Woke up starving for air, but don't know why

[Phil487]

I woke up at 4:59AM gasping for air, red arrow. I know this because I waved to my camera that records at me all night, to indicate I felt air staved. Why? I don't see anything too unusual, except for some mild looking hypopneas.
What am I doing wrong?

   

[enigmatic]

Had that happen with machine air blower randomly turning off for no reason, but see your data continues, so otherwise not sure.

[quiescence at last]

The area posted has wave forms that indicate the brain is alert, and in charge of breathing triggers.  In these situations, where the flow is low and the repiration rate is high and widely variable, with recovery breathing at intervals, I would guess that you had been in REM sleep.

Do you happen to remember having dreamed before awakening, and could you have been dreaming setting off a panic?

Your minute volume and your tidal volume seem to be in good ranges.

note: brain exhibits alert mode in two conditions - you being awake, and you in REM sleep.  REM sleep does generally dull the respiratory autonomous regulating system, so there can sometimes be wildly fluctuating respiratory rates.

QAL

[staceyburke]

Usually the min is to low.  5.8 is really not much air coming in if you are not getting any leaks.  I experience the same thing If my min is not at least 9.  raise the min to 7 or 8 and see if that stops the feeling of lack of air.

[Sleeprider]

Have you considered adding some EPR?  I would suggest taking minimum pressure to 8.0 and adding in 2-3 cm of exhale pressure relief.  Your AHI is great, so we're mainly looking to increase comfort and stabilize breathing and pressure, and eliminating the 0.04 flow limitation.  BTW, this is not the first time you have heard this advise. You have another thread on feeling air-starved https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread...th-mask-on  Please read this thread Keep Your Stuff Together

[SarcasticDave94]

Both threads have higher than ideal leak rates at times with lower than optimal pressure settings. The other thread states you're using an Amara mask. A mask model that fits better, a newer and improved style, better size, or all those choices, might be a good idea. Then you can run more effective pressures without leaking, making therapy work better.

[Phil487]

Thanks every for your suggestions. I know my pressures aren't that high, I have been inching them up, but I have problem with leaks and then it dries out my eyes. I keep my mask on tight too, so tight it indents my forehead and between my eyes, for half the day. 

I will increase my pressures, and try out EPR but I want to get a new mask first, I would like to try the F20. I've been looking on Craigslist. 

I'm just perplexed as to why some days I wake up air starved during the night usually between 2 and 4AM and others days I don't. Here's a screen print from the day after, I didn't wake up but there again there were periods of shallow rapid breathing. Last question, my sleep routine is about 10:30 to 5AM. According to Oscar, every night around 3AM'ish is when all the weird periods of breathing starts, not necessary apneas but periods of shallow fast breathing that get more shallow. I'm trying to figure out what the hell goes on with my body around that time. The videos look like I'm just lying there still. Is this the typical time airways start to collapse? REM sleep perhaps?

Don't get me wrong, I love my CPAP and sleeping through the night able to breath, unlike before where I'd wake up gasping for air and feeling like my heart is going to pound out of my chest. I don't get that anymore thankfully. 

   

[mesenteria]

Thanks every for your suggestions. I know my pressures aren't that high, I have been inching them up, but I have problem with leaks and then it dries out my eyes. I keep my mask on tight too, so tight it indents my forehead and between my eyes, for half the day. 
...

This tells me it's the wrong mask for you.  I don't have such problems with my nasal mask, and most of us don't have the problems you cited earlier.  Through a determined process of elimination, we have found a mask that reliably improves our sleep.  

It is also possible that your head gear is slipping askew and allows your mask to leak.  Or, you sleep in such a way that your mask is deformed or displaced by a wrist, pillow, arm....

As you understand, getting good quality, UNINTERRUPTED...sleep is important.  We have all already lost ground healthwise due to undiagnosed respiratory problems while sleeping, so we need to be on top of the defects in our sleep therapy.  The leaking and fluttering eyelashes and dryness are indicators that you are missing one or two important elements of information.

[DaveL]

Mask selection is key for me. And you as others have noted.

I've used cpap for over 35 years. We have far better masks now than we used to have. My take--they seal better, but they need to be replaced when they wear out.

* mask seal goes
* head gear stretches

I had to search hard to find a good equipment supplier. It made a great difference in the quality of sleep and treatment.

DaveL
Toronto

[Sleeprider]

Phil487, please update your user profile to show your current therapy details and mask. https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/usercp.php