CPAP/BIPAP while awake

[lwieland11]

Since I'm being monitored closely for compliance by BCBS this first month of use, I'm wondering what shows up in the data if the machine is on, you're wearing the mask but you're not really asleep. Anything? Will this count toward the four+ hours a night they are looking for?

[Julie]

No, I doubt it, though I think some have gotten away with it, because the machine doesn't record things the same way when you're awake... your breathing patterns are different and if someone were to look closely at the numbers (tho' they likely don't most of the time) they could tell the difference. Cheating the system is probably not the best idea.

[Pugsy]

If you use the machine while awake it will register as "usage" time and it will count towards any "compliance" hours of usage.

The days of just turning the machine on and just letting it blow all by itself to rack up the hours are long gone but if you are attached and breathing it will record that usage and there's nothing on the reports that will alert to awake vs asleep breathing.. These machines still can't tell for sure if you are awake or asleep.

ResMed has the AutoRamp thing that they tout as being able to sense if you are asleep so that ramp is suspended but it doesn't subtract ramp time from usage hours in this situation.
Not everyone uses Auto Ramp though and we don't know just how accurate it really is anyway.

I have the exact same machine you are using....and I can tell you with absolute certainty that it does NOT separate awake vs asleep anything anywhere on the reports. All the testing I did to set up pressures and playing with comfort settings...all those times I was awake...they all counted towards usage. I am using the software and I see the usage and what it shows.

If you are concerned about meeting the compliance requirements...awake time using the machine counts.

[bonjour]

Using your PAP while awake is something we will recommend to help someone get used to the machine, BUT for the purposes of your therapy please, please use it while asleep.

IF you are having issues please let us help you.

[sc0ttt]

Using your PAP while awake is something we will recommend to help someone get used to the machine, BUT for the purposes of your therapy please, please use it while asleep.

IF you are having issues please let us help you.

Absolutely agree.

Still, the hacker in me wants to see if I could fool the sleep detector with my breathing.

[D.H.]

You can't just run the machine unattached, but I think if you do it attached while awake, you would get away with it.

However, you really need to be using it at night. Also, you should transition to using it the entire time you're sleeping including naps,

[Pugsy]

You can't just run the machine unattached,

Yes you can. All you have to do is turn off SmartStart (ResMed) and Auto OFF (Respironics) and turn the machine on and it will blow forever.
Now it doesn't count as usage hours but you can run the machine with no human attached if you turn off the whatever auto off feature it might be having that is turned on. Pretty simple really.
We do it all the time to "air out" used machines to get potential stinkies out of them.

[D.H.]

You can't just run the machine unattached,

Yes you can. All you have to do is turn off SmartStart (ResMed) and Auto OFF (Respironics) and turn the machine on and it will blow forever.
Now it doesn't count as usage hours but you can run the machine with no human attached if you turn off the whatever auto off feature it might be having that is turned on. Pretty simple really.
We do it all the time to "air out" used machines to get potential stinkies out of them.

I guess I should have been clearer. You can run it unattached, but such time will not count as "compliant" time. If you run it attached, I'm pretty sure that this will count as compliant time whether or not you're asleep, and regardless of whether you're sitting, standing, or lying down.

[Pugsy]

I guess I should have been clearer.

Yes, clearer would have been helpful...what you said was...

You can't just run the machine unattached, but I think if you do it attached while awake, you would get away with it.

is about as clear as mud and if I was mislead I figured the OP would have trouble understanding even more so than me.

The machine doesn't know if you are asleep or awake...but it does know if you are attached.

Did you even bother to read what I already wrote?..I have the exact same machine she has. I know for a 100% certainty that she can use it while awake and have it count towards the compliance hours. There's no "I think or pretty sure" about it.

Now if you had said "You can't just run the machine unattached and have the hours count towards compliance" I wouldn't have had a problem with what you said but you didn't say that.

[palerider]

I guess I should have been clearer.

Yes, clearer would have been helpful...what you said was...

You can't just run the machine unattached, but I think if you do it attached while awake, you would get away with it.

Did you even bother to read what I already wrote?..

nope, not something that dingbat does.