OSCAR Interpretation

[ConnorLJ]

Hi all,

This is my first post here so please be kind (I know all of you are after lurking for many months ).

I'm 28 and I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea last year with 20 recorded events per hour. I have struggled with sleeping issues for what feels like my entire life with all of the usual symptoms. I started to use CPAP in October 2023 and luckily I have 0 issues using it. Around 3 days after using the machine, I woke up feeling like superman. An incredible sensation and I was actually speechless at how it felt to be fully rested. Annoyingly, my SD card hadn't arrived in time for me to record the events on OSCAR. All I can tell you is that my machine was pressure was set to default 4 - 20. I am unsure on what my EPR was set to etc. I think the only setting I adjusted was switching off ramp up time.

Since then, I have had days in which I feel ok but tend to taper off around mid-afternoon and need a nap or days in which I wake up and feel like I need more sleep and the usual symptoms come rushing back again. I really need some help trying to understand OSCAR data. I've been trying to teach myself but honestly, I'm non the wiser. I've averaging scores between 0.7 - 1.3 AHI each night (although sometimes it can be lower and sometimes it can be higher) but I've never seen it go above 4. Regardless of what AHI it states, the symptoms never really change. I think the best AHI I recorded was 0.29 but I woke up feeling very tired.

I do believe I am having mini-apneas that the machine isn't recording as they are less than 10 seconds but i can't be 100% sure. I've attached last nights and yesterdays data in the hopes that someone can point me in the right direction!

Thank you,
Connor

   
   

[Deborah K.]

Your charts look good.  I can't see if you are using EPR full time, but if not, do so and set it to 3.  

I think you are simply still adjusting to having a foreign object strapped to your head and face and having air blown up your nose.  During that adjustment, you will have good and bad days.  It's normal.  Try not to let it worry you.  

[HalfAsleep]

My sense is your settings may (or may not) need some minor tweaking, but that's not in my skill set. However, I can suggest you work a bit on your leaks. They are within the bounds of "no large leak", but the problem with leaks is that they can disrupt your sleep. The pressure has to adjust when there's a leak, and sometimes this can be enough to jolt you around. The hissing sound can also disturb sleep.

The contours of the face being what they are, it's not possible to be entirely without leaks, but anything you can do to minimize might be helpful to you.

[ConnorLJ]

Thank you for the welcome and the encouragement!

---

Yeah it is something that I have been trying to improve. I think the majority of my leaks are mouth breathing which is something I'm trying to address. I've tried tape but my girlfriend informed me that my mouth still opens with it applied. I've just ordered a collar to try and stop my jaw from dropping. I can't went full face masks as if I do breathe through my mouth, I dribble like crazy (sorry if that is too much info!) so the dribble ends up breaking the seal and then the leak will wake me up.

[Narcil]

settings look fine imo. you could lower the maximum to 15 just to avoid a blow out but that's pretty much it.

personally i found the chin strap 1000x better than a full face.