Had another sleep study last night. Can home air quality/allergen affect sleep apnea?

[MyronH]

I had another sleep study last night, due to my ongoing issues with obstructions. This was the best night's sleep I got in a long time! And it was only around 5 hours or less of sleep! At home, even if I try and sleep 8 hours, I still don't feel this rested. I didn't have any heart issues, nor any night sweats, etc. I slept great! I used MY MASK, my chin strap, and my dental appliance.

I noticed they use a Respironics System One in their lab. The breathing felt much different then my ResMed AirCurve. I'm wondering if this is why I slept better, because of the different machine? Or could it be something in my home that is causing my breathing difficulties? Allergens, pets? I have three cats.

I use high-end micro filters in my A/C unit at home, and had an air quality test earlier this year and that didn't show any mold or anything. So why do I sleep better in a sleep lab, then when i do at home?

It will probably take a few days for me to get the results of the sleep study. If they come back and say all is well with my ResMed machine settings, and nothing needs to be changed, I will be at a loss. Because I know at home I just don't sleep as well as I do whenever I have a sleep study. My airway seemed much more open during the sleep study, then at home.

[thibaulthib]

Pretty sure that humidity, room temperature, overall quality of air and allergen have an effect have a direct impact on the sleep quality.

I have been living in Singapore for the past 4 years, and I haven't sleep one night without aircon.
When I go back to France to visit my parents, we live in the countryside, no need of aircon obviously, my quality of sleep over there is much better than in Singapore.

Thibault

[KSMatthew]

If air quality is a possibility, you can add a hypoallergenic filter to your CPAP.

Are you using the same mask?

Otherwise: you might be able to find out what exact settings they were using in the sleep lab. Not just the therapy pressure, but any comfort settings, too. Room temperature, mattress, and any other environmental variables can be something to experiment with.

[MyronH]

If air quality is a possibility, you can add a hypoallergenic filter to your CPAP.

Are you using the same mask?

Otherwise:  you might be able to find out what exact settings they were using in the sleep lab.  Not just the therapy pressure, but any comfort settings, too.  Room temperature, mattress, and any other environmental variables can be something to experiment with.

My house average temp: 74. Sometimes I turn it up to 75-76 at night, since I feel cold.
My house humidity: 43% so far today. This is with A/C running right now. Usually it doesnt get very high from what I noticed.

I will try to find that out. It was much colder then usually I keep it in my house. The mattress they had was terrible though. Felt like one of the sleep number beds which had little support. I have a much better hybrid mattress with built in four inches of memory foam in it. Plus I can raise my feet and head. 

Yes I used my own mask during the study. It's a new cushion I got from them a week ago. I brought out my Holmes Air Purifier that I hadn't used in a year. Because I could never tell the difference if it worked or not. I now have it turned on in my bedroom. It reports the air quality good so far. But not sure what all it detects or what it allows as good. 

I'm also calling some cleaning companies to see about cleaning my house. And see if any of that matters.

[mesenteria]

It could be something as simple as the level of stress, and the subsequent level of fatigue, on the day of your test.  There is the well-known phenomenon of 'white coat syndrome' where people's blood pressure is routinely elevated several points above what they normally should be simply because they are in a doctor's office and being assessed.  How well do you sleep comparatively the night prior to the test when you know the next day will be unusual, and that it will end in a lab?  Maybe comparatively poorly, or you simply get wound up enough that by the time you get into bed at the lab you're thrashed and just want to sleep.

It's also plausible that you enjoy the increased security of being monitored.  Who wouldn't if they know or suspect they suffer from sleep problems and apnea?

And yes, it could be ambient noise, ambient humidity, different temps, the different weights of bedding....it could be many things, not simply one, that join together to make a more pleasant sleep environment, or at least one more conducive to rest.

[KSMatthew]

If air quality is a possibility, you can add a hypoallergenic filter to your CPAP.

Are you using the same mask?

Otherwise:  you might be able to find out what exact settings they were using in the sleep lab.  Not just the therapy pressure, but any comfort settings, too.  Room temperature, mattress, and any other environmental variables can be something to experiment with.

My house average temp: 74. Sometimes I turn it up to 75-76 at night, since I feel cold.
My house humidity: 43% so far today. This is with A/C running right now. Usually it doesnt get very high from what I noticed.

I will try to find that out. It was much colder then usually I keep it in my house. The mattress they had was terrible though. Felt like one of the sleep number beds which had little support. I have a much better hybrid mattress with built in four inches of memory foam in it. Plus I can raise my feet and head. 

Yes I used my own mask during the study. It's a new cushion I got from them a week ago. I brought out my Holmes Air Purifier that I hadn't used in a year. Because I could never tell the difference if it worked or not. I now have it turned on in my bedroom. It reports the air quality good so far. But not sure what all it detects or what it allows as good. 

I'm also calling some cleaning companies to see about cleaning my house. And see if any of that matters.

Adding a better filter to the CPAP will probably be all that's needed, it will clean the air that you breathe, while you breathe it vs attempting to get all allergens out of the house.

I sleep better when it's cold, so my AC, and heat, is set to get colder overnight.

White noise, all other sorts of things, can make a difference, too.  Different surroundings affect how we sleep.  Tried a hotel yet?  At home, we tend to relax and let the troubles of the day settle into our heads.  On the road or in a sleep lab, sometimes we might forget our daily challenges because we are focused on the task at hand.  Mental fatigue or mental alertness can also make a difference.

[Gideon]

We know that the algorithms for PR and Re4sMed are different, while usually we see ResMed prefered over PR it is certainly possible that it is the other way for you.

I would ask for ALL the settings used for your sleep study, and after noting ALL your current settings on your ResMed, attempt to duplicate the setting on the PR during your sleep study (you have the equipment to do this).  If this fails see if you can borrow an Appro[riate PR machine for a week and repeat with the PR, of course capyuring full Sleepyhead data with both.

It could easily be what any of the above have noted.

Typically we note that the Sleep Study environment is foreign / different from at home, and we usually assume that you would be more "comfortable" at home but it is possible that the Bed has a different firmness and almost guaranteed that the pillows are different.  It could be that their combination was better for you than what you have at home.  Look into if this is a factor.

Fred

[KSMatthew]

There's also the chance that simply overthinking all this is causing enough stress to have an effect.

Sleep is a complicated thing.

[MyronH]

Those are all valid points thanks. But I didn't know the day before I was going to have a sleep study until the day of. So it wasn't stress that I'm aware of. Plus my machine was maxed out at pressure 15 on some nights. But other nights I'm fine with the lowest pressure of 5 or 6. Weird.

I hope to have the results soon from the sleep study. In the meantime if I don't sleep well at my house maybe it is something environmental after all. I may need to rent a hotel room for a night and see how I sleep in another place.

[Cpapian]

When I had my night in the sleep lab, I could smell the bleach on the bedding. I was thankful because I knew they kept the bedding clean.

Some rumours I have heard regarding home bedding :

pillows .... after 3 months, 50% of the weight is due to feaces from dust mites (try washing or replace)

Mattresses...... vacuum regulary same reason, try a hypoallergenic mattress cover

Bedding ........ wash it all in the hotest water the bedding can handle, use the antimicrobal setting on the
dryer
Carpets......usually loaded with nasty stuff .... eliminate, clean professionally or vacuum, vacuum, vacuum
3 cats ......WOW..... dust or vacuum daily...... do they sleep with you?........groom them frequently to remove excess fur

Furniture and Knick knacks ....... move them out or wash or dust

Your vacuum ...... use a clean bag and a hepa filter

Clothes closet ........last ..... something in there needing care

My husband has mild asthma, so I am very careful to ensure the bedroom air is clear. These are some of the main areas I cover to help him breathe