data comparison tips

[ruthanne]

I'm in my 3rd month of cpap use.

I have P-R dreamstation, amara view mask, and dreamwear nasal pillows.  I have installed sleepyhead.

I am a devout side sleeper.

I want to prove to myself, despite manafacturer's claim, that when I wear the nasal mask and sleep on my side, smashing off one channel of air, that I really am getting full benefit as I would when wearing my mask.

** what parameters would I pay most attention to on sleepyhead **

Thanks, in advance, for your guidance, dear Wizards 

[Sleeprider]

As you know the Dreamwear is designed to allow pressure to be maintained when once channel is blocked. If you look at the flow rate chart in Sleepyhead, it measures your inspiration and expiration flow rate. You can experimentally block off a channel of flow in the mask, and compare that to having both channels open. As long as flow rate is unchanged, you have proven that blocking one side makes no difference. You can feel the difference if you block one side and then slowly squeeze off the pressure from the remaining side. Indeed, if the machine did not detect enough flow through the mask, it would register a hypopnea or apnea.