Understanding leaks P30i

[cathyf]

As a long-time FFM user, I'm trying to transition to pillows. I have lots of leaks, though -- and I've been working under the assumption that I must be mouth breathing. So last night I tried tape. The tape was still securely on by morning, and as far as I could tell it was impossible for me to mouth breathe without popping the tape off. But I still had WAY more leaks than I would expect. When I'm awake I can get a little leak by pulling the pillow out, but it seals right back up as soon as I let go.

Given this screen shot, can anyone explain what you think that P30i is doing that is a leak while I'm asleep?

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[SarcasticDave94]

I'm thinking that rounded leak pattern will be more of a mouth leak. Are you sure the tape isn't porous or breathable material? I'd also think a Max of 10.x leak rate would be OK for therapy.

[staceyburke]

There is a dotted line on the leak graph and all of yours are only half way up. That dotted line is where there is a large leak and yours are not significant and I would not worry about them.

[plakky]

Could it just be slight movement of the mask pillow as you turn over or otherwise shift in your sleep, allowing for small leaks?   (I've also recently been able to - finally! - switch from FFM to nasal pillow or under-nose cushion, and usually have similar small leaks that I assumed were okay; worth it for me to get rid of the FFM anyway...)

[jgudnason]

I find i get leaks on the p30i when i adjust to side sleeping.. sometimes the side of head on the pillow pushes the mask enough to cause a bit of leakage. a little wiggle usually fixes it. but as someone else said, the leak volume isn't that high, so probably nothing to worry about.

[2SleepBetta]

Your post and drive to attain best numbers brings to mind my wife's complaint I reduce all I can to numbers. An exaggeration, of course, but she has me pegged fairly well. *

In my case it took position curves from an in-sagittal-plane accelerometer (in 2017 or 2018?), on my forehead and then at lumbar 4 to break me of denial about my supine sleep and then correct it until March 2021. At that point, I found I could rely on the cervical collar alone (and a mouth seal) to continue restful sleep, supine or lateral.
 
My point is that I still live in some denial about leaks, as I'd guess you are doing. I use a very effective mouth seal, but its sealing can vary. The seal (e.g., with unusual drooling or sweating, etc.) can slip down allowing lip leaks for smaller leaks (producing  an E-hooked FR curve a bit like one for palatal prolapse. Shifts of position cause most of my larger leaks, as the accelerometer convinced me. The larger point has been made by others here. It's OK to have some leaks (as I'm sure you do know, despite the now-novel numbers ).

But  more germane to your topic and need to rest easy: At or near March 15, 2021, I quit wearing a comfortable device that absolutely prevented sleep any closer than about 35 degrees off-supine for more than a year. Gradually, with new freedom to sleep supine, I did so more and more. Leaks reduced some and FL rose some. I haven't noticed any change in restfulness of sleep.

The graphic shows my active  profile summary of leak and max FL for 2021 to date.

My OSCAR, SpO2, accelerometer and Dreem 2 are presenting boring data and its information. To find good illustrations of SDB, it is necessary, thankfully, to reach far back. I will be updating and reviewing the sleep charts less frequently and will be skipping more and more days between reviews while sticking to use of the oximeter and VAuto.

*Once I solved my leak problem sufficiently so as to sleep well and receive good therapy, it was time to turn to other matters. Presently it's a  longstanding preoccupation with trying to understand UARS, reductions of tidal volume, deformation of inspiratory curves and how the latter are reflected in the Resmed Autoset and VAuto's data.


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