bathrom breaks?

[sir_sleeps_alot]

One last questions before I hit the hose...

For those of you who get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, do you turn your cpap off or just leave it running? Is it preferable to do it one way or the other?

I get up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom and I'm hoping that CPAP will help me figure out if I'm waking up because I need to go or if I need to go because I'm awake... hope that makes sense.

Thanks.

[me50]

I turn my CPAP off every time before I take the mask off.

I have frequent awakening during the night but it isn't to go to the bathroom. I don't know why I wake up frequently. My AHI is under control and way less than 5. Sometimes I will go to the bathroom since I am awake but most of the time, I wake up for unknown reasons and usually don't have to go to the bathroom and don't.

Hope this helps.

[DeepBreathing]

I usually wake up once or twice during the night and go to the bathroom once. I turn the machine off before removing my mask so as not to disturb SWMBO. The only problem with this is that I use the ramp feature, so I don't get full value therapy for a while after I go back to bed.

[me50]

I usually wake up once or twice during the night and go to the bathroom once. I turn the machine off before removing my mask so as not to disturb SWMBO. The only problem with this is that I use the ramp feature, so I don't get full value therapy for a while after I go back to bed.

not sure how long you have been on VPAP but at some point, you will adjust and probably will choose to stop using the ramp. 3 years ago, when I got my CPAP machine, I went back a week later to find out what the problem was with my CPAP machine and the DME told me it was time to quit using the ramp and took it off and I didn't know about this forum then and just did what I was told. I am not that person anymore. I am trying to take control of my healthcare and at least get the doctor to rule things out to find out what causes my frequent arousals which then causes me to be sleepy and very tired during the day as well as having a foggy brain. After 3 years of CPAP, I am ready to get these issues fixed. The good thing is that my AHI's are very low but the other issues have not been rectified.

Much success to you and SWMBO

[DeepBreathing]

Thanks me50.

I've only been on bi-level for a month or so and the ResMed ASV machine for 10 days. I have no doubt I'll turn off the ramp in due course - at the moment I've got it at 15 minutes, down from the originally recommended 30.

[me50]

Thanks me50.

I've only been on bi-level for a month or so and the ResMed ASV machine for 10 days. I have no doubt I'll turn off the ramp in due course - at the moment I've got it at 15 minutes, down from the originally recommended 30.

You are doing great!

[cbramsey]

If I wake up during the night, I turn off my machine. Minimizes the time I am in large leak mode among other things.

[xxl]

I shut my machine off if I have to take a bathroom break. I am also like others where I have turned off the Ramp function. I started out at a 45 min Ramp tapered this off to 30 after a month. I then realized I wasn't getting much benefit from delaying the the flow so I dropped it down to 5 min. I liked this better but I still felt like I was waiting for the full flow to come. So I set my machine's Ramp to off and I prefer this much better.

[trish6hundred]

Hi sir_sleeps_alot,
I turn my machine off for bathroom breaks because it seems like I read here on the board that if you leave it on, it will look like a "large" leak in your data, so it's better to turn it off before you take your mask off to get up for bathroom breaks.

[PollCat]

I leave it on; although it shut's itself off shortly after removing the headgear. I would love to figure out how to fool the machine into continuing to blow without having to turn off the auto on/off switch. But then again I have the ramp set for 5 minutes - which I usually beat anyway.