01-23-2019, 02:36 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-23-2019, 02:36 PM by Big Guy.)
Humidity level
I'm still not quite sure I know enough about it to feel in control. First off, I'm not a fan of humidity, or warm air when I sleep.
I have a ResMed AirSense AutoSet 10. I have the Ramp Time set @ auto. I have the Climate Control mode set @ manual. The Tube Temp. mode is off. The humidity level is set currently at 2, but I have experimented a bit here and there. I've never had it set any higher than 5 though.
I'm sure that I'm not experiencing any rainout issues. I'm not having any nasal issues at all. Or, dryness of the mouth. Same goes for no throat issues.
I'm not even sure that I need any humidity at all. I've been thinking about removing the reservoir and using the CPAP end piece that replaces it. I recently purchased that just a few weeks ago.
Is there anyone on here that forgoes the humidity therapy? I thought I'd check on here before I did anything. My AHI's have been well under 5 since the 1st night of use. Last night was my 135th night of use.
I think I've heard that some CPAP's don't always come with a built-in humidifier. So obviously, that tells me that humidity isn't mandatory as part of sleep apnea therapy.
Any and all replies will be appreciated. 
RE: Humidity level
Your machine draws its supply from the air in your sleeping quarters. If you were to sample the air over a month or two with a reliable and accurate device that measures relative humidity, and found that it ranges between 40-60%, you probably don't need a humidifier. But, it depends on how you're breathing as well. Is it a full face coverage or just nasal pillows or an over-the-nose cushion? I use a nasal cushion over my entire nose, and I have my humidity down to a solitary uno. I don't seem to have any problems, but I am in the PNW where it rains all the time during the months from November to March. It's typically 95% outdoors, or higher, and about 55-65% indoors, with the higher number showing when we're cooking noodles and steaming vegetables. Our bedroom has no forced air, we have the slant fin electrical baseboard heater off, and we sleep with the window cracked. I haven't measured it, but the humidity, with two of us sleeping, and in the conditions I described, should be close to 60%.
I would urge you to experiment. It costs you at most a couple of nights poor sleep, maybe not even in a row, and you may find that you really don't need any type of humidification. Keep it simple.
01-23-2019, 06:02 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-23-2019, 06:15 PM by Fats Drywaller.)
RE: Humidity level
(01-23-2019, 02:36 PM)Big Guy Wrote: Is there anyone on here that forgoes the humidity therapy?
Yep, I do. Have been trying nightly CPAP with no water for a number of months now, and have had no major problems. I've noticed a very few other folks mention this lately here on AB, and I notice that mainly because it is so unusual.
I think humidity is a good thing for a lot of CPAP users, probably the majority ... but see this recent post (and followups): http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...#pid283354. I also think that in some other cases, including mine, it's overrated. I don't know the indicators and the contra-indicators for that and will leave that to the experts. I wouldn't recommend to anyone that he or she should stop using the humidifier. It should be a personal choice or discovery: anyone should experiment, find out what's what in his or her case, and go from there. What are the benefits, and what are the liabilities?
This is purely anecdotal and possibly useless, but one thing I've noticed lately is an increase in sneezing in the few hours after waking up in the morning. This isn't pollen season in the USA, so I suspect that the dry air all night might be a cause. But I don't know.
Something more objective, and well known, is that a possible reaction is nosebleeds. In my case those have been only occasional and only very slight, never enough to drip, or else I would have started using the humidifier again. I notice it only the first time I blow my nose after getting up in the morning. It heals immediately and there's no further blood visible after that.
For me, the benefits are not physiological; they're merely operational. I like to keep my machine config as simple as possible. If I had any medical reason for using humidification, I would.
RE: Humidity level
I believe humidity with CPAP falls into the Comfort category. Edit humidity addition as you want, objective is to obtain optimal conditions for your personal breathing experience. If you feel you don't need additional humidity, feel free to block off the humidifier. Try it and see what happens.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
01-23-2019, 06:15 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-23-2019, 06:16 PM by Big Guy.)
RE: Humidity level
I'm using a FFM, an F20 AirFit, to be exact. I do see that I can turn the humidity all the way off on my machine.
Humidity level here in the higher elevations of AZ. is currently 28%. I think that tonight, I will turn off the humidity and see how I do with it.
What's the worse that can happen? Wake up with cotton mouth? 
RE: Humidity level
(01-23-2019, 06:15 PM)Big Guy Wrote: What's the worse that can happen? Wake up with cotton mouth?
That’s exactly what happened to me...cotton mouth!
A few months ago, I thought I’d try to simplify things and see if I could go without the humidifier.
Not a chance...after a few hours, I woke up and could hardly swallow or talk, I had never felt that dry. 
RE: Humidity level
Well......I went one night w/o the humidifier on. I woke up about 5 am or so, and my mouth was very dry. I've never experienced that since having started on my CPAP.
So, I'm back to using the humidifier. I keep it on low (3) and that seems to work well for me.
Now I know!
RE: Humidity level
Another possibility is passive humidification, with water in the tank but the heater switched off. Some people add ice cubes in the summer.
RE: Humidity level
(01-26-2019, 11:54 AM)Fats Drywaller Wrote: Another possibility is passive humidification, with water in the tank but the heater switched off. Some people add ice cubes in the summer.
The night that I went w/o humidity, I still filled the water reservoir, but I turned off the humidity control. I didn't want the machine to somehow still heat the reservoir base w/o water in it, even though I had turned the humidity.
In the morning, I checked the water level and it was exactly the same as I had filled it the night before. I'm still finding my way around the control panel on my machine and getting accustomed to all of it's settings.
When you say passive humidification, I think that's what I did. I might lower the humidity level even more and see how that works out for me.
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