MyAir data great, should I be content with that?

I have been using my AirSense 10 AutoSet for 6 nights now and I am really pleased with it so far. This is the best I've consistently felt in the 2.5 years since I was diagnosed and MyAir scores have reflected this:

Monday to Saturday scores - 89,93,93,99,83,100

It feels though that this is a very basic analysis however and I have my doubts regarding the accuracy.
For example, on Friday morning I was expecting a bad score as I was out on Thursday night with my colleagues overindulging with Red Wine and Food, then sleeping at a Budget hotel. My sleep was not great that night, I awoke several times and perhaps because I was conscious much of the night my breathing etc would have recorded as normal, I scored 99! I have however been feeling great apart from my hangover on Friday.

I have had concerns that I may be a mouth breather but because my previous machine stored no data, it was difficult to know how much or little I may be mouth breathing. I had been taping my mouth previously but stopped doing this with the new machine. It was my plan to try my Nasal Mask for 7 nights then my FF Mask for the next 7 nights and compare the data. But because I have been feeling so good, I am now thinking of just sticking to the Nasal Mask, what do you think?

I downloaded Sleepyhead to look at my data but it doesn't really mean very much to me - I guess I will learn how to interpret it in time

As always your thoughts, suggestions and help are very much appreciated.

What ever floats your boat, do you drive your car with a 6 in steering wheel or is it equipted with a full sized one? I use a full sized one, in case I have to turn. Jim

As for understanding SleepyHead, it does take some learning. Read through Pugsy's Pointer's at the top of the page. This link also has some helpful info. It's for a previous version but most of the info still applies. Since you already have it downloaded scroll down to the section that's labeled Basic data interpretation: Daily Detailed Data http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph ... ailed_Data

OkyDoky wrote:As for understanding SleepyHead, it does take some learning. Read through Pugsy's Pointer's at the top of the page. This link also has some helpful info. It's for a previous version but most of the info still applies. Since you already have it downloaded scroll down to the section that's labeled Basic data interpretation: Daily Detailed Data http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph ... ailed_Data

That's a helpful post for a data newbie, thank you I'll take a look.

It will cost you nothing to try.

Download SleepyHead and post your data. See my signature for how too. Pay attention to the section on organisation because some charts are more important than others. If we need more we will ask.

Ask us to evaluate your chart and then you decide.

My Air gives you a very brief overview but does little to nothing to help you improve your treatment. MyAir does a good job of encouraging compliance. For most people here compliance is not an issue,it's away of life. You can see that things aren't right but you need to look at detailed data to figure out what.

The MyAir data is pretty much what you can see on the machine's LCD screen expect the "score" for sleep which as you have already found out doesn't always reflect real life.
The machine pretty much uses hours of use (and it might not be hours of sleep) along with how many starts and stops you had and maybe it figures in a big leak if a big leak happens. I am not sure of that part. It has no way to know you might have had too much to drink and woke often (unless you turn the machine off and back on) and it has no way to know you have a hangover.

I just got a machine that is MyAir compatible but I haven't set it up for MyAir because I don't care about scores or badges for meeting "goals" and if I want the short version of how a night went I can just look at the LCD screen.
I really don't care to go to the "work" of setting up MyAir but hey...for a lot of people it's sufficient.
If they are feeling good, sleeping great and feeling good and the scores for AHI and leak are good and that badge score means something to them..it's fine to use it for day to day or whatever and save the software evaluation for when someone wants to know more.

MyAir involves someone else having my own personal email address (how else can they send you a badge or award) and I get enough spam as it is and don't want any more.
My choice though. It's your choice though. Not my place to make that decision for you. The software is always available if needed. You don't have to do the software thing every day...I sure don't.

The leak rate shown on the MyAir reporting is what we call the 95% leak number and all that means is you were at OR BELOW that leak number for 95% of the night. It doesn't tell you how low you might have gone or how long you might have been at a lower leak number. It doesn't tell you how high of a leak you might have had.
If the 95% leak number is below 24 L/min then we know that for at least 95% of the night you stayed out of large leak territory. We don't know if you made it to large leak territory or not. To be honest ...I don't worry about 5% of the night anyway even if it was in large leak territory as long as I slept well.

If you are mouth breathing very much it should show up as a leak...if your 95% number is relatively low then even if you are doing a little bit of mouth breathing it's not enough to negatively impact your therapy all that much.
The machine can easily compensate for leaks (no matter the cause) below 24 L/min and in fact I think the machine does very well up to 30 L/min. Above that and things start getting a bit iffy and the further you go past 30 L/min the iffier it gets.

Hannibal 2 wrote:It was my plan to try my Nasal Mask for 7 nights then my FF Mask for the next 7 nights and compare the data. But because I have been feeling so good, I am now thinking of just sticking to the Nasal Mask, what do you think?

Up to you. If your 95% leak number is below 24 L/min and leaks aren't waking you up...there's probably no urgent need to use the FFmask unless you just want to be trying it for the sake of trying.
It probably wouldn't hurt to try it at least once though just to get the hang of things in case you ever get in a situation where you just can't keep the nose open (bad cold or bad allergies).
I have a full face mask for such situations but I found that even though I could use it that it seemed to disturb my sleep because I wasn't used to having so much "stuff" on me so I don't want to use it unless I absolutely have to and in nearly 8 years now...I have never had a situation where I couldn't get by with just my nose for breathing.
I have had some colds and yucky upper respiratory infections but I have never had a situation where I couldn't get the nose open enough. So I have never just HAD to use a full face mask because of excessive mouth breathing out of necessity.

Again this is your choice...depending on the results you are seeing on the leak report and your sleep quality with a full face mask.
I don't just hate hate a full face mask but it sure isn't something I want to use long term but if for some reason I had no choice...I could do it but not without bitching about it.

Thank you guys, I just saw MyAir as a bit of fun to get me started, especially as I'm feeling the positive benefits of my treatment right now so it takes the pressure off a little. But I guess I knew you would all sing the praises of SleepyHead and I will try to find time to read and get up to speed with it.

I really appreciate you taking the time to respond, this forum has been a life changing experience for me thanks to people like yourselves!

I used Sleepyhead for a short time, but having limited time to geek, I just copy the data from the screen now.
My apnea is relatively simple, so this is what works for me. I consider MyAir next to useless.

chunkyfrog wrote:I used Sleepyhead for a short time, but having limited time to geek, I just copy the data from the screen now.
My apnea is relatively simple, so this is what works for me. I consider MyAir next to useless.

Yes I'm starting to realise that MyAir is next to useless but I have limited time too, fortunately, compared to my previous machine I am feeling so much better and that takes the pressure off, so I can take my time to read and understand Sleepyhead then periodically check all is ok.

I'm a little like Froggie (although I don't hop around and croak!~ ). I write down the LCD screen numbers, and download to sleephead maybe once a month... tho I've gone several months without downloading my card to the computer. Normally, if I had an unusual night, that will trigger me to download my info to sleepyhead. I wouldn't be concerned about the alcohol. I wouldn't even count those days. Alcohol can disturb some folk's numbers, depending on how much you drink. It's a marathon and as long as I'm sleeping with the mask on, that's all that counts.

I guess I should respond to your other thread, but I hope my comment on your avatar didn't encourage you to change your avatar. Yes, it was a little freaky, but it does remind me of the nut cases out in the world... I've forgotten those type of people I used to deal with since retiring!

Sheriff

Sheriff Buford wrote:I'm a little like Froggie (although I don't hop around and croak!~ ). I write down the LCD screen numbers, and download to sleephead maybe once a month... tho I've gone several months without downloading my card to the computer. Normally, if I had an unusual night, that will trigger me to download my info to sleepyhead. I wouldn't be concerned about the alcohol. I wouldn't even count those days. Alcohol can disturb some folk's numbers, depending on how much you drink. It's a marathon and as long as I'm sleeping with the mask on, that's all that counts.

I guess I should respond to your other thread, but I hope my comment on your avatar didn't encourage you to change your avatar. Yes, it was a little freaky, but it does remind me of the nut cases out in the world... I've forgotten those type of people I used to deal with since retiring!

Sheriff

I have put some data screenshots up on a new thread if you want to chip in.

Yes, your comment put me in two minds about my avatar, and a private message from someone else helped the decision - not a problem though

Hannibal 2 wrote:I have put some data screenshots up on a new thread if you want to chip in.

too much trouble to dig through google docs to get to the images and make them large enough to see...

use imgur, make it easy for people to help you

https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/tips/imgur

Instead of logging into MyAir or wearing out the SD card getting data, put the machine into PLUSS mode. When I stop therapy in the morning I get the quick stats, AHI, centrals, hours used, etc, even weekly and monthly averages. That will give you a better idea of bad nights and when looking at more detail is worthwhile once you get condition under control. MyAir score is a little like showing up for class and getting a star.

palerider wrote:

Hannibal 2 wrote:I have put some data screenshots up on a new thread if you want to chip in.

too much trouble to dig through google docs to get to the images and make them large enough to see...

use imgur, make it easy for people to help you

https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/tips/imgur

Done! Link to Imgur files on my Sleepyhead thread, let me know if I need to do it differently, thanks

LoBattery wrote:Instead of logging into MyAir or wearing out the SD card getting data, put the machine into PLUSS mode. When I stop therapy in the morning I get the quick stats, AHI, centrals, hours used, etc, even weekly and monthly averages. That will give you a better idea of bad nights and when looking at more detail is worthwhile once you get condition under control. MyAir score is a little like showing up for class and getting a star.

I got 2 stars and proud!