One week in - results

[Midwest_non_sleeper]

Alright, so I got my ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset a week ago. I chose the nasal pillows as those felt more comfortable to me while in the office as opposed to the mask. I'm also not a mouth-breather at all, so why not? While I was in the office, the sleep technician turned the machine on while it was at the lowest level of my prescription (5). I felt it with my hand and it felt like I could have flown a kite on that gust.

I got everything set up once at home and actually looked forward to beginning treatment, but I was also realistic about the beginning of it. I knew that there would be hiccups and things to fiddle with and "fix", so I was as prepared as I would get. The first night was decent, I slept almost 7 hours with the alien on my face. The next few nights were hell, and I continually (in my sleep) pulled the pillows off of my face. I would wake up holding the hose in my hand, which would be dangling off the side of the bed. But, persistence, I put it back on and went back to sleep.

Last night was probably the best night so far. I slept for just shy of 7 hours and surprisingly, slept for the majority of the night with no issues. I did wake up early in the morning at around 2:45 to use the restroom and tell my teenage daughter (whom was sitting up reading) to go to bed. I went right back to bed with the pillows on and fell right asleep until it was time for work.

Do I feel better? Yes, but it's not a zap of lightning "HOLY COW I FEEL GREAT" moment for me. It's difficult to explain, but my brain feels "lighter" or "not as heavy", if that makes any sense. Also, this may be anecdotal, but I'm DREAMING again. I can't remember the last time I actually remember having a dream, it must be years at this point. But over this last week, I've dreamed at least four times that I can recall, which is good news, because dreaming indicates REM sleep, which is the final stage of sleep. That means I'm actually hitting stage 3 and 4 (or 3N) restorative sleep! At least, according to all of the literature that I could find. Also, at this time last week, I was experiencing microsleeps while at work. Every. Single. Day. Today, the workday is almost over and I'm not the least bit tired.

Overall, I would say that it's working, but I also realize that the greatest gains may be yet to come. It's only been a week after all, so hopefully this trend continues. It is awkward with the pillows still, and they do still feel sorta funny on my face, but every night it gets a little easier.

Anyway, I'm attaching my first (almost) full night Sleepyhead screenshot. I'm no expert, but I think it looks pretty good? My sleep study indicated an average 10.9 AHI, which isn't really terrible to begin with, but I haven't been over 3 AHI yet, even on those bad nights. Sorry Pugsy, I forgot to hide the pie chart, I'll do that next time, I promise.

Thoughts? Advice? Encouragement? Disdain? Let me hear it.

*Edit: I'm cognizant of the two high leak rates, I'm not sure what caused those, perhaps I moved in my sleep and shifted the pillows? I don't remember waking up from them though.

[klm49]

Sounds like everything is working good for you. So glad you can already tell a difference.

[D.H.]

Just think of the difference a few months down the road. At that point, imagine that it happened all in one night. That will be your "holy cow" moment, it's just that it was gradual.

[ChicagoGranny]

I'm cognizant of the two high leak rates

Those are not high leaks. The machine is able to measure and adjust up to about 60 l/min.

You are doing great!

[zonker]

how about jealousy?

seriously, that's most impressive. took me months to get where you are now.

good work!

[palerider]

I felt it with my hand and it felt like I could have flown a kite on that gust.

That's because when you don't have the mask on your face, the pressure drops, so the fan in the machine speeds up faster and faster to try and get the pressure up, until it's running at full speed. The airflow when the mask is off means nothing. The instant you put the mask on, the fan slows *WAY* down.

[djams]

hey midwest - I'm new at this as well. Sounds like you're doing great.

I'm not qualified at all to interpret your chart, but I have a question that I'd ask the experts if this were my chart.

After the bathroom run a 2:30 or so, the machine ran the pressure up to 13 pretty quickly. But I don't see any event associated with the pressure increase. Why did it do that?

[Midwest_non_sleeper]

hey midwest - I'm new at this as well. Sounds like you're doing great.

I'm not qualified at all to interpret your chart, but I have a question that I'd ask the experts if this were my chart.

After the bathroom run a 2:30 or so, the machine ran the pressure up to 13 pretty quickly. But I don't see any event associated with the pressure increase. Why did it do that?

That's a great question and I don't know the answer to it. I was actually looking at that earlier and was wondering the same thing.

Thank you for the responses everyone, I'm working on it and am very determined to be successful!

[palerider]

After the bathroom run a 2:30 or so, the machine ran the pressure up to 13 pretty quickly. But I don't see any event associated with the pressure increase. Why did it do that?

Since the snore chart wasn't shown, and I don't see anything *much* on the FL chart, I'd have to think that there was a batch of snoring.

Snores, FL, hypos and OAs cause pressure to increase.

[Midwest_non_sleeper]

After the bathroom run a 2:30 or so, the machine ran the pressure up to 13 pretty quickly. But I don't see any event associated with the pressure increase. Why did it do that?

Since the snore chart wasn't shown, and I don't see anything *much* on the FL chart, I'd have to think that there was a batch of snoring.

Snores, FL, hypos and OAs cause pressure to increase.

I went back and looked at the snore chart, and sure enough, there are snore events associated with those pressure spikes.

[Doug_Nightmare]

Three nights in a row of Best Sleep Ever. And, yes, not an epiphany so much as a dawning realization.

I cured my leak rate by taping my mouth shut with duct tape. I am waiting for my Goldstream Deep Sleep CPAP accessory. It appears to be a piece of soft plastic tape that goes between lips and teeth as an airdam. If that doesn’t work as well as tape then I’ll try 3M Microcell I think it is.

[djams]

After the bathroom run a 2:30 or so, the machine ran the pressure up to 13 pretty quickly. But I don't see any event associated with the pressure increase. Why did it do that?

Since the snore chart wasn't shown, and I don't see anything *much* on the FL chart, I'd have to think that there was a batch of snoring.

Snores, FL, hypos and OAs cause pressure to increase.

I went back and looked at the snore chart, and sure enough, there are snore events associated with those pressure spikes.

You're the man (<--assumption on my part) palerider. Thanks!

[Midwest_non_sleeper]

Three nights in a row of Best Sleep Ever. And, yes, not an epiphany so much as a dawning realization.

I cured my leak rate by taping my mouth shut with duct tape. I am waiting for my Goldstream Deep Sleep CPAP accessory. It appears to be a piece of soft plastic tape that goes between lips and teeth as an airdam. If that doesn’t work as well as tape then I’ll try 3M Microcell I think it is.

Thank goodness I'm not a mouth breather, it would freak me out taping my mouth shut like that.

[Doug_Nightmare]

Thank goodness I'm not a mouth breather, it would freak me out taping my mouth shut like that.

Neither am I a mouth breather, why I selected the nasal pillows, but during REM sleep atonia my jaw, and I imagine your’s too, relaxes and I blow raspberries or just let the wind howl out of my mouth.

You do know how to recognize REM sleep in yourself to know that you are getting sufficient? Perhaps you can mitigate your leak rate?

[Midwest_non_sleeper]

Thank goodness I'm not a mouth breather, it would freak me out taping my mouth shut like that.

Neither am I a mouth breather, why I selected the nasal pillows, but during REM sleep atonia my jaw, and I imagine your’s too, relaxes and I blow raspberries or just let the wind howl out of my mouth.

You do know how to recognize REM sleep in yourself to know that you are getting sufficient? Perhaps you can mitigate your leak rate?

Maybe, but all indicators are that I just don't open my mouth at night. No dry mouth, no problems. This is a one step at a time process for me. I am a forensic scientist by profession, so I don't like making many changes at one time, because then you can't really tell where the problem lies if there is one. According to some, my leak rate really isn't all that high. And, it's only been a week. If it becomes a problem, then I will revisit the issue and find a solution. I just don't want to try to fix something if it's not broken - because that causes things that aren't broken...to become broken.