Opinions wanted - Stop or Continue PAP after wake up

[B1Sailor]

Less than half of my nights I wake up anywhere from middle of night to just before time to get up. Sometimes for the usual reasons. But since I switched to AirSense 11, my mask gets wet and starts leaking and wakes me up. But in any case, after waking my numbers usually get worse. 

I don't think it matters to my insurance but continuing PAP just makes my numbers look worse except for compliance time. And I question the benefit since I am only half asleep and the leaking usually aggravates me a lot. 

For the attached screen shot, I first woke about 4 am and would continue PAP again at this time. Later about 5:50 am I woke again. I did not go back to sleep completely. So everything went bad. So about 35 events.  So before my AHI would probably be 0.5 instead of 5.5

So my question is, if it is later than middle of the night should I continue PAP? Do you abandon CPAP if wake up late in the night?

   

[Nightynite]

I get those clusters also around the same time. I contribute it to holding my breath turning and tossing and just get up most of the time. I think it’s just my body telling me it has enough sleep, now get up.

[KeepSmiling]

During the night wake ups, no question I keep it on.

I will take it off when I ready to get up. Falling back asleep without it does not good and who knows what it does to the body.

I learned from the very beginning even for naps. if i will lay down on it goes before I lay down.

[Brazen]

I think it's important to address the mask issues that are interfering with your sleep.
That can take some personal trial and error since mask fit is unique to everyone.

Fix what you can to improve sleep and use cpap when sleeping.

Sure, you need compliance for the insurance company but the bigger issue is improving your health through managing your sleep apnea.

[mesenteria]

The wet mask means one of two things: too much humidity set for your ambient room conditions, or your heat isn't set high enough for the cool room and you're getting a lot of condensate, probably from your cool mask and humid breath.

I often awaken at zero-dark-thirty, especially post catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.  My practice, even though it skews the AHI to the better,* is to wear it all the time I am abed.  When I simply must arise, for whatever reason, it gets turned off.  It happens that I flirt closely with sleep much of the time I am awake in the wee hours, but I often fall back asleep if just for another 40 minutes. It makes a difference to me in terms of real rest if not in a veridical AHI.



* Wearing your PAP device when not sleeping skews the AHI numbers toward the benefit side because you're having fewer events over a longer period.  None of us has events while we are awake, but we probably have them shortly we're asleep.  So, if you lie awake for an hour, as I often do, you have added a whole hour of 'zero' recorded events, meaning your hourly rate must drop = lowered AHI.  On the other hand, if you arise as soon as you awaken each time and turn off the device, you'll get a more accurate AHI because the machine is recording events during when you're sleeping...mostly since it takes a few minutes or more to regain sleep.

[B1Sailor]

On the AirSense 11, I am running the Humidity Level 1 or off.  My room is 73. I never had this problem with my old machine. The first mask I had was Respronics Gel with silicone outer cover. Majority of my years were nasal pillows. So this ResMed F30 is just the silicone. So my only experience is just the few months that I now have had the AirSense 11. The DME has initially set the Humidity Level to 3. I tired a few nights. Then I tried 1 night at 4 before I reduced to 1 for over 3 weeks now. Its almost like it got stuck at 4. I seems about the same amount of water used no matter what the setting. 

Takes about 4 hours before the moisture builds up. Not in tubing from what I have found. Only in mask. Maybe its my moisture. I am new to the ResMed exhaust elbow. Its seems ok. But could it be responsible for moisture retention.

[KeepSmiling]

Here is a link from resmed for machine settings and room temperature.

https://document.resmed.com/documents/pr...sa_eng.pdf

[Brazen]

@mesenteria
Not that it matters for this thread but my AHI is significantly worse when I'm awake, compared to sleeping.
I think it's because I fidget, move a lot, and have slightly irregular breathing when awake.

I learned this when I first started my cpap and couldn't tolerate it while sleeping so I was trying to get my compliance time in while awake - ended up with AHI too high.

[clownbell]

How about setting Climate Line to "Auto" mode and setting the tube temp to your preferred temperature. That may prevent the wet mask. Worth a try. And it's free.

[B1Sailor]

I don't have a heated hose. Never have had one. I may have to buy one myself to try if you guys think it helps.
DME Provider stated they don't order them and they get the machine kits without.