Sleep Tech Tip of the Week
By  Michael Miller, RPSGT
I recently received a question from a colleague of mine asking a question about the correlation between transient sleep apnea and the efficacy of CPAP as it relates to pregnancy. I thought that this topic would make a good discussion for this week’s sleep tech tip of the week.

I have performed numerous CPAP titrations, but I only recall one such scenario that relates specifically to this particular topic. My patient was in her second trimester of pregnancy and had complaints of snoring, morning headaches, restless sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness. She explained that she had gained 30 pounds since becoming pregnant and felt that her symptoms were directly related to her weight gain. Although she was absolutely correct in her assumption, she had no clue that sleep apnea was the culprit.

Her NPSG yielded a diagnosis of moderate OSA.  Her return to the sleep lab for a CPAP titration was not only an eye opening experience for her, but the beginning of a personal challenge as well. Although apprehensive about undergoing a CPAP titration she embraced the situation with one common goal in mind, and that was to make CPAP therapy a temporary situation. She ended up on a CPAP pressure of 8cm and felt rejuvenated the next morning. She explained that she had not slept that well in months. She also assured me that CPAP would not be a mainstay in her life. I was impressed with her determination as well as the knowledge she had gained in between the time of her NPSG and her CPAP titration. She had become quite savvy about the causes of sleep apnea and the effects of CPAP therapy. She realized that her sleep apnea could be temporary and directly related to the weight gain that she experienced during her pregnancy.

Eight months had passed and I recognized a familiar name that appeared on my nightly patient list. My previously pregnant patient had returned for a split study in order to determine whether CPAP was still necessary for her, due to the fact that she had lost 30+ pounds since her last visit. She underwent her third sleep study and much to my surprise she displayed only mild snoring and an AHI well below normal limits. The next morning she was elated to discover that CPAP intervention was not needed during the study. My patient’s knowledge of the relationship between weight gain and sleep apnea fueled her dedication to overcome her situation. Although there are many contributing factors to OSA such as gender, age, anatomical abnormalities, etc, the most common suspect to causing OSA is a person’s weight.

CPAP is not only beneficial for the mother but mutually favorable for baby as well. If mom is well rested with limited internal physical stress then baby will naturally profit from that harmonious experience as well. The answer to the question, whether or not CPAP therapy is beneficial for pregnant woman who may receive a diagnosis of OSA, is emphatically YES!

This week’s Tech Tip was written in response to a reader’s request. If you have suggestions for articles or questions you would like to see addressed, please feel free to comment and let us know!

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Tags: apnea, cleep study, cpap, cpap acclimation, cpap adjustment, cpap mask, insomnia, morning headache, obesity, pregnancy, pregnancy weight gain, sleep apnea, sleep cycle, sleep disorder, sleep study, snoring, weight loss