Finding my ideal Flex/pressure relief setting (DreamStation Auto)

[JT01]

5 months into my 1st machine, I've been playing w/ FLEX settings.  I want a more disciplined approach to finding my ideal config (A-Flex or C-Flex and levels 1-5). While I've experienced a few AHI of 3, I am mostly 5-6.  I want to make sure I am spending enough nights in a row testing each setting before moving to next option so I can really zero in on what is best for me. Anyone have a protocol  of where to start, how many days on each, etc?

I am happy to troubleshoot this via Sleepyhead (have not really used yet). 

I was unable to find a thread in this awesome forum that covers this topic.

[Crimson Nape]

I would highly suggest that you download #SleepyHead software to obtain a more information of your sleep patterns. I listed some links below to help installing, using, and understanding #SleepyHead.

Beginners Guide to SleepyHead:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...SleepyHead

How to Organize and Post ScreenShots
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ganization
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...pnea_Board

[Galactus]

I found 5 days between tweeks to be optimum, it gave me time to see if it was working better or not. The smaller the tweek the longer I left it though and vice versa. Mostly because toward the end of fine tuning you make smaller changes than at the start to see what works best. Hope that makes sense. Sleppyhead is a must.

[Cranberry Ray]

JT01, welcome. I would highly suggest getting up to speed with sleepyhead and posting some results. Initial impression is your minimum pressure may be set to low and may be more the issue to reducing your AHI. Along my own journey I've found it better to really zone in on major settings like pressure before fine tuning some of the comfort features. 

Best of luck with your therapy, glad you're staying with it.

[Rcgop]

I find the EPR setting and subsequent AHI more related to comfort than numbers. When I sleep better my AHI tends to go up a bit. Not much but some.
I quit basing anything on my numbers (every thing is <2) and judge changes on comfort, sleep quality, and feeling the next day.

I was able to get my AHI <1 every day for 2 weeks straight. Then I made an EPR adjustment and my AHI went to between 1 and 2 every day for the next 2weeks. BUT my sleep improved noticeably.

I'll trade AHI <1 and so so sleep for AHI between 1 and 2 and GREAT sleep any day.

I am still hoping to achieve great sleep AND AHI <1 but for now great sleep wins.

To answer the question, I would allow 1 week for big adjustments and a month for small tweaks.

[Cranberry Ray]

I was able to get my AHI <1 every day for 2 weeks straight. Then I made an EPR adjustment and my AHI went to between 1 and 2 every day for the next 2weeks. BUT my sleep improved noticeably.

What a great piece of advise. I've been consumed with getting my AHI down <1 on a consistent basis and have really been fatigued during the day. Had a couple days about a week ago with readings between 2-3 and felt amazing during the day. Sounds like I need to change my focus. 

How did you accomplish making adjustments based on how you felt the next day? Did you keep notes in Sleepyhead or a journal and then go back and see what settings you had?

[OpalRose]

How did you accomplish making adjustments based on how you felt the next day? Did you keep notes in Sleepyhead or a journal and then go back and see what settings you had?

Just wanted to chime in on this subject.  Early on in my therapy, I started to use a journal.....plain old paper and pen,    from advice I received here from PaulaO2.

I've hardly ever seen an AHI over 2, mostly I stay below 1.6.  If I made a change to settings, whether it be pressure, FLex, or humidity, I simply watched it for 4 to 5 days to see how I felt, then record it in my journal.  Nothing fancy, just AHI (obstructives, hypopneas, clear airways.)
I also noted Rera's and flow Limitation.  Then wrote down how I felt in the morning.

At first, I thought it was a waste of time, but I realized that I would never remember how I was feeling compared to what changes I had made.  

After a couple of months, I found that chasing that low AHI number didn't always correlate with feeling good.  

I no longer keep a journal because I have my settings pretty well dialed in.  AHI's will vary between 0.0 and 2.0, and I feel pretty good most days.  Getting a good night sleep is priority.

[Cranberry Ray]

OpalRose, great advise. I hadn't been checking Sleepyhead data everyday, normally twice a week. But I see there is a benefit to checking it daily and making notes along with settings used so I can get a better overall picture of what works best. I've only been on therapy for about 60 days now and feel better at times but not nearly as good as  I had hoped to feel. I'll start charting things out and making notes and hopefully in a month or so I can look back and see what has worked best.

[Rcgop]

Ditto OpalRose.

I wake up and ask myself, "How did I sleep?". Then I see how I feel that day and and at the end of the day I ask the question, "Am I tired?".

Generally I can tell how I slept as soon as I wake up.

I am trying to leave my SD card alone but it's hard and just go by how I feel.