question about leak rate in sleep report. I can't feel leaks but the machine says I'm leaking

[David R]

I run the mask check and get the green smiley face. Also, I can't feel any air leaking around the silicon seals. But when I get my nightly results off of my Resmed Autoset 10, it shows a leak rate of up to 22L/min. I also have a short beard (about 1/4" long) if that matters. I get leaks with both the DreamWare nasal mask and the Resmed Quattro full face.

How could I be leaking that much when I can't even feel or hear any leaks coming out?

[Pugsy]

We can sleep through some pretty massive leaks. I know that from personal experience myself. We don't always feel them and they don't always wake us up either.

If the highest leak you see is 22 L/min then don't worry about it if you are sleeping through it. It's well within the machine's ability to compensate for.
While 24 L/min is ResMed's official line in the and....in actuality the machine really does a fair job compensating, responding and recording up to probably around 40 L/min. You might see some unknown apneas flagged when over 30 L/min but it's still sensing something.

It's a rare night that I don't go over 24 L/min for at least a little bit of the time and sometimes a lot of the time but I rarely wake up from just the leaks themselves.

If I never go over 24 L/min I don't even bother to give any of the leak graph numbers a second look as long as I sleep through them.

[David R]

Thanks Pugsy. I do wake up occasionally after about 5 to 5 and a half hours of sleep occasionally and I have no idea why. I check my sleep report and then try and go back to sleep. At some point in the near future, I will figure out how to post Sleepyhead data and let you guys look at my night's sleep. I am shooting in the dark when it comes to treatment and I can't understand anything of the line graphs, despite watching a youtube tutorial lol. Overall I think I'm doing well on CPAP, I'm still alive in the morning and I am able to function without being too tired all day long. I used to sleep longer, sleep worse, always feel like I needed a nap, and never have energy.

Confounding factors/Non-CPAP related things that have also contributed to my ability to function more effectively each day is cutting out sugar and non-vegetable related carbs, eating more vegetables, trying to only eat locally farm grown food (can't do this 100% but I try to do it as much as I can). I've been trying to work in some exercise along with the better nutrition. My weight went down from 330 lbs to 270 in the last 5 months or so. So I'm sure that has had a huge impact, especially being on the Keto diet.

[Bigmike52]

David congratulations on your weight loss. As Pugsy said 22/L/m is nothing to be concerned about. Your machine is more than capable to handle it. I wanted to suggest possibly buying some mask liners as any significant weight loss will effect the circumference of the face. If it works it will certainly be cheaper than new masks. Again great job on the weight loss as well as the new eating healthy habits. I'll be rooting for you!


Mike

[D.H.]

If the leak is not annoying you or your bed partner, it's not a problem. Your machine has "leak compensation." It will deliver the set pressure.