Help figuring out leak data

[IheartCPAP]

Anyone know if this leak data from Sleepyhead is within the norm? I posted a summary and also my leak chart from last night.

I'm using the AirFit P10 nasal pillows and it says the vent flow rate at my pressure (12 cmH2O) is 37 L/min. Is it normal for it to jump up and down so much during the night? Is that a sign of mouth breathing?

I'm pretty sure I mouth breathe, but whenever I try the full face mask it pushes my tongue back and I wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air.


Summary:


Leak Graph:

[Pugsy]

Whatever machine you chose isn't showing up...some links are broken.
Your humidifier choice I suspect is wrong because it points to a humidifier discontinued back in 2007
You are using SleepyHead so it has to be a PR System One machine of some model..
SleepyHead says you are using a model 450 machine. That link to that piece of equipment is broken in the equipment profile drop down menu. You need to add it manually in the comments section....PR S1 Pro CPAP model 450...is sufficient and we will be able to see at a glance what you are using.
In the humidifier choice...your choice should still work and that would be PR System One Heated Humidifier.

If you were using an auto adjusting pressure machine with variable pressures then your leak line can vary a bit because as pressure increases so does the vent rate and the PR S1 machine reports total leak which is vent rate plus any excess leak.
Though from the looks of your leak lines...I doubt you pressure bears the bulk of the responsibility for the movement on the leak graphs.

Large leak territory for your machine depends on mask and pressure used but in general up around 80 to 90 L/min.
If the leaks don't wake you up...you are pushing the large leak boundary at times but probably don't quite get there...then if you are sleeping well then technically the leaks are "acceptable" meaning the machine can likely compensate for leaks up until you hit large leak territory (if you hit large leak territory).
It is "normal" to have some movement in the leak line. SleepyHead graphs tend to make mountains out of mole hills but in your situation you have some pretty tall mole hills.

The model 450 machine is a fixed pressure machine so your pressure of 12 can't auto adjust or vary. Looks like the baseline with no leaks is around 30 L/min total leak so when you see those big mole hills go up to 60 L/min...those are mask leaks.
Full face masks are a challenge for sure. Just the surface area touching the skin that needs to be kept sealed makes it more of a challenge.
If you are hitting large leak territory (you can check the LCD screen for % of time in large leak and if it says 0.0 then you didn't hit it) it isn't likely for very long as time spent above 60 L/min is not all that great. It's hard to know exactly where the machine calculates large leak as we are never told an exact number since it can vary a bit between machines and masks and pressures used. Past experience with the 50 series machines has shown that large leak territory normally doesn't start until up around 90 L/min.

So your leaks are significant at time but not likely reaching into large leak territory. Respironics says they can compensate for leaks up till we reach large leak territory. So technically your machine is probably compensating sufficiently.
Those leaks are pretty big sometimes...are they waking you up? If they are waking you up then they are unwanted but unwanted because they are disturbing your sleep.
It is normal to see some fluctuation in the leak line...it's hard to maintain a flat leak line. Some people do it though and they do it with a full face mask so it can be done but it's "normal" to have some fluctuation and not have the fluctuation be a problem.

Your leak line is ugly..but unless you wake often with the leaks it probably is still within the machine's ability to compensate for leaks. I have seen much worse leak lines...leak lines where the entire night was spent with leaks up around 100 L/min or more. So while yours is a bit ugly...there have been much uglier leak lines.

[IheartCPAP]

Thanks for all the info Pugsy.

I updated my comment tag line with my machine info.

The leaks don't wake me up, but I'm still very tired during the day. Guess I just need to continue working with the nasal pillows/mask to see if I can lower the amount of leaks.

[Pugsy]

If you are still tired....remember that cpap machine can't always fix all "tireds"
If being tired isn't related to sleep apnea...not much chance of the prettiest reports in the world helping.

Common things that affect how we feel.
Hours of sleep?
Are those hours of sleep fragmented?
Meds...dig deep for potential side effects
general health conditions...pain, diabetes, hormones, vitamin....be long list
insomnia
bed comfort
you get the idea..
also...is it tired (fatigued) or is it sleepy with need to nap? The 2 aren't always the same.

And of course..even with optimal everything conditions it might just be that more time is needed.

[IheartCPAP]

It's more of a constantly fatigued, "wired" kind of feeling with brain fog than a sleepy need to take a nap feeling. Been on CPAP for almost 3 years now.

Average about 6.5 hrs a sleep per night.
Don't think it's fragmented. Rarely wake up in the middle of sleep.
Have had extensive blood work and nothing else has come up.
I do have insomnia, but it's kind of chicken/egg thing since it seems like the poor sleep causes the insomnia.