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Hello everyone. I have been on APAP/CPAP for the last few months and have been using OSCAR to look at my sleep data. I will include 3 images of my OSCAR repost from last night.
If you look at the two zoomed-in images I have included you can see that my breathing looks very different throughout the night. In one image my breathing looks very shallow. In the other image my breaths look very deep and almost shaped like an "oven mitt" (I know that's a weird analogy).
Is it normal for my breathing to vary this much? Is it normal for my breathing to even look like that? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
06-17-2024, 02:02 PM (This post was last modified: 06-17-2024, 02:04 PM by G. Szabo.)
RE: What is up with my breathing?
I can regularly see these dampened and spiky patterns during the same night. I interpreted them as follows. Often, my nose gets congested, and I have attributed these changes to the congestion leading to the damped (your first pattern example)
I would be interested in learning if I was correct. I use a nasal mask with mouth taping.
I do have nasal congestion which I suspect might be made worse by my deviated septum. Do you use anything to reduce your congestion (nasal spray)? Also what do you use to tape your mouth?
I do not use any medication agains congestion because I am concerned about the side effects. However, you can find quite a few recommendations on this forum.
I use 3M Nexcare tape 1" wide. I apply two pieces vertically , next to each other, from the base of may nose to below my chin.
You might be able to use Flonase for the congestion.
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06-17-2024, 07:58 PM (This post was last modified: 06-17-2024, 07:58 PM by nh00.)
RE: What is up with my breathing?
I have found that sinus rinses are by far the most effective way to keep congestion under control. I do one every night after a shower (use the bottle, NOT the pot), then I put some Ayr gel in my nose for the night. It's not perfect, but it's made a big difference for me.
Here is my experience with this damped breathing pattern:
The higher I set the moisture, the less likely it is to appear. For instance, I cannot see it at manual humidity setting=7. Of course, you need to increase the tube temperature to reduce condensation. I am at 29 C tube temperature and using a hose cover, but I still have some condensation. But I am okay with it because I do not have a clogged nose or need medication.
Are you having any symptoms? That helps give us direction on recommendations.
I don’t see anything to be concerned with in those charts. There is some flow limited breathing in all the charts, which explains quite a bit. Your AHI, respiration rate, and tidal volume are fine. Your I:E ratio is what I would expect to see with flow limited breathing.
The second chart shows the flow limitations as flat-topped breaths, followed by a recovery breath. The third chart looks like normal sleep breathing with some flow limited peaks, followed by what is considered an OA. it may or may not be an actual OA, but as there was a flow reduction prior to the breath hold it is logged as an OA.
The advise given by the folks is spot on. Start with simple things like nasal rinse and Flonase before looking for something more drastic.
Hello, thanks for the replies everyone. I apologize for the delay in responding, I'm don't recall seeing an email about these recent comments. @PeaceLoveAndPizza I still feel quite fatigued despite being on APAP for the last 3 months. From what I have seen on this website, you should be feeling better after 3 months. Even despite the fatigue, I still wake up many times per night and my sleep is very fragmented. My AHI is good but I suspect that I might be waking up due to "non-apnea" arousals. I will try using a nasal rinse and flonase this weekend. Would you say that the breathing I posted (2nd and 3rd image) could be causing arousals?
