I'm new here and I have a question

[OldGnome]

I have been using a Philips DreamMachine for about 15 months and just found this forum. If this message belongs someplace else in the forum structure, please let me know.

I adapted pretty quickly to my CPAP machine and it really helped me sleep better at night. I would occasionally have trouble breathing (I would feel like I wasn't getting enough air, even though the machine is working fine) and would take the mask off, turn off the machine and go back to sleep. Sometimes I would even wake up to do this.

The past couple of weeks, I have taken my mask off in the middle of the night almost every night. I almost never remember in the morning having taken my mask off.

Is this a common problem? Is there anything I can do to "fix" it? My sleep doctor turned the pressure up a bit two years ago, but it seems this is more in my head than in my breathing.

TIA

Old Gnome

[Ron AKA]

What are your minimum and maximum pressures set at?

It would be really helpful to those here if you were to download SleepyHead, and post the daily detail graphs with your post. There are some helpful links at the bottom of my post on how to do that. The purpose is to see what is going on at the time when you take the mask off.

[SarcasticDave94]

Hi, OldGnome,

Welcome to Apnea Board.

Your description sounds like you have too low of a pressure setting. I humbly suggest getting the clinical manual and also the SleepyHead program. The clinical manual's purpose is to view how to access settings you can edit to make the machine settings customized for you.

Why SleepyHead? It is a reporting tool you can monitor data about what is happening while sleeping. You will need to have an SD card, any generic SD is OK, and be sure it is 32 GB or less. Basic concept is have the SD in the machine overnight, take the SD out and place it in the SD card reader for your PC. Use SleepyHead to upload a copy of the SD and to view the results. You can then post the data as an attachment on your post. Gurus here will see that data and can suggest setting edits to make your therapy work better, resulting in better therapy and rest.

Best to success,



PS: I used to do the "mask off in the middle of the night" thing as well...a bit higher pressure helped me

[OldGnome]

Thanks to you both. I will download the software and report back.

Old Gnome

[SarcasticDave94]

Welcome. And again best to near future success on sleeping better.

[OldGnome]

Here's my data....
[attachment=5289]

[Ron AKA]

You seem to be running pretty low pressures, so there is likely room for improvement. However that summary page does not help much beyond that. You need to go to the detailed daily page and do a screen capture on it. Find a recent day that you think is typical or one that you want to improve on. However, first before you do that, take some time to read the layout optimization link below and optimize the Daily Detail page. Get rid of the blue navigation bar on the right, get rid of the pie chart, and get rid of the monthly calendar. Also rearrange the sequence of graphs displayed. Don't forget to maximize the window before you push F12 so it is easier to view.

[SarcasticDave94]

Ron AKA is correct on the details and layout. I use F11 to maximize then F12 to do the screenshot, then you can hit F11 again to go back from maximized. Little shortcuts make life easier.

[OldGnome]

(I have a Mac. It doesn't have function keys.)

Is this what you asked for?

[attachment=5290]

[Crimson Nape]

Here are the Function keys on a Mac keyboard. You need to click the thumbnail below to see the detail.  Also, you will probably need to hold down the Function key (fn) to make them work.
[attachment=5297]