adjusting

[hawaiimom]

Have been on bi-level for 3 weeks now. Racking up some good hours of sleep with low AHI's(less than 1 for about 10 days now). Reviewing my Sleepyhead data, there are no predictable pattern to events. Some nights hypopneas, other nights obstructive events, an occasional central and random(2 times in 3 weeks) snoring. The only pattern is that whatever events happen, they are most likely to occur from 2:30 am to 5:00am. I often have no "events" from 10 pm until 2 am, but sometimes machine still adjusts to higher pressure settings and I do max out at the 10 IPAP 2-3 times nightly. I guess my question is, if the AHI is less than 1(most nights less than 0.6), should I leave well enough alone or move max IPAP and min EPAP up a bit?

I am feeling better in subtle ways, no more muscle aches in the am, no am headaches(no headaches in 3 weeks now that I think of it), and take naps with grandson because I want to, not because I feel like I will die if I don't. i find I can predict the nights I spent at higher pressure based on sore tummy, but pressure changes are not waking me up. Combination of SleepPhones with binaural beats and aromatherapy(peace and calm by young living) made a big difference in falling asleep, staying asleep. Usually take phones off sometime in the night...the other night was sleeping so well actualy awakened by announcement "phones off" at 4:30 when the battery was near dead!

It is an adventure, one in being able to LIVE more fully

[Stormynights]

It sounds like you are doing really well. I am happy for you.

[DavidCarolina]

Ive always seemed to have random data.

One night great AHI but bad periodic breathing. Next night big leak and obstructive.

The only rhyme or reason ive found to it relates to my diet and ingesting excitotoxins such as MSG and aspartame.

Also my circadian rythms.

I think its very hard for me to become a creature of habit, but they highly recommend it to people
attempting to corrent sleeping issues.

[Pugsy]

The only pattern is that whatever events happen, they are most likely to occur from 2:30 am to 5:00am.

This is fairly common especially if you have more apnea events during REM stage sleep. In those wee hours of the morning is when we have REM come more frequently and it lasts longer. Lots of people have more events during REM and sometimes need higher pressures (and sometimes don't). I am that way myself. Some nights I push 20 cm IPAP and some nights it barely goes up at all and stays at 12 or 13.

Supine sleeping is also a common culprit for an increase in number of events or pressure needs.
So you might have one or the other or maybe a little of both.

guess my question is, if the AHI is less than 1(most nights less than 0.6), should I leave well enough alone or move max IPAP and min EPAP up a bit?

I would leave well enough alone especially since you are saying that your tummy tends to get a bit sore the nights you have a lot of increased pressure. You are probably having a bit of aerophagia. If you increase your EPAP/IPAP it likely would make the tummy more uncomfortable and there is no reason to try to reduce the AHI any further. Less than 1 AHI...for a newbie...I am pea green with envy. Don't go chasing 0.0 AHI..there's no need to. It's going to vary from night to night anyway as that is also normal because we don't sleep the same every night.