General Flow Rate Question

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Fenelon
Posts: 65
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2017 2:13 am

General Flow Rate Question

Post by Fenelon » Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:03 am

Hello everyone. I have a general question about Flow Rate. Below I've posted an image from last night's SleepyHead. I am quite happy with my numbers and I am still perfecting sleeping on my side (I managed to accidentally roll onto my back briefly last night hence the small cluster of events) but best of all I feel better. I don't (yet) spring out of bed in song and dance and I get very tired in the evenings, but I am feeling calmer, more capable and feel like I will get even better. So that's all good.

As such, I don't really want to tweak anything just now - but every time I see an image of someone else's SleepyHead data it seems to me that my Flow Rate always seems much higher/wider or generally more aggressive looking. Is this a concern, given that the treatment seems to be finally working and I feel better? I've tried to search but I am not sure what would really constitute a problem. As ever, any help/advice would be gratefully appreciated. I feel quite good today and yesterday I felt perhaps the most refreshed I've ever been in my adult life, so I am not unduly concerned, more curious with one eye on the future.

http://imgur.com/a/ih8cO

and the previous night for comparison:

http://imgur.com/a/sF2nw

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VinnieBarbarino
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Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2016 2:17 pm
Location: Kansas City, USA

Re: General Flow Rate Question

Post by VinnieBarbarino » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:07 am

Fenelon wrote:[..]but every time I see an image of someone else's SleepyHead data it seems to me that my Flow Rate always seems much higher/wider or generally more aggressive looking. Is this a concern, given that the treatment seems to be finally working and I feel better?
According to Pugsy's FAQ in the sticky topics, flow rate is really nothing to study unless there is a problem. If you were taking little bunny breaths, then maybe. If I were to resize my flow rate graph to the same vertical and horizontal scales as yours, it would probably be just about the same, if that makes you feel any better.

So, really if you feel like you are improving and can tolerate wearing the mask all night, you are doing really well for a month in!

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Fenelon
Posts: 65
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2017 2:13 am

Re: General Flow Rate Question

Post by Fenelon » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:44 am

Thanks for the reply Vinnie! I'd read Pugsy's FAQ but I've somehow contrived to miss the part on flow rate! Thank you for taking the time to reply!

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Pugsy
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Location: Missouri, USA

Re: General Flow Rate Question

Post by Pugsy » Tue Aug 22, 2017 6:49 am

Looking at the flow rate from this scale a person can't really tell much of anything.
And even if we could you can't really compare your flow rate to the next person's and wonder "what am I missing"...you might be missing nothing.

Flow rate is best evaluated zoomed way in and up close if you are going to look at it. All you are getting is a big dense bulky mess when looking at it from this far out. The more hours of sleep you see compressed the worse it looks and it means nothing.

Now if you just had one hour of flow rate you could maybe judge things a little bit.

This level is where flow rate gets evaluated...not the big black squishy mess you see when you don't zoom in.

Image

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