New SleepyHead User Questions

[markubig]

Hello,

I have been using my cpap (AirSense 10 auto) & Dreamwear mask w/ pillows religiously over the past year. I am new to the sleepyhead program, so I am am attaching last night's report and have some questions:

1) Should be concerned about the number of obstructive events?
2) My pressure at night seems to be creeping towards the max pressure that is set into my machine. Should I adjust that from 14 to maybe 15/16 or should I keep it where it is?
3) In the Pressure graph, does the red & green data represent my EPR setting of 3?
4) If there are adjustments that need to be made to improve my data, what are your suggestions?

Thanks, in advance, for your assistance!

[Pugsy]

Welcome to the forum.

How are you sleeping and feeling in general? That's just as important, if not more important, than the numbers.

Yes, the red/green colors on the pressure graph just reflect the use of EPR...top one is inhale and bottom one is exhale which is what happens when EPR is used. If you used EPR of 1 they would be closer together.

I wouldn't be concerned about the number of events if that were my report and I was sleeping good and feeling decent.
I have been happy with worse.

I would leave the max pressure setting alone...the machine really doesn't seem to want to go there.
Instead if it were me I might consider increasing the minimum pressure so there is less movement overall of the pressure line...and often with more minimum the need for the higher pressures will come down.
It's not an urgent change to do though...if you are feeling great and sleeping great...it isn't urgent but you might try it to see if you feel even better...or not. I have done this experiment myself...nothing really changed including AHI and how I slept or felt so I backed the minimum pressure back down.

[markubig]

Thank you for your reply!

I actually feel great in the morning when I wake up. I used to wake up with headaches, but that was remedied with the consistent use of my cpap. I do get tired late in the day once in a blue moon, but I do a lot of driving and I think that's more of a function of the boring drives as opposed to lack of rest.

I'll give raising the minimum a shot and see if that changes things. Otherwise, thanks again, for your input!

Welcome to the forum.

How are you sleeping and feeling in general? That's just as important, if not more important, than the numbers.

Yes, the red/green colors on the pressure graph just reflect the use of EPR...top one is inhale and bottom one is exhale which is what happens when EPR is used. If you used EPR of 1 they would be closer together.

I wouldn't be concerned about the number of events if that were my report and I was sleeping good and feeling decent.
I have been happy with worse.

I would leave the max pressure setting alone...the machine really doesn't seem to want to go there.
Instead if it were me I might consider increasing the minimum pressure so there is less movement overall of the pressure line...and often with more minimum the need for the higher pressures will come down.
It's not an urgent change to do though...if you are feeling great and sleeping great...it isn't urgent but you might try it to see if you feel even better...or not. I have done this experiment myself...nothing really changed including AHI and how I slept or felt so I backed the minimum pressure back down.

[palerider]

Hello,

I have been using my cpap (AirSense 10 auto) & Dreamwear mask w/ pillows religiously over the past year. I am new to the sleepyhead program, so I am am attaching last night's report and have some questions:

1) Should be concerned about the number of obstructive events?
2) My pressure at night seems to be creeping towards the max pressure that is set into my machine. Should I adjust that from 14 to maybe 15/16 or should I keep it where it is?
3) In the Pressure graph, does the red & green data represent my EPR setting of 3?
4) If there are adjustments that need to be made to improve my data, what are your suggestions?

Thanks, in advance, for your assistance!

1) not really, your total is good.
2) I'd just set it to 20 and ignore it, the machine's not hitting the max set now, but having a lower max pressure would prevent the machine from being able to raise pressure in the event it needed to in the future.
3) yes, red is your inhale pressure (IPAP), and green is the exhale pressure (EPAP), so that's the effect of EPR.
4) Like Pugsy says, I'd raise the min, your pressure is constantly varying, and that indicates the min is too low. I'd go to at least 9... you're having fairly constant breathing issues, except between 3:00 and 4:20, even though they're not apneas or hypopneas (part of the AHI) they do disturb sleep... (and cause the pressure to jump up). so you may feel better if you can smooth some of that out... less events, less sleep disturbances is the idea.)