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+--- Thread: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems (/Thread-CorruptAlligator-CPAP-Problems)
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - CorruptAlligator - 02-20-2021
Something I notice about my wakings is that it happens when the pressure curves downward. Anybody know why this is the case? I know my AHI is low here, but barely got any sleep. 3-4 hrs? This was the worst day in terms of getting myself to fall sleep. I layed in bed for hrs trying to fall asleep. The constant pressure areas were the times when I couldn't fall asleep. So, this is the case of AHI is not an indicator of quality sleep. Also, note the pressure range. This night I changed min to 7, and later changed max to 15 from 12 (during the constant pressure period).
Also, look on the left where pressure rises, there is no event in that period. Why is the pressure rising then? Now, with this thought in mind, let's go back to the circle area. Could it be that the machine doesn't accurately detect events, and I'm actually having an obstruction then and the machine is lowering the pressure, and I wake up?
Should get my machine changed out from my DME? Could it be a faulty machine? Or should there be a firmware update?
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - Sleeprider - 02-20-2021
Your therapy seems to be in a good place at this point. I can't speculate on the awakenings, but the fragmentation of your sleep has been steadily improving. I don't think it has to do with the lowering of pressure, or reduction in flow limitations that allows that to occur. Night arousals are a normal part of sleep, and when I find myself awakened for no apparent reason at night, I do as little as possible to make that worse. I stay in bed and don't break therapy. The fact you are stopping and removing the mask for several minutes makes the sleep disruption more significant, and it might be less disruptive is you just made yourself comfortable and go back to sleep. If you are getting up to use the bathroom, then that is the reason for the arousal, and not CPAP pressure.
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - CorruptAlligator - 02-20-2021
So, should I just keep it at 5 -15, and see if it improves? Actually, I should make a correction, the one above (OSCAR screen shot above) I changed minimum to 7, and later changed max to 15 from 12. So, perhaps I should cap the max to 12 still, and keep the min at 5? The night I had worst sleep was when it was at 7 - 12.
I was struggling so much with getting back to sleep that night that I put the max pressure at 15 (thinking that would prevent low pressure from rising while I'm awake so I can fall asleep better). Maybe that wasn't necessary, but I should have changed my min only.
IMO, I think adding pulse oximeter for machine to react would be much more accurate. Because, do we know if these events are actual events that causes low oxygen levels? This also depends on how accurate the oximeter really is. Because the reading can be artifacts.
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - Sleeprider - 02-20-2021
Don't over-think this. You did great at 7-15 pressure with EPR 3, and your pressure does not exceed 12.0. Leave it alone. Nothing in your results suggest you should have a concern for a pulse oximeter, and there is no reason to tie a CPAP algorithm to SpO2.
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - CorruptAlligator - 02-20-2021
It didn't exceed 12 because my max was set to 12 during the duration I believe. And then I switched to 15 max after I woke because couldn't go back to sleep. This is why OSCAR thinks the pressure was at 15, but part of the duration was 12.
Settings I will try now is Auto ramp at 5 with 7 - 12 range and see how that goes.
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - CorruptAlligator - 02-21-2021
Looks like 7 to 12 setting, with autoramp from 5 cleared up my CA. So, it was large up swings that were causing it. Limiting to max of 12 did it.
Hopefully, duration of sleep will improve over time. This is the longest sleep I've had without waking up. I'm also no longer waking up with high heart rate like I used to.
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - Sleeprider - 02-21-2021
Nice! Over 7-hours of continuity is a major improvement and your pressure is certainly more stable. CA can be related to arousals as our breathing when awake is much more erratic, and any tossing and turning can result in pauses in breathing or breath holds. Glad this is working better for you, and I'm confident your sense of better sleep will soon follow. The next thing to work on is reducing or eliminating ramp time. You might want to try Auto for time.
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - SarcasticDave94 - 02-21-2021
Congrats on the win. We can't let you off easy though, repeat that many days and build a nice trend.
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - CorruptAlligator - 02-21-2021
The numbers look good, but I don't feel well rested. Perhaps it will take a few more days to get the well rested feel.
I must have made a mistake with the ramp setting. I was meaning for auto, but OSCAR says it was on 45min setting. We can see that as soon as I feel asleep the pressure ramped up rapidly so it seems like this 45min is cut short if it detects sleep. So, I don't know what auto does.
Also, there is evidence of ResMed trying to make their machines being sucessful in therapy. It is very biased scoring. OSCAR shows my number was .26, but ResMed rounded that value down to .2 They clearly biased to make the scoring to be better than it is.
RE: CorruptAlligator - CPAP Problems - SarcasticDave94 - 02-21-2021
Yes I think that's the concept of Auto Ramp, it can be time based as well, but if you give it breath patterns it perceives as sleep, it nixes the Ramp.