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Anyone have a spouse who sleeps 20 hours a day from COPD?

A MyCOPDTeam Member asked a question 💭
Apache Junction, AZ
January 19
 · 
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Answer Summary

Members rallied around a caregiver whose husband sleeps excessively due to COPD, offering both empathy and practical strategies for managing... Read more

Members rallied around a caregiver whose husband sleeps excessively due to COPD, offering both empathy and practical strategies for managing the exhausting reality of poor sleep quality, depression, and multiple health challenges after a sudden diagnosis. Several members shared advice on establishing daily routines and exercise despite fatigue, troubleshooting BiPAP machine issues like uncomfortable pressure settings and mask fit problems, advocating persistently with pulmonologists and equipment suppliers, and considering pulmonary rehab or counseling to address depression and help the patient take ownership of their care. A recurring theme was the emotional toll of sudden lifestyle changes and the caregiver's need to balance support with self-care, with members emphasizing that spouses cannot do it alone and that patients must play an active role in their own treatment and recovery.

A MyCOPDTeam Member

I have heard something like that. The problem often is we don't really get good, deep sleep at night, so it almost doesn't count. I don't stay in bed for 20 hours, but sometimes I'm sleepy for much of the day. The best I can do is just keep pushing through with a routine and get my exercise in. 'Do not stop' is almost a mantra with me.
Would you mind discussing this a bit more, because I would like to know how you and your spouse handle it.

January 20
MyCOPDTeam

Is your spouse sleeping 20 hours a day due to COPD?

While extreme fatigue is common with COPD, sleeping 20 hours daily is unusually severe and warrants immediate medical attention. Many people with COPD experience persistent exhaustion, but this level of sleep suggests something more serious may be happening.

COPD causes Show Full Answer

Is your spouse sleeping 20 hours a day due to COPD?

While extreme fatigue is common with COPD, sleeping 20 hours daily is unusually severe and warrants immediate medical attention. Many people with COPD experience persistent exhaustion, but this level of sleep suggests something more serious may be happening.

COPD causes fatigue because damaged lungs work harder to get oxygen, leading to low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels. However, extreme fatigue lasting more than a day or two needs evaluation by a healthcare provider to rule out other issues requiring treatment.

Some MyCOPDTeam members report sleeping 9-10 hours at night plus needing naps, but 20 hours is beyond typical COPD fatigue. This could indicate:

* Worsening COPD requiring oxygen therapy adjustments
* Sleep apnea or other sleep disorders
* Depression or anxiety (common with COPD)
* Medication side effects
* Nutritional deficiencies

Please encourage your spouse to contact their doctor right away. Tests like sleep studies or blood work can identify treatable causes. With proper treatment adjustments - whether oxygen therapy, CPAP for sleep apnea, or addressing other factors - energy levels can often improve significantly.

January 19
A MyCOPDTeam Member

Yes, it’s all done remotely, @A MyCOPDTeam Member. Be the squeaky wheel…

Saturday night, 24-JAN-26

January 24
A MyCOPDTeam Member

We are waiting for the pulmonologist to call us back. They think that the setting are set too high for him. Hopefully we get some answers today. Have a wonderful day!

January 22
A MyCOPDTeam Member

Part 2 of 2, @bolderspark:

Ask for copies of his pulmonary function tests (both from the initial diagnosis, as well as his most recent tests following his bouts of pneumonia), and he has to have to have a depression assessment, as well as a discussion with his pulmonary therapist or pulmonologist about whether or not he is able to be considered as a candidate for pulmonary rehab.

I’m sorry to lay this out so baldly, restating what you wrote, but there’s a lot to unpack in your post, and I didn’t want to misunderstand what you had written.

Hoping these suggestions help. He’s between a rock and a hard place, and only he can decide if it’s something he wants to address. Since depression impairs motivation, it’s important that the topic be addressed as part of figuring out if he wants to get better or is too depressed, and falling into the “failure to thrive”, self-neglect category.

You might consider suggesting marriage and family therapy counseling, hiring someone with a specialty in chronic illnesses and grief counseling for you both as a way to help him find himself again if you agree depression is playing a part in his situation.

*** I’m not a doctor, and this isn’t medical advice ***

Only you two know what’s going on, and until you take a step back to look at ALL the changes you have both been though in less than a year to try and find overall answers, it’s going to continue to be challenging.

Hugs, as I know this is hard. End of part 2 of 2.

Wednesday night, 21-JAN-26

January 21 (edited)

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