Small step forward

So after getting all of the wonderful advice yesterday here I made some adjustments in hope of getting a better nights sleep. Before I start I did take a small dose of ambien. Now on to my adjustments. First, I changed the pillow size from x-small to small which was a lot more comfortable on my nose, and I think provided a better seal. I also adjusted the ramp time to 40 minutes, changed the humidity level to 2, and adjusted the EPR to 2. I slept more soundly I think with less wake ups. And I actually was OK with the pressure, it wasn't feeling as forceful, and I was able to exhale.

So overall a good experience..I don't feel any different as far as my symptoms go. I guess that will take some time for that to happen. I was wondering, seeing how a lot of people here use sleepyhead to follow their therapy, is the info provided by ResMed/myair not as reliable? According to it I only had a AHI of 0.1 and 5L/min leak rate. I don't know if that's good, bad, or what?? Should I download the sleepyhead or is the Res/Med info good enough?

Thank you for all of your help!!!

I would definitely recommend you download Sleepy Head. It will allow you to see a lot more information than the Resmed My Air does. I look at the My Air rating every night, but still use Sleepy Head. I see a strong correlation between mask leaks and OSA frequency. As a result, I am working harder to get a better mask seal. You can also see the times of the night you have episodes.

Congrats on your progress! I am not familiar with MyAir, but if it is giving you basic treatment info, you could give yourself a bit of time on learning new things if you have no reason to think your treatment isn't effective. Data is especially good for those whose therapy is not optimized. You could ward off potential problems by seeing the data sooner rather than later, but I wouldn't feel pressured if you're on overload. A few night's sleep might make you feel more up to tackling SleepyHead.

mzdawn74 wrote:According to it I only had a AHI of 0.1 and 5L/min leak rate.

That is excellent!

mzdawn74 wrote:seeing how a lot of people here use sleepyhead to follow their therapy, is the info provided by ResMed/myair not as reliable?

The information from myAir is just as accurate as Sleepyhead, but SH is much more detailed.

If you are getting measured results that are that good, feeling comfortable with CPAP and you start sleeping well and feeling good during the day, then myAir may be good enough for you.

If you have problems and think you need to change the settings, then Sleepyhead can be a big help.

I used Sleepyhead because the CPAP settings that were best for me were very far from the ones the doctor prescribed. It took several weeks for me to get my settings optimized.

Now that I have my settings optimized, I rarely look at SH data. Instead, I just look at AHI and leak on my machine's display when I get up each morning. It's almost always good, so there is no need to look at more detailed data.

Congratulations!
I am glad all our help made a difference.

Be patient. Just putting a cast on the leg does not heal it immediately!
A lot of results will be subtle so start a journal like I said.
My first day all I noticed was that things seemed "brighter" subtly less difficult - but that was only by looking back.

BlackSpinner wrote:Congratulations!
I am glad all our help made a difference.

Be patient. Just putting a cast on the leg does not heal it immediately!
A lot of results will be subtle so start a journal like I said.
My first day all I noticed was that things seemed "brighter" subtly less difficult - but that was only by looking back.

I'm assuming you don't actually mean your first day of treatment right? You meant when you first noticed small improvements and changes correct?

ChicagoGranny wrote:

mzdawn74 wrote:According to it I only had a AHI of 0.1 and 5L/min leak rate.

That is excellent!

mzdawn74 wrote:seeing how a lot of people here use sleepyhead to follow their therapy, is the info provided by ResMed/myair not as reliable?

The information from myAir is just as accurate as Sleepyhead, but SH is much more detailed.

If you are getting measured results that are that good, feeling comfortable with CPAP and you start sleeping well and feeling good during the day, then myAir may be good enough for you.

If you have problems and think you need to change the settings, then Sleepyhead can be a big help.

I used Sleepyhead because the CPAP settings that were best for me were very far from the ones the doctor prescribed. It took several weeks for me to get my settings optimized.

Now that I have my settings optimized, I rarely look at SH data. Instead, I just look at AHI and leak on my machine's display when I get up each morning. It's almost always good, so there is no need to look at more detailed data.

What time frame would you recommend before I start to "feel" if my therapy is working, or if I need to investigate into more detail such as using sleephead?

kteague wrote:Congrats on your progress! I am not familiar with MyAir, but if it is giving you basic treatment info, you could give yourself a bit of time on learning new things if you have no reason to think your treatment isn't effective. Data is especially good for those whose therapy is not optimized. You could ward off potential problems by seeing the data sooner rather than later, but I wouldn't feel pressured if you're on overload. A few night's sleep might make you feel more up to tackling SleepyHead.

Yes, sleephead does seem a little overwhelming at this point. I'm just wondering since it's apparent I'm not one of the lucky ones who gets instant results from one nights treatment; how long should I wait to see results before I get concerned that my therapy isn't effective?

mzdawn74 wrote:What time frame would you recommend before I start to "feel" if my therapy is working, or if I need to investigate into more detail such as using sleephead?

Let's see what your myAir data says for a few days before worrying about SH.

BTW,

- Practice good sleep hygiene (Google it and read several sources)
- Eat a good diet
- Have a regular, moderate exercise program
- Practice total abstinence of caffeine including sources like chocolate
- Review all medicines, vitamins and supplements you are taking to make sure none are interfering with sleep
- Optimize emotional stress in your life

These factors could have as much to do with how you feel as your CPAP therapy, assuming your CPAP data shows good results.

Some people have more trouble with this than they do with CPAP.

I'm assuming you don't actually mean your first day of treatment right? You meant when you first noticed small improvements and changes correct?

I put that thing on my face the first night, did my relaxation exercises and passed out for almost 10 hours - I was all set to force my self to wear it for 2 hours. But the next day I had to help run a craft fair so I didn't have time to pay attention to ME. The next of the rest of the week was intense at work and again no time for me. However I was keeping a daily morning journal ( I was doing Julia Cameron's "The Artist Way" for the umpteenth time) so I noticed by the next weekend there had been a shift in my moods. But real deep meaningful noticeable changes didn't start until at least 6 weeks in. The biggest one was that there was a workshop/conference in doll making happening in the next city over. I suddenly asked myself "Why haven't I signed up for this? I want to go!" In a week or so I finished the piece that had been languishing for 2 years, booked and found a car to borrow and took off. It wasn't until then that I realized how much my attitude to life had changed and how much more energy I had. That is when I really looked at my diary entries and saw the progression.

But like my sleep doctor emphasized even with the mask on your face it may take up to a month for you to sleep deeply. And then healing has to take place. This is not just about not being tired and sleepy but about regenerating you whole body.

Apnea results in many different symptoms. Some respond quickly, others may take longer, or longer yet.
My nightmares all but disappeared immediately.
The fatigue, forgetfulness, poor concentration, and spontaneous weeping gradually faded over time.
One day at about five months, I was suddenly aware that I could run over a block without having to sit down.
It sneaked up on me!