Machine is happy. Oximeter isn't.

[dsws]

My pulse oximeter says I'm having desaturations about 20 times per hour. My CPAP machine thinks my AHI is usually below five. On the flow rate graph (not OSCAR, because the machine is an ibreeze, which isn't compatible with OSCAR), there are lots of fluctuations in my breathing. The oximeter also says my SpO2 spends a lot of time below 95, even when both the breathing and the oximeter readings are very steady.

I can also generate lots of very brief desaturations when I'm awake. All I have to do is breathe slowly and exhale deeply. I feel fine when I do that, so I would be inclined to think that the brief desaturations aren't a problem when I'm asleep either.

Problem is, I have obesity and diabetes (managed with Ozempic, well enough to make the doctors happy). Disordered breathing during sleep is possibly both a cause and an effect of both conditions. So if I can, I want to treat my sleep apnea beyond the level that would normally be considered good enough.

How can I tell the relevant areas of my unconscious, sleeping brain to raise the set-point for my breathing?

[ChicagoGranny]

How can I tell the relevant areas of my unconscious, sleeping brain to raise the set-point for my breathing?

You can't, and it is not necessary. Unless you have central sleep apnea, your brain sends the correct signals for breathing.

Could you please post a picture of your oximeter report in this thread? If you don't know how to post a photo, just ask.