Interpretation Questions - My OSCAR Data

[CPAPUserDave]

These regularly spaced bumps are most noticeable during the end of expiration when low flow rate is present, but it can be present during the entire respiratory cycle. It's heartbeat in this case, but more irregular or larger amplitude can be physical movement or even PLM.  When I count these in the example below, I get about 60 BPM (10 in 10-seconds). That's pretty normal, and the intensity and rate of heartbeats will vary through the night.  I see this in my own graphs but it is very subtle compared to this.  I think this may be more pronounced when you sleep on your left side and at times you might even be aware of a pounding heartbeat that has a small impact on respiratory flow.  I have seen this in many charts and can nearly always count a rate between 55 and 80 bpm.

Confused...Could someone highlight a section of the above chart where inhale begins and exhale ends?

[ApneaQuestions]

You see it better on the zoomed in plot where I measured the wavelength

Stuff below the red line is breathing out
Stuff above the red line is breathing in

Any ripples that seem to cross the line don't really count.. it's the heart beats being detected as pressure pulses

Whether the "pause" is part of the exhale or part of the inhale or neither is a bit debatable.. you need to really zoom in close to see where the exhale really stops.
I probably should have drawn the black exhale a bit wider and the turquoise pause a bit narrower.

EDIT: some folks may argue that the OUT and the PAUSE are all really part of the much longer exhale and they wouldn't draw a pause at all.

[Osiris357]

I was watching one of The Lanky Lefty’s YT videos and he was saying they are snores if I’m not mistaken. I can’t remember which video but it was one of them where he goes through an entire flow rate wave form

[Gideon]

That was my first thought too BUT the frequency is way to low for a snore.  I wasn't thinking pulse but that would explain it.

[ApneaQuestions]

You can't snore at 90 beats per minute... that's too low a frequency to be in the audible range.
It's barely 1.5 beats per second. That's more like hand-clapping speed.

[ApneaQuestions]

By the way

Whenever I try to paste an image directly into a post using drag-n-drop it looks fine.
But if I preview it or post it I get stream of thousands of bytes of numbers.
How are you folks pasting images inline in your posts?
I am on a PC windows 10 using Firefox browser

[Sleeprider]

Confused...Could someone highlight a section of the above chart where inhale begins and exhale ends?

It has been here all along. I added it to the to Beginner's Guide ages ago. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ailed_look

[ApneaQuestions]

Maybe I'm reading too much into what I'm seeing but..

I'm starting to wonder if there's cause and effect happening here..
Those heartbeats look pretty strong!

1) Flow limitations make breathing less efficient
2) O2 levels start falling
3) Heart starts racing and pounding to get more O2 around the body
4) Heart pounding shows up on the flow-rate as ripples
5) Meanwhile sleep is poor and I spend too much time in shallow sleep
6) Blood pressure may not look too great either if it was being measured.

I will get my final nightly Oximeter test in a day or two so I might be able to check the theory.
We'll see.

BTW: I'm not using the VAUto yet (to fix the flow limits) because I'm still "experimenting" on myself using the Autoset.

[Osiris357]

I just found out last night that my flow limited breathing is positional so no vauto for me. I’m stuck with a neck brace. Hopefully yours can be handled by machine. I wish mine could be. Not a fan of collars

[Sleeprider]

I have no proof these fluctuations are from heart rate, and in the example above they appear at a frequency of about 90 bpm.  This article might be appropriate from Healthline

Why do I only get heart palpitations at night?

Heart palpitations at night occur when you get the feeling of a strong pulse in your chest, neck, or head after you lay down to sleep. It’s important to note that while these may be unsettling, they’re usually normal and aren’t typically a sign of anything more serious.
If you sleep on your side, you may be more susceptible to heart palpitations at night due to the way your body bends and pressure builds up internally.
The most common form of palpitation unrelated to your heart occurs when bending over, as there’s an increase in abdominal pressure that then transports to your esophagus, which is located behind the left atrium of your heart.
Another factor to consider when experiencing palpitations at night is that they may be occurring throughout the day, but you’re only noticing them at night due to lower noise levels and reduced distractions as you lie in bed.

What are the symptoms of heart palpitations?

The symptoms of heart palpitations can be concerning if they’re unexpected or you haven’t experienced them before. Symptoms include:

• the feeling of an irregular pulse or that your heart stopped briefly
  
• a sensation of “fluttering” in your chest
  
• a fast or pounding heart rate
  

Short and infrequent palpitations at night are generally not a cause for alarm. According to the Mayo Clinic, they’re usually harmless.