Max pressure

[LEWO]

I never sleep all night long since getting a new "automatic" Bipap I find that the pressure gets too high and my full face mask leaks wakes me up. I must shut the machine off, turn it back on and then can sleep for another 2-3 hrs. I never had this problem before with the old style machine. Living where I do, I don't have access to any "sleep experts' Is there a way for me to correct this?

[CPAPIST]

I must shut the machine off, turn it back on and then can sleep for another 2-3 hrs.

If it only happens once per night, it doesn't seem like such a big problem. How may hours total are you sleeping?

[Wulfman...]

I never sleep all night long since getting a new "automatic" Bipap I find that the pressure gets too high and my full face mask leaks wakes me up. I must shut the machine off, turn it back on and then can sleep for another 2-3 hrs. I never had this problem before with the old style machine. Living where I do, I don't have access to any "sleep experts' Is there a way for me to correct this?

Auto Bi-PAPs can be set to fixed IPAP and EPAP pressure settings. And, that sounds like something you need to explore. Lots of people with Auto CPAPs have the same problem and can set them to fixed pressures, too.


Den

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[OkyDoky]

The auto machine has to find the needed pressures to treat your apnea. If it is set wide open at 4-20 it may take a while to get up to the pressure needed to treat your apneas. So when you are taking it off and restarting you are starting over at the lowest pressure. It may be the pressure swings waking you up and this can be limited by narrowing the range. Unless you are using it in the bipap mode, and if you are, you already have a set IPAP and EPAP that remains the same after the ramp time.

It also can be the leaks that are waking you and then you notice the increased pressure. Are you using a new mask and what type?

We need to know what machine you have and settings. If you are registered you can go to the user control panel at the top left and enter them under the equipment tab by choosing your equipment using the text option.

You can download Sleepyhead and monitor more than your doctor will, if you have a data capable machine.

[LEWO]

I have a Respironics BiPap Auto BiFlex system one machine . Been using it for about a year. I use a ResMed ultra mirage full face mask for several years now. It has been a long time since I've gotten a full nights sleep. Maybe this is what to expect, I don't know, but before getting the new machine (the old was a Sullivan VPAP II) , I slept all night thru. 10 years with the old machine and that mask worked great. Now, I usually wake up in 2-3 hrs because of a mask leak and what seems to be excessive pressure and I keep tightening the straps. I can do this several times a night or lately what I do is get out of bed, read for an hour or so and then when I go back to bed , I can get 4-6 hrs of sleep before the mask leaks wake me up. I guess my questions are : will another mask handle the new pressure better or should I consider lowering the pressure? If so, can (or should) I do this myself. There is no sleep doctor near where I live. Any help from this 64 yr old man would be appreciated.

[Sheriff Buford]

This is why I operate in the cpap mode....

Sheriff

[OkyDoky]

You can find help here but it is a learning process. Start by letting us know the number of the machine you are using. You find that by taking off the humidifer and turning it over. On the blower there is a REF#.
What pressures are you on? If you don't know I believe you can see the numbers when you have the machine on and running. At least on mine you can.
What were the settings on you old machine?
Is this a new mask cushion or several months old?

[Wulfman...]

I have a Respironics BiPap Auto BiFlex system one machine . Been using it for about a year. I use a ResMed ultra mirage full face mask for several years now. It has been a long time since I've gotten a full nights sleep. Maybe this is what to expect, I don't know, but before getting the new machine (the old was a Sullivan VPAP II) , I slept all night thru. 10 years with the old machine and that mask worked great. Now, I usually wake up in 2-3 hrs because of a mask leak and what seems to be excessive pressure and I keep tightening the straps. I can do this several times a night or lately what I do is get out of bed, read for an hour or so and then when I go back to bed , I can get 4-6 hrs of sleep before the mask leaks wake me up. I guess my questions are : will another mask handle the new pressure better or should I consider lowering the pressure? If so, can (or should) I do this myself. There is no sleep doctor near where I live. Any help from this 64 yr old man would be appreciated.

With your old Sullivan machine you probably had fixed EPAP and IPAP pressures. Try setting your new machine to those settings and see how things go.

You can easily change the settings yourself......and you should know how.
You should AT LEAST become familiar with getting into the clinical setup and writing down what all of your settings are.


Den

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