CPAP works (on paper) but sleep still feels extremely poor.
I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (AHI 31) and have been using an APAP machine for about 2 months. My events are now down to around 1–3 per night according to the machine. The problem is that I still feel exhausted—sometimes even worse than before treatment. The mask and airflow don’t bother me at all, so I don’t think comfort is the issue.
I’ve also been dealing with some insomnia, especially during stressful periods in my life, and I suspect my sleep apnea may have contributed to that. Now, even though I sleep 7–8 hours most nights, it often feels like I’ve only slept 3–4. In the past 2 months, I’ve only had a handful of nights where I actually felt well-rested.
Is this normal? How long does it usually take to start feeling better once your apnea is under control?