Sleeping 4 hours makes us compliant?

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 1:33 pm

My Encore Pro was set up so that my sleeping 4 hours was deemed compliant.

I wonder if scientific research was done to ascertain this is accurate or if it was decided the minimum sleep you and I need to function at our job is only four hours?

Does anyone know?

I am not complaining, griping, etc. Just curious.

I flew in the Air Force for many years and I know that if I cannot get 3 hours sleep, I might as well stay up. That used to be my minimum. Now I think it is more like 6 hours.

How about YOU? What is YOUR minimum sleep need?

(I changed my software so that 6 hours is compliance)

winknblinknnod · Post by **winknblinknnod** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 1:45 pm

At my follow up Dr appt I was telling him that I could only sleep about 4 -5 hrs before ripping the mask off, and he said something along the lines of "well, 4 hrs of good sleep plus the untreated 3 -4 hrs should be enough to consider you as being in treatment for the OSA."

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:01 pm

David,

It may make you "compliant" as far as the minimum amount of therapy goes, but it's far from helping you (or me) to feel rested.

If I get too many nights below 6 1/2 hrs. in a week (like the last couple of weeks), my butt's draggin'. I have a weekly average of close to 7 hrs. per night, but I'm making up the difference on the weekends. These summer days when it stays light longer are seriously cutting to my sleeping time.

Take care,

Den

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:26 pm

I usually get 8 hours of good sleeptime - and sometimes 9 every night. But, what else can I do out here in rural Arkansas (that one was for you Dave).

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:39 pm

I thought that 4 hours of use /night was set by the insurance industry as being compliant. That bring up another question-do the sleep police come and take your CPAP away if you don't use it at least 4 hr a day?

Darth Vader Look · Post by **Darth Vader Look** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:43 pm

There are studies out there saying that anything under 7 hours of sleep is considered deprivation of sleep. Weight gain is one of the side effects of low hours of sleep. Considering that most people working are stressed out and working longer hours it doesn't surprise anyone that good sleep just isn't that good anymore. I hear a lot of my friends only getting 4 hours of sleep per night and some even less. As far as 4 hours being compliant I believe that you can set that up to as low as 2 hours through the software.

Rastaman · Post by **Rastaman** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:45 pm

Naw. The insurance company just won't pay for it anymore if you're not "compliant". But I don't know how long it takes to become non-compliant.

Sleepless in St. Louis · Post by **Sleepless in St. Louis** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:52 pm

As another poster said, the 4 hours does not have anything to do with what is required to feel rested. That varies from person to person anyway. The 4 hours is what the insurance company and DME have defined as a night of sleep for billing purposes. In my plan the DME wants to know periodically that I'm still using the CPAP so that they can continue to bill my insurance company during the rental period. I guess if, during that period, I'm non compliant, then I would have to give back the machine. This makes sense to me that they would have to come up with some number that constitutes a nights sleep. Don't know why they picked 4 hours. 6 would make more sense to me.

Tim

Darth Vader Look · Post by **Darth Vader Look** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 2:58 pm

Sleepless in St. Louis wrote: Don't know why they picked 4 hours. 6 would make more sense to me.

It has been mentioned on several sleep apnea forums that the compliancy rate for xPAP is pushing 30%. Make that 4 hour into 6 hours and watch that level drop off real quick.

Sleepless in St. Louis · Post by **Sleepless in St. Louis** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:08 pm

Wow. 30% is amazingly low. I guess I did not have too much trouble adapting to CPAP especially given what's at stake. Hard to believe that so many would rather suffer, especially when it's been proven that by not using CPAP that a person with OSA will most certainly have a shorter time here with their friends and family. Maybe it's sorta like smoking. Some choose to take the risk anyway thinking that they will be okay. Bad things happen only to others. Don't get me wrong, I don't really enjoy being on CPAP but I do enjoy how it has improved my life and happiness and that of the people around me on a daily basis.

tim

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:33 pm

[quote="Sleepless in St. Louis"]Wow. 30% is amazingly low. I guess I did not have too much trouble adapting to CPAP especially given what's at stake. Hard to believe that so many would rather suffer, especially when it's been proven that by not using CPAP that a person with OSA will most certainly have a shorter time here with their friends and family. Maybe it's sorta like smoking. Some choose to take the risk anyway thinking that they will be okay. Bad things happen only to others. Don't get me wrong, I don't really enjoy being on CPAP but I do enjoy how it has improved my life and happiness and that of the people around me on a daily basis.

tim

bluesky · Post by **bluesky** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:07 pm

I agree with Goof Proof. My machine also registers times used greater than four hours. However, I pay more attention to the actual hours - MIne is typically anywhere from 7 to 8 hours a night. I have used my CPAP religiously for the 2 1/2 years I have had it - It stays on all night every night. As I remember, the first two weeks were very difficult, and I do remember wanting to rip the mask off an throw it away, but I stuck with it and became accustomed to wearing it. I wouldn;t dream of sleeping without it. Do I like using a CPAP? NO! I do, however, like the result, so I keep using it.

tooly125 · Post by **tooly125** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:45 pm

I have slept for six hours a night for years.This has been by my choice as I thought I was just one of those people who did not need a lot of sleep.
Since Cpap has become part of my life I have been forced to grow up or as Jim might tell you I have finally stopped swimming in DeNile
I am trying to go to bed earlier but have run in to a problem it seems no matter what time I go to bed I wake up six hours later.
Hopefully I can break this cycle and get up to at least seven hours a nite.

Sleepy-in-AL · Post by **Sleepy-in-AL** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:57 pm

Rastaman wrote:Naw. The insurance company just won't pay for it anymore if you're not "compliant". But I don't know how long it takes to become non-compliant.

The insurance companies usually only check compliance when you start therapy or need to replace an xPAP unit. Many insurance companies do a rental with a cap (IE they pay rental however many months it takes to pay for the unit) or they do a rental with conversion (IE they rent say 3 months and then purchase it). During the rental period and especially at the conversion time of a rental conversion they will check your compliance before agreeing to the buyout.

Once you own the equipment, they aren't going to come take it away. I haven't heard of checking compliance with regards to ordering maintenance supplies like masks, filters, tubing, etc... But I guess some may.

DME_Guy · Post by **DME_Guy** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 9:28 pm

Where did you get your information that DMEs have defined 4 hours of sleep a success?

It's the government that sets standards through the Medicare program. Insurance companies usually follow Medicare guidlines. I can understand that insurance companies don't want to pay for equipment that isn't being used but it does at to the cost of doing business for DMEs. In my experience, I haven't seen that many insurance companies require it.

To anser the question, it's like asking is the glass half full or half empty? Four hours may not be optimal, but it's better than nothing. I know I feel better if I use it for four hours, rather than <4 hours.

I can't remember the name of the institution that set the 4 hour standard. I can find out for sure on Monday.

[quote="Sleepless in St. Louis"]As another poster said, the 4 hours does not have anything to do with what is required to feel rested. That varies from person to person anyway. The 4 hours is what the insurance company and DME have defined as a night of sleep for billing purposes. In my plan the DME wants to know periodically that I'm still using the CPAP so that they can continue to bill my insurance company during the rental period. I guess if, during that period, I'm non compliant, then I would have to give back the machine. This makes sense to me that they would have to come up with some number that constitutes a nights sleep. Don't know why they picked 4 hours. 6 would make more sense to me.

Tim

Mask

Additional Comments: Pressure MinE 11 MaxI 17.5

Sleeping 4 hours makes us compliant?

Sleeping 4 hours makes us compliant?

Four Hours