Question about bathroom breaks.

ypeels · Post by **ypeels** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:48 am

May be a silly question, but when going to my one nightly bathroom visit, do you you shut the cpap machine off or just let it blow on the pillow?

I have been turning it off.

One week with the cpap!

LSAT · Post by **LSAT** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:49 am

Turn it off...unhook the hose and leave your mask on.

StuUnderPressure · Post by **StuUnderPressure** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:51 am

I also turn off my machine and unhook the hose.

But, I also remove my Chin Strap and my mask.

It does not take that long to put everything back on.

But, do what suits you best. There is no right nor wrong answer.

If you have Auto On / Off enabled, it will automatically turn itself off.
But, that also does show a rather large leak at that time.
That is why I do not let it continue to run.

squid13 · Post by **squid13** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:21 am

LSAT wrote:Turn it off...unhook the hose and leave your mask on.

+1 Some say they can't see the commode to hit it. No ones looking so sit down and do it.

Ford Guy · Post by **Ford Guy** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:01 pm

Didn't you read the instructions? You are not allowed to take bathroom breaks when using a CPAP.

wardmiller · Post by **wardmiller** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 2:22 pm

I prefer to just unplug the hose at the mask quick disconnect. When I get back in bed, I just plug the hose back into the mask. This avoids going through ramping up the pressure and just begins at full flow. Otherwise, it will be many minutes before it gets up to full pressure.

I see nothing unusual on the graphs, as a result. Just a blank space for the time while the hose is disconnected.

Crazy Eddie · Post by **Crazy Eddie** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 2:29 pm

I just take turn it off and take the mask off. The mask I use slips right over my head like putting on a hat.

That said, I rarely do this anymore. I haven't needed to get up and use the bathroom but maybe 10 times in the last 3 months I've been on CPAP. Previously I'd get up at least twice a night.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 2:42 pm

wardmiller wrote:I prefer to just unplug the hose at the mask quick disconnect. When I get back in bed, I just plug the hose back into the mask. This avoids going through ramping up the pressure and just begins at full flow. Otherwise, it will be many minutes before it gets up to full pressure.

Good point on the ramp. Anyone who has a long ramp to accommodate how long it takes to fall asleep at bedtime but falls asleep quickly after potty runs is sleeping unprotected during that ramp time. Those who care what leaving it on does to their data might want to consider shortening their ramp time so they won't have to go through a long ramp after potty runs.

With prior masks I took them off and turned the machine off. I needed that break, because for me, putting the mask on signals sleep. Now that I'm using the Tap Pap, I just unscew the mouthpiece from the rest of the mask for potty runs.

drj130 · Post by **drj130** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 2:52 pm

Ford Guy wrote:Didn't you read the instructions? You are not allowed to take bathroom breaks when using a CPAP.

Instructions??? Who reads the instructions anymore?

glen4cindy · Post by **glen4cindy** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 3:09 pm

I have always unplugged my hose, and stuffed it under my pillow.

(My wife detests the air venting from my mask, so if I lay facing her, I usually cover my face with the sheet so the air does not vent toward her)

I do this so the air does not blow freely toward her.

I wonder if this large spike between 4:00 and 4:30 is my bathroom break?

I'm also guessing the minor blips around 2:30 and right after 4:00 before the HUGE spike is where I pull my mask away from my face to cough.

I've found if I try to cough with the mask on, it disturbs the rubber valve in the quick disconnect and then, the airflow is disrupted.

purple · Post by **purple** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 3:46 pm

Turning off the machine can make it easier to look at the data later, IMO. Whether one unplugs the mask, or hose, or removes the mask probably depends on which mask one has. I used to use the Forma Mask, which had a really neat snap release of the hose at the point it joins the mask downtube. Now I use a FitLIfe mask, which is hard to remove the hose from the mask, but it has a really neat snap release where the head straps join the mask. With the Fitlife I unsnap the head straps and slip the mask off.

squid13 · Post by **squid13** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 3:47 pm

Turn your machine off before you unplug your hose. Plug it backup when bathroom break is done and turn on the machine.

ypeels · Post by **ypeels** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 4:12 pm

Guess I'm doing it right.
Shut machine off, nasal pillows off, never unplugged the hose.
Pillows on, hit the button and sleep. (no ramp)

glen4cindy · Post by **glen4cindy** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 4:37 pm

I suppose turning the machine off is probably the best approach as well.

I could not sleep last night for a time, and the machine just shows a gap in the data.

I suppose my only concern would be the power cycles on the machine.

It seems the data collection knows that there is just a gap in the data. It still shows my bedtime as 11:18 and my wake time as 7:16.

wardmiller · Post by **wardmiller** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 6:25 pm

squid13 wrote:Turn your machine off before you unplug your hose. Plug it backup when bathroom break is done and turn on the machine.

Why?

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