OBJECTIVES: Many patients with obstructive sleep apnea complain of fatigue, tiredness, or lack of energy in addition to sleepiness, or instead of sleepiness. We explored whether self-defined fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy improve, like sleepiness, after treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP). METHODS: We conducted a prospective survey of adults referred to a University-based sleep disorders center and confirmed to have obstructive sleep apnea on polysomnography. Surveys were mailed to 1539 patients 6 months to 3 years after they were prescribed PAP for home use. RESULTS: Participants (n = 313) included 183 who reported using PAP > or = 5 hours per night, 96 who were considered inadequately treated because they had no active treatment or used PAP < 5 hours per night, and 34 treated by surgery or other means and therefore excluded from subsequent analysis. At follow-up in comparison to baseline, subjects adherent to PAP reported less fatigue, tiredness, lack of energy, and sleepiness (p < 0.05 for each). Improvement of each symptom except for lack of energy was significantly better (p < 0.05) among PAP-adherent subjects than among inadequately treated subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' complaints of fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy, like sleepiness, can improve substantially with good adherence to PAP for obstructive sleep apnea. Therefore, patients who prefer a range of common, related terms other than sleepiness to describe their problem may benefit from investigation and treatment for any underlying sleep-disordered breathing.
OBJECTIVES: Many patients with obstructive sleep apnea complain of fatigue, tiredness, or lack of energy in addition to sleepiness, or instead of sleepiness. We explored whether self-defined fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy improve, like sleepiness, after treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP). METHODS: We conducted a prospective survey of adults referred to a University-based sleep disorders center and confirmed to have obstructive sleep apnea on polysomnography. Surveys were mailed to 1539 patients 6 months to 3 years after they were prescribed PAP for home use. RESULTS:Participants (n = 313) included 183 who reported using PAP > or = 5 hours per night, 96 who were considered inadequately treated because they had no active treatment or used PAP < 5 hours per night, and 34 treated by surgery or other means and therefore excluded from subsequent analysis. At follow-up in comparison to baseline, subjects adherent to PAP reported less fatigue, tiredness, lack of energy, and sleepiness (p < 0.05 for each). Improvement of each symptom except for lack of energy was significantly better (p < 0.05) among PAP-adherent subjects than among inadequately treated subjects. CONCLUSIONS:Patients' complaints of fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy, like sleepiness, can improve substantially with good adherence to PAP for obstructive sleep apnea. Therefore, patients who prefer a range of common, related terms other than sleepiness to describe their problem may benefit from investigation and treatment for any underlying sleep-disordered breathing.
Authors: Terri E Weaver; Greg Maislin; David F Dinges; Thomas Bloxham; Charles F P George; Harly Greenberg; Gihan Kader; Mark Mahowald; Joel Younger; Allan I Pack Journal: Sleep Date: 2007-06 Impact factor: 5.849
Authors: Victoria M Pak; Lisa Strouss; Henry K Yaggi; Nancy S Redeker; Vahid Mohsenin; Barbara Riegel Journal: J Sleep Res Date: 2018-11-13 Impact factor: 3.981
Authors: Galit Levi Dunietz; Yue Yu; Rivkah S Levine; Alan S Conceicao; James F Burke; Ronald D Chervin; Tiffany J Braley Journal: J Clin Sleep Med Date: 2021-03-01 Impact factor: 4.062