Info reading seems wrong + strap marks

[chris-p]

Hello!

This is a two part post. Wondering if I should have posted twice but I wanted to save space/time.

1) Last night was my second night using CPAP and things went reasonably well I think. I did notice however some snoring on my part and the air noise it made ( I wear a nasal mask) woke me up so everything went quiet once I shut my mouth. Anyway, when I woke up and checked my general info, it said that my total sleep time was 1.4 hours which I know is impossible. I did wake up after noon so did it only count the hours past noon? On the more detailed menu it gives me a reading of 16.4 used hours for the last two days, which seems right with an average of 4.1 hours? What am I not getting?

2) When I woke up this morning I noticed the strap marks on my face, which went away after about an hour. Is this normal or should I loosnn it some? I must note that the mask didn't really feel tight and was mostly comfortable and I don't feel it was too tight or anything. I just want it to feel secure to avoid leaks but I seem to recall reading here that loosening the mask a little may actually help reduce leaks. I guess more tweaking is in order?

Thanks!

Chris

[Julie]

Hi - most machines start their 'new' days at noon, so that's why yours only read an hour... it's normal.

And it's also normal to have some strap marks (if not terribly deep or red) depending on the headgear you have, but you can search on the forum for Pad-a-Cheek and order their 'liners', which will pretty well keep the marks away.

[chris-p]

Hey Julie!

Thanks that makes me feel better! I'm glad my machine is not off then! But does that also mean the reading for AHI is only based on that hour or did it take the whole sleep time into consideration?

I will look into the pas a cheek thing ! Again thanks for the very prompt reply!

Christian

[chunkyfrog]

A strap does not have to be tight to leave a mark.
I can get a dent from lying on that side.

[chris-p]

Thanks chunkyfrog. I also took your advice to try the Breathe Right strips ( that was you, right?). They seem to work pretty well!

Later,

chris

[Guest]

A strap does not have to be tight to leave a mark.
I can get a dent from lying on that side.

so true
sleeping on a pill can leave marks on your face

[Julie]

I didn't know that! Have you slept on many pills?

[KEQ5]

Yes, the AHI number on the machine (at least on my S9) is only for the time after noon.

Download your data into Sleepyhead and you'll be able to select portions of the day and see a calculated AHI for that selected period.

[zoocrewphoto]

If you normally sleep past noon, I recommend you change the time on the machine. I am a severe night owl, so unless I have an appointment or event to go to, I sleep past noon. I set my clock so that it thinks noon is at 4pm. Each night's data stays together, and I can push the button and see my sleep time and ahi for the full night. And when I look at the data on the computer, it is all together. I just need to convert the time if I am looking at something and need to know what time it really happened.

You can download the clinician's manual for your machine here:

http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

[hyperlexis]

I am still wondering -- how does one adjust the time of day on the machine? I can't find the setup instruction anywhere for time/date.

How does the machine know the time, and how does it adjust to daylight savings time, etc?

I must have completely missed it in the setup manual.

(I have a PR60).

Thanks!

[Pugsy]

I am still wondering -- how does one adjust the time of day on the machine? I can't find the setup instruction anywhere for time/date.

How does the machine know the time, and how does it adjust to daylight savings time, etc?

I must have completely missed it in the setup manual.

(I have a PR60).

You can't adjust the time or clock on a Respironics machine.
It is set to GMT time at the factory and there is nothing we can do to adjust to it.
Software reports are tied to convert the GMT time in conjunction with computer time or in the case of Encore Pro you can set the time zone in that software.
You didn't miss anything because it isn't there.

[hyperlexis]

I am still wondering -- how does one adjust the time of day on the machine? I can't find the setup instruction anywhere for time/date.

How does the machine know the time, and how does it adjust to daylight savings time, etc?

I must have completely missed it in the setup manual.

(I have a PR60).

You can't adjust the time or clock on a Respironics machine.
It is set to GMT time at the factory and there is nothing we can do to adjust to it.
Software reports are tied to convert the GMT time in conjunction with computer time or in the case of Encore Pro you can set the time zone in that software.
You didn't miss anything because it isn't there.

Oh wow that's kind of crazy -- so there's a battery in there from the factory that maintains the GMT time inside the box? Gulp, um, how long does that battery last? I know on a PC the little bios battery on the motherboard only lasts a few years before needing replacement (by a repair center...).

[Pugsy]

Oh wow that's kind of crazy -- so there's a battery in there from the factory that maintains the GMT time inside the box? Gulp, um, how long does that battery last?

It is what it is but not as bad as it sounds. Respironics has always done it this way. There are full data Legacy machines out there with only a few minutes loss on the battery clock. The Legacy series machines were replaced by the M series machines in 2007 so they are 10 years old and then some. Those older machines are still collecting data and cranking it out with some loss in minutes but they are still working.

I suspect the battery will outlast the other parts of the machine. Other than annoying, the battery internal clock thing has never really been an issue. You will want a newer machine long before the battery dies.

[wm_hess]

I saw someone mention downloading data into Sleepyhead. If you use Sleepyhead software, you can go to /File/Preferences and on the Import tab, select when the day will split into the next day.

Since I work swing shift, I have my day split at 2:00 pm. If I sleep past noon up to 2:00 it will still appear on the same day's data.

-Bill

[Suddenly Worn Out]

Hello!

2) When I woke up this morning I noticed the strap marks on my face, which went away after about an hour. Is this normal or should I loosnn it some? I must note that the mask didn't really feel tight and was mostly comfortable and I don't feel it was too tight or anything. I just want it to feel secure to avoid leaks but I seem to recall reading here that loosening the mask a little may actually help reduce leaks. I guess more tweaking is in order?

Thanks!

Chris

I think it depends on the mask. With my original mask, the nasal mask Resmed Activa, strap marks were not a part of it. But that mask fits so loose and is so ridiculously comfortable it was ridiculous. unfortunately, I had to go to a full face mask, which is a totally different ball of wax.

Strap marks are with many types of masks, somewhat normal. The sleep medical pros will deny that and so will the company's that make this gear. I think that is just the usual "deny deny deny" stuff medical people are taught these days. You have to be honest IMO, you are sleeping with headgear on all night. Youre likely gonna have some strap marks. A lot of people get blisters and red marks on their face, bridge of the nose and neck. IMO, it is just part of CPAP. As long as nothing gets infected my attitude is who cares. I know that sounds hard core, but I'd rather breathe and sleep than not breathe and have shoddy sleep.

If you stay with a nasal mask, maybe consider the Resmed Activa. It is super comfortable and fits loose and does not leak even when loose. I dont keep up with nasal masks, so there might be something better than the Activa nasal mask by now. But as far as loose fit, I dont see how you could get any better than the Activa.

If you find you are a mouth breather or mouth leaker and get switched to a FFM, expect the strap marks to be around perhaps permanently.

I found prescription strength vitamin D (drisdol) in 50,000 to 100,000 IU a week helps combat and get rid of the ugly strap marks and pressure sores some CPAP users live with. So does sun tanning and swimming in chlorinated water or salt water...dries out the skin.

Eric