Is Nocturnal Hypoxia a big deal? Could it be the source of my progressive cognitive & general health decline?

37F, 5’4”, 118 lbs, BMI 20.4. Premorbid IQ estimated high average (87th percentile). Former law professor, now functionally disabled.

Sleep studies from 2018, 2019, and 2025 all show oxygen desaturations to 73-77% during sleep. These were never mentioned to me. ODI of 16.6 on one study, 152 desaturation events on another. Was told PAP therapy was optional due to low-moderate AHI. REM AHI is significantly higher.

Never prescribed supplemental O2 or given titration study… like I mentioned I never even knew about it until a couple weeks ago.

Around 2021 I progressively began to lose cognitive abilities and — after my twins were born in 2024 — became so tired I wasn’t able to mother the babies at all. We had to hire full time care for them and help for me. I’ve essentially slept through the first two years of my twins’ life. I didn’t give them a bath until after their first birthday. I didn’t rock my son to sleep until he was 14 months old. These are routine, everyday things I did from birth on with my two older children.

I’ve been looking everywhere and anywhere for answers on why I sleep so much and why my brain doesn’t work like it used to. I have four young children—four under four— who are suffering without me being able to participate in life with them.

Most days I am stuck in bed too tired to get up even with layered stimulants (Sunosi, provigil, Focalin) and aplenzin. I am on the highest dose of each of those meds and still sleep right through the day one to three days a week.

I recently reviewed the sleep studies myself and saw the oxygen desaturations into the 70s on all of them. I’d never heard about this and had no idea it could be an issue until I recently when I did some research on my own. That being said, I know my “Google MD” is not to be. Relied on for answers.

I’m asking … could the years of nocturnal hypoxia be a big factor in what’s going on? If so, what hope do I have for fixing any damage that’s been done? What if anything should I do about it? Should I address it with the pulmonologist who ordered and interpreted all of the studies and never mentioned the desats?

Is it controversial in medicine —as in do some doctors not believe it’s an issue and others don’t?

I would love to have finally found an answer. I just want to be able to be the mom my kids so desperately need.

Thanks for any and all help you can provide. 😴🆘