Bathroom breaks - unplug hose or turn machine off?

[orangegrower]

I am new to CPAP. I am now 30 days into using my PR System 1 560P machine. This is my first post and have had all of my questions answered reading this great forum and I thank everybody for their help. One question that I have not found on the forum (I'm sure it is here somewhere) is what is the correct procedure when getting up for a bathroom break? I have been just unplugging the hose but should I be shutting the machine down and restarting?

[Pugsy]

It's not a critical issue either way.
If you unplug the hose and let the machine run it will score it as a large leak. It may falsely elevate your leak numbers a bit but easily seen on a report.
As long as you know what the big leak is from...that's all that matters.

So it's up to you but there is the possibility that it will affect your overall leak numbers and if you are using SleepyHead it really messes with the graphs and makes it harder to see minor changes because SH will have to adjust its scale to include the large leak number.

Otherwise it doesn't hurt your therapy or anything like that. Won't hurt the machine either.
So personal choice really.

[ChrisD]

I just shut the machine off and take off the mask. When I get back, mask on, power on.

Chris

[ughwhatname]

When I first started, I would unhook the mask, and turn off the machine. I did this because I didn't want the large leaks, but kept the mask on because I had spent a lot of time getting it adjusted just so. Now, its old hat to me, so I just shut off, remove mask, remask, inhale, and good to go.

Since treatment, I am getting up much less now, so its becoming even less a factor. Yeah!

[STL Mark]

Are you seriously asking if you should let your hose dangle while in the bathroom? Oh yea, you mean for the machine. I've done both.

[cosmo]

I turn machine off, keep mask on head.

[Wulfman...]

I just shut the machine off and take off the mask. When I get back, mask on, power on.

Chris

Ditto.
That's the way I've done it for eight years.


Den

.

[Lugnut]

With my mask, being new to me as well.. I sometimes can't find the clip to fasten the mask at night.

So I leave it on and take the hose part off. But I've noticed I don't get up to go the bathroom much. My doctor said that would be normal, but sometimes my body finds reasons to wake up to get oxygen.. and sometimes getting up going to the bathroom is a good one. haha.

Come to think of it, it think I've only got up in the 4 weeks I've been on it. Which for me is sometimes once a night. So.. maybe he was telling the truth!

[Otter]

Both.

It's not critical to turn the machine off, but when you let the machine run open, it registers as a huge leak, and you may find this annoying when you try to check your leak line. Also, running wide open may shorten the life of the bearings slightly. I'm not at all sure that extra bit of wear and tear has any practical consequence, but all things being equal, turning off the blower is probably better for the machine.

[NateS]

I turn the machine off, unplug the short hose, leave my nasal pillow mask on, and tuck the end of the short hose into the breast pocket of my PJs.

Getting back into bed, I reverse the process.

Very simple with a nasal pillow mask, but wearers of FFMs may prefer to take it off. I don't know.

Regards, Nate

[Sir NoddinOff]

Since you're a guy I've got two words for you: "Pee Jug". Use a old tight sealing water bottle or whatever seems appropriate. I just leave my machine on, roll out of bed and get 'er done, then roll back into bed. No lights, no walking down the hall and no fuss, plus it's all over in three minutes. Give it a try

[SleepyToo2]

At 2-3 AM, the machine sounds darn loud when I don't turn it off but disconnect the hose! So, I always turn off, disconnect, then reverse the procedure when I get back to bed.

[LSAT]

As you can see....it doesn't matter. Do whatever suits you.

[chunkyfrog]

The fabric mask is fussy enough that I unplug the short hose if I want to return to bed.
I usually only wake up in the morning, so this only happens on the weekends.

[Hawthorne]

I have a number of "quick connects" (see cpap.com), I have 1 on each end of my hose - the end that attaches to the machine and the end that attaches to the mask. This saves wear and tear on the hose end as well as making bathroom trips easier. I have my machine set to "auto off" because it is difficult to reach it during the night to shut it off because of my Rheumatoid Arthritis (I get stiffer during the night). When I get up for a bathroom break, I just pull the short mask hose off the "quick connect" that is on the end of the main hose all the time and leave the mask on (I use nasal pillows). With my headrest mask, which I use most of the time, the short mask hose is on top and back so it is no problem (doesn't hang in front). Other masks I just let the short hose hang down. My machine goes off in a matter of seconds. When I come back to bed, I just pop the mask hose onto the "quick connect" and the machine does its auto on and I'm back to sleep.