop any screen time at least 2 hours before sleep. Make sure your bedroom is conducive to sleep IE. Don't bring your work to bed, TV off, lights low & if you want to read something I was told something boring like a phone book ( seriously I laughed out loud...who even owns a phone book anymore ! ) but you get the idea, nothing that will be stimulating your thoughts. The most helpful part was the consistency of the sleep pattern and NO NAPS. I loved my naps but it was defeating the pattern & giving my brain confusing signals. Look up Sleep Hygiene and you may find other ideas that will work for you. Good Luck !

[CyclingQueen in reply to PleasantPink]

Thanks so much PleasantPink for taking the time to reply. It's always a comfort to know there are others although I wish no one had this to deal with SA. I will definitely put your suggestions in motion. I have been sleeping on my side the last two nights and I feel some small improvement so hopefully this will build up. Do you use the APAP or couldn't get used to it, as you mentioned? The hardest thing is no naps when you feel so sleepy. They are always short (10 mins) as I have too much to do to sleep for longer in the day but don't think I can (yet) manage without. What a journey! Wishing you continued improvement with yours too

[PleasantPink in reply to CyclingQueen]

Good to hear side lying has helped somewhat & yes over time you may see additional improvement with the position change. Yes I do use the APAP now and I never would have believed it a year ago ! Part the adjustment issue there was finding the right mask. If you get the APAP or CPAP persist in trying the different mask options til you find the one you are most comfortable with, it makes a world of difference. In fact now I almost cannot sleep without it...lol If you cannot manage without the naps they say keep them under 30 mins. Honestly, I never found under 30 mins helpful so I had to eventually avoid the naps, but it was a process as they say. Just recently I finally invested in a CPAP pillow & I truly wish I did that from the beginning. I think the improved alignment has really added to a more restful sleep. I hope some of these tips are helpful

[CyclingQueen]

Thank you PleasantPink That's amazing you've made that progress with your APAP! Also that the pillow has been an added aid. I am still continuing with side sleeping which I think is helping but it's not as if you can recover so much lost sleep fast! My naps are always short but they don't really make me feel refreshed, it's more that I cannot keep my eyes open. Let's see how things pan out...what a horrible thing SA is!