Shut machine off?

[deviate septum]

I have been using machine 4 days now and am unsure how to handle getting up. Before machine I would make at least 2 bathroom visits a night and wake up many many more times. In the 4 days I have gone from waking 6 times to 3 times still with 2 bathroom visits. Other times I sit on the side of the bed, remove the mask and rub my face. My question is should I shut the machine off? Does this affect the data reporting? If I leave it on does it record a large mask leak? I am using a Remstar A-Flex, heated humidifier, and ResMed Ultra Mirage full mask. Thanks.

[Linda3032]

Yes, it will record a large leak. But when you turn it off and then turn it back on, if that causes you to wake up too much, then you're losing sleep. I would go with getting back to sleep fast, knowing why I'm getting some large leaks.

Do whatever is comfortable for you.

[SleepingUgly]

Keep your mask on when you go to the bathroom so you don't have to readjust it all. Just turn off your machine and detach your mask from the hose. When you go back to bed, reattach, and turn machine back on.

[pdean44]

Thats what I do when nature calls

[TerryB]

Once in a long while I will leave my pillows type mask on. Strictly speaking however, you are not supposed to do that because you are re-breathing a volume of air that can't reach the outside of the mask. The carbon dioxide level keeps rising and the oxygen keeps falling. I can't tell you that in your particular situation is bad for you to do that, but generally speaking you should not do that. The big spike in leak volume is clearly shown if you are looking at chart reports and leak events can be discounted because you know what you did to cause the blip.

[dae3dae3]

My machine sounds like a leaf blower if I don't turn it off when I'm not wearing it. I turn it off. I'd wake the neighbors.

[Luc]

I never shut off my machine. When I need to go for a pee or something I either unplug the mask or just remove it. The machine has auto-off and auto-on. It records a large leak for a few seconds when I take the mask off, but this is of no concern. The leak data that I am concerned with is the 95 percentile rate. This tells me what the leakage is during my sleep. All I have to do is put the mask back on and start breathing and the machine starts up. Very clever.

[rubymom]

[quote="TerryB"]Strictly speaking however, you are not supposed to do that because you are re-breathing a volume of air that can't reach the outside of the mask. The carbon dioxide level keeps rising and the oxygen keeps falling. quote]


I don't know about you, but it takes me probably two minutes or less to go to the bathroom so I don't feel like I'm at any risk for CO2 poisoning.

My machine is pretty noisy too if I take it off and leave it running so I just turn it off quickly and when I hook back up it starts automatically. Quick and easy.