Cheyne-Stokes Breathing With an Obstructive Airway During Rapid Eye Movement Sleep

Abstract

Cheyne-Stokes breathing (CSB) is common in patients with heart failure due to circulation delay and increased chemoreflex instability. CSB usually disappears during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Here, we report a case of a 72-year-old man who had heart failure and other multiple cardiovascular comorbidities with CSB and obstructive sleep apnea. Polysomnography showed typical CSB—central apnea with a pattern of crescendo-decrescendo breathing—during non-REM sleep. However, CSB changed to mixed apnea with a pattern of crescendo-decrescendo breathing during REM sleep.

Keywords

• cheyne-stokes breathing
• rapid eye movement
• mixed apnea