Do I lower pressure?

I have been on CPAP / APAP for four years. I was diagnosed with a setting of 10 and a ramp of 4 for twenty minutes. I started out on CPAP and then acquired an APAP machine. I used it for several years.
About 6 months ago, I starting using my CPAP again with the prescription settings. I also started taking a Thyroid supplement. I now sleep solid for 6 to 7 hours. When I do wake up I am definitly wide awake. Oh, I do yawn a few times but I can not go back to sleep. If I lower my setting to say 7 or 8, will this affect my sleep? I guess I am curious to do it but not sure if there will be ant real benefit as I do sleep solid now, just not for 8 hours.
I feel very well during the day but I notice I do yawn quite a bit in the afternoon. I am thinking of getting another study but I was hoping to do it next year when I have 5 years under my belt.
Dean in Canada

Why mess with something that is working? ... unless you just want to do it for the science of it.

Do you have software for monitoring the difference? If not, don't mess with it.

The reason I want to change it is to eliminate the afternoon yawning and to wake up totally refreshed and not yawning in the morning. Will a lower pressure extend my sleep cycle?
DEan in Canada

Do you know what your AHI is? Does your mask leak? Do you still use the ramp setting at 4/20minutes. What min/max settings did you use with your APAP machine? A lot of questions that will help us with some answers for you. Welcome and Good luck

carlitguy wrote:The reason I want to change it is to eliminate the afternoon yawning and to wake up totally refreshed and not yawning in the morning. Will a lower pressure extend my sleep cycle?
DEan in Canada

Dean,

That logic sounds bass-ackwards to me.
Which machine do you use beside your PB420E? Is it data-capable and do you have the software to use with any of your machines?
A lower pressure is probably going to allow more events to occur, which means your blood oxygen level may drop and produce more daytime sleepiness.

About the only faith I have in sleep studies is to show whether a person has Obstructive Apnea, Central Apnea and some of those other things we got wired up for. As far as the titrations go, I trust the long-term data from my machines.....MORE.


Den

Do you still have the APAP, the APAP is designed to adjust itself to the optimal pressure so that you will never have too much air but not to little. Also make sure your APAP is in the Autoset mode that should solve your problem
http://www.sleepnation.tv

sleepnationtv wrote:Do you still have the APAP, the APAP is designed to adjust itself to the optimal pressure so that you will never have too much air but not to little. Also make sure your APAP is in the Autoset mode that should solve your problem
http://www.sleepnation.tv

For many people, it CREATES problems......like leaks and disturbed sleep to name a couple.


Den

Dean, I think you need more data. If your machine doesn't provide it, you're gonna have to experiment. Am I correct that you have only one machine, that it has auto capabilities, and that you had not used it for awhile but have resumed your therapy? Is your mask the same one you previously used? Maybe it's time to replace that, or at least replace the pillows. Are you mouth breathing? How do you know? It's great that you're also addressing the thyroid component of your health because that can certainly influence your sleep. Is your blood sugar stable? That can also play a part in afternoon sleepiness. In any case, I think using less pressure will only increase your sleep time by allowing more events, so you won't sleep as well, so you'll want to sleep more.

Thanks for all the replies.
My pan of attack is this and then I can get back to you with proper data.
I am going to change my mask to a brand new Comfort Gel tonight. I will then go back on my APAP which does have data capabilities for a month. If I am at 10 on my prescription 4 years ago, what should my APAP settings be? Then I can get a proper assessment at my respiratory therapist.
i have been on with 100% compliance for 4 full years next month. I do not think I mouth breathe as my mouth is never dry.
I agree that sleep studys can be a little 'hokey'! I paid $700 4 years ago at the Canadian Sleep Institute in Calgary and it was done the way it should be. I then had one in a very small hospital in a nearby town. That was a joke. I then had one done at an RMT. When I got the results back which cost me $150, he said I had sleep apnea. This was about 5 months ago which means I had been on CPAP / APAP for 3 and a half years. I asked what my settings should be and he said he wasn't sure. I never darkened his door again!
DEan in Canada

Dean, your plan sounds good. I'd set the pressures at 12/8 and see how things go. Sounds like you've had some real problems with the medical folks who are supposed to help you with this!