First post, many questions

[cubby]

Hey i was googling some questions about my new cpap and came across this forum. Hopefully i set it all up right so that my equipment is listed below. I first got my cpap on December 20th. i use it every night except Friday night and that's because until the end of January i'm just not home and figured one day a week wont be to terrible to miss. It took me a few days to get used to the mask on my face but I feel i'm doing ok with that now. My biggest issue was the humidity. I had it set on auto for temp and humidity and I was waking up every morning feeling like I had been swimming in a pool all night. I know that's a weird way to describe it but that's what it felt like with the excessive moisture. Finally changed that setting and am doing better. I'm still having some mask issues so i guess this is my first question. Is is bad to have it on to tight? i tend to sleep on my side and the mask will push up on the pillow and start blowing air into my eyes. I started tightening that up more and it helped with the air but i end up with a sore indentation in between my eyes. Any tricks to have the mask fitting more comfortably and not have the air leak from the pillow? Another thing i was wondering about and i know in the newbie instructions it said to not ask how long before it starts working but I'm waking up more tired each day then prior to getting the cpap. I typically go to sleep pretty quick but i wake up a lot throughout the night. Which was the reason I talked to the doctor about my bad sleeping to begin with. I just feel like i'm waking up more often and more tired then prior to the cpap. Should i give it more time or should i ask either the doctor or the DME place about it? i typically go to bed about 930pm and play on my tablet until 10pm and put the mask on then. I'd say i'm generally asleep in 15 minutes or so. Which was typical prior to the mask too. The first week took me longer to get to sleep but that was just getting used to it. Another issue i have with the mask is i tend to take deep breaths a lot and when i breathe out it feels like the mask gives it no where to go. Kinda getting used to that but is that something normal? Another question is i see you guys had something about online viewing progress. I currently have the myair app and its pretty pointless. Just tells you how long it was on and a few other little things. Is there a better app of does one have to do the online download thing? My machine has an SD card slot but the DME lady said the results are all sent to the office via satellite so i didnt need the SD card. If i did the online thing and used an SD card would that mess up their satellite stuff? Sorry for the long post....i'm tired

[palerider]

I'm still having some mask issues so i guess this is my first question. Is is bad to have it on to tight? i tend to sleep on my side and the mask will push up on the pillow and start blowing air into my eyes.

First, paragraphs, they help a lot.
Second, "mask liners" look at padacheek.com, it'll help hugely with the leaks blowing in your eyes.
Third... sleep towards the edge of the pillow, so it's not mashing your mask out of place.

should i ask... the DME place about it?

Don't expect any help from a DME.

Is there a better app of does one have to do the online download thing? My machine has an SD card slot but the DME lady said the results are all sent to the office via satellite so i didnt need the SD card. If i did the online thing and used an SD card would that mess up their satellite stuff? Sorry for the long post....i'm tired

Again, don't expect any useful help from the DME.

There's no satellite.

Yes, get a SD card, use sleepyhead.

[Okie bipap]

Welcome to the forum. Be careful of the sore spots on your nose. I had the same problem when I first started and ignored it like an idiot. I ended up with a large, open sore on my nose. You can use a small band-aid on your nose, or a small piece of mole skin. You can find mole skin in the foot section of a pharmacy or Walmart. It is normally used as a padding for blisters. I used to put a piece on my nose every night when I was using a different mask, but I don't need it with my current mask. If you decide to use it nightly, it is available at Amazon in fifteen foot rolls.

[cubby]

Thanks i appreciate the replies. Already looking at the padacheek site now thanks to the tip. The dimple in my face above my nose between the eyes have only been the past two nights but I've not had all the eye air by having it that tight. Hopefully the padacheek thing fixes that.

Sorry about the one big paragraph. Was basically just typing what was coming to my head for questions.

I'll just be glad when the benefits start kicking in. I"m tired of being so tired. It's only been 2 weeks so i probably need to give it more time. Last night i tried scratching an itch on my face completely forgetting the mask was in the way. I'm taking that as a sign that i'm getting pretty used to the mask.

My machine is auto and ranges between 5-15 on the air blow. Anyone know how that auto works? I wake up a lot and last night i woke up about 2am and thought the machine was pretty loud and realized it was at like 11.6 which is fine whatever. i was awake for roughly 20 minutes and it didn't go down to a smaller number for probably about 15 minutes. Just thought that was weird since i was awake but not sure how that all works.

On the myair app i typically only have 3-5 events per hour which doesn't seem like much. I never got told how many events i had during my home sleep test. Just told there were events and i had mild to moderate sleep apnea. Would the low events be because the machine is doing its job or just that my apnea is that low? Or the fact that the app is pretty worthless? am i to hard on the myair app? it seems pointless to me

The sleepyhead thing may have to wait. My laptop has windows issue. i'll try it at some point and see. I like the sound of being able to have a detail chart of your stuff

Who do i message about setting up an avatar? It's been a long time since i was on a forum and i cant remember how to get one small enough to work

[Pugsy]

What you see being report are the apnea events that the machine didn't prevent.
Has nothing to do with how many events you had during your sleep study or how mild or severe your sleep apnea is.
We have no way to no how many are prevented.

The machine doesn't change the pressure rapidly...it goes up rather slowly and down rather slowly...doensn't/can't go from 5 to 10 in 60 seconds and it can't go down quickly either. Sometimes our awake breathing confuses the machine a little so if you wake up and it's at 11...and you are awake for 10 minutes or so...your awake breathing irregularities might be causing the machine to not reduce as fast as you might think it should.
If you zoom in on the pressure graphs using SleepyHead you will see that things actually go up and down over a period of time for the most part. Quick responses are extremely rare.

I had to use an online image reducer to get my deer picture small enough to be used as an avatar.
No one to message about it...setting up the avatar is all within your control and the size limits should be mentioned.
It's under your profile and edit avatar...

[ChicagoGranny]

My machine is auto and ranges between 5-15 on the air blow. Anyone know how that auto works? I wake up a lot and last night i woke up about 2am and thought the machine was pretty loud and realized it was at like 11.6 which is fine whatever. i was awake for roughly 20 minutes and it didn't go down to a smaller number for probably about 15 minutes. Just thought that was weird since i was awake but not sure how that all works.

Your minimum pressure is very probably set too low. I would try 8.0. You can better tweak your pressure settings when you start using Sleepyhead.

i was awake for roughly 20 minutes and it didn't go down to a smaller number for probably about 15 minutes. Just thought that was weird since i was awake but not sure how that all works.

Your machine doesn't know whether you are asleep or awake. The machine algorithm doesn't make rapid changes in pressure because they would cause too many awakenings.

Who do i message about setting up an avatar? It's been a long time since i was on a forum and i cant remember how to get one small enough to work

Use one of the free, online resizing tools - https://www.google.com/search?ei=JpIvXK ... _Y-mzFNdpc

[cubby]

Thank you i got the resizing figured out. I think if I can get sleepy head on my home computer i'll be set. Well until i have all the questions for it. I'll work on that Sunday hopefully.

[Janknitz]

Hopefully the mask liner will help, but you might try this as well.

Lie down in your normal sleeping position with the mask on your face and the machine turned on.
Loosen the mask slightly on the pillow side and tighten it slightly on the side away from the pillow. This should compensate for the pressure the pillow puts on the mask, although the suggestion to "hang" your mask off the edge of the pillow is helpful, too.

When you start with a very low pressure (4), the machine has to work hard to compensate for the apneas that typically happen once you're in a deep sleep--pressures increase slowly and tend to overshoot because they are trying to catch up with the apneas you have. That may be what's waking you. As you get your pressure dialed in so the machine doesn't have to chase your apneas, your frequent wakenings may come under better control.

As for not using your CPAP on Fridays It's not that big a deal to pack it up and take it with you. I bet you take your pj's and toothbrush. It may be worth considering getting a second unit (there are inexpensive used ones) to leave where you spend Friday nights if it really is inconvenient to take it along.

[palerider]

On the myair app i typically only have 3-5 events per hour which doesn't seem like much.

3-5 is "ok" for the doctor, but not very good, 5 is like being poked with a stick, every 12 minutes, all night long

I like so see the ahi under 2. Your lower pressure is almost certainly too low.

If you wear glasses, would you do without them on Fridays?

[ChicagoGranny]

i got the resizing figured out.

I was hoping for something along this line:



But, I guess you are not old enough.

[cubby]

lol..........little before my time I've been a die hard Chicago Cubs fan all my life and the Cubby nickname has been given to me my many different people who all thought they were the first ones to call me that. After so many years it just stuck more and more so I tend to use it for many online names.

[cubby]

On the myair app i typically only have 3-5 events per hour which doesn't seem like much.

If you wear glasses, would you do without them on Fridays?

good point. I like to deer hunt this time a year and spend Friday nights in a camper without water access. I bring bottles of water down with me for cooking and drinking. So that part wouldn't be a big problem i guess. There's not a lot of room to set the thing and i just kinda thought that i only have 2 more weekends left of the season until new season starts come October and that i'd worry more about it next season.

[zonker]

i got the resizing figured out.

I was hoping for something along this line:



But, I guess you are not old enough.

whose the leader of the band that's made for you and me?

though, this is more my style-

annette.jpeg

[Pugsy]

3 to 5 events per hour slipping past the machine's defenses probably isn't the end of the world....yeah it could be better but it's not the end of the world especially if without cpap you might have 100 events during that hour.

BUT....how many would be slipping past the defenses if you didn't use the cpap at all...that's the bigger more important question.
We have zero way to know how many were prevented. All we know is what a one night sleep study without cpap might have told us we would have...and that's just a one night under circumstances not exactly conducive to getting good sleep.

And God help me...I am old enough to remember the Cubby Mousekateer ....I remember them all. Geez I am getting old.
My husband was just telling me that the baby Osmond boy....Jimmy...remember him??? He's 58 and just had a stroke on stage while performing. I guess it's better than the alternative though.

[ChicagoGranny]

though, this is more my style-

annette young old.jpeg

When my youngest son was about eleven, he would sit googoo-eyed and drooling in front of our black-and-white TV.