Worried about past two nights

[svh]

For the past two nights, my detailed data seems to show that I shut off my machine for about half an hour each night. I have no memory of this, neither does my husband, though I can't say that's entirely conclusive--I find this alarming.

I've been on a new medication regime since 12/27, and things had been good. I'm tired today, but I was OK yesterday. I have looked back through my data and don't see other nights when I was up without remembering it.

Does anyone see anything that suggests something *other* than I am up and about without knowing it (something I have no history of doing in the past, that I know of)?

I am attaching detailed graphs from last night (2 separate shots to get them all) and an overview from the past few months. Strangely, on the overview, some graphs seem to have detailed data going back further than others. Am not sure why. The cutoff is NOT when I got my new machine. I've got all of the sleepyhead data in one place, I'm pretty sure. I got my new AutoSet10 on Friday, January 19. Before that, there's a two-day gap where I was using a DreamStation Auto, which I returned. Before that I had an S9.

Thank you for any insight anyone might have. I know there's a lot of knowledge, wisdom, and experience on this board.

--Sarah

Detailed data from last night 1/1:


Detailed data from last night 2/2:


Summary data:

[D.H.]

I see that you were not using the machine for about a 35-minute period in the middle of the night. Somehow, you turned it back on after that.

Are you using the auto-on and/or auto-off features? That is that the machine will turn on based on sensing your breathing and off in the absence thereof. If you are, it's possible that it just is not sensing your breathing correctly. You might want to consider disabling these features and just turning and and off with the on/off button. Note that in some machines, the auto-on and auto-off can be enabled or disabled separately. If this is the case with your machine, make sure that auto-off is disabled. Note that you might have that enabled without even realizing it!

[Mikebear]

I agree, could be the autostart feature is sensing you wrong, and shutting down the machine. Maybe a big mask leak or something? Not sure. If that's turned on, turn it OFF for a few days and use manual off/on. Then see what happens.

Also, check the power cord in the back, on the brick, and in your wall socket to make sure all are tight. It's not plugged in an outlet that's on a light switch, right?

No cats or dogs that could be swatting or playing with things?

Oh yeah, if you are being monitored by your doctor or such, perhaps their clock is off, and they are downloading your data at those times. They shouldn't be doing that during people's normal sleeping hours, but I've heard of it happening. In that case, contact them and ask.

[svh]

Thank you both--I will disable the auto on/off feature. I find it hard to imagine that I wouldn't notice if I was wearing the mask and it stopped blowing, but it's as good a place to start as any. Thank you.

I'll also check with my doctor and maybe first my DME. I know the DME said they were monitoring me for insurance. My doctor isn't as he usually follows people with Respironics, and only has the data sent for those. He reads my card using Sleepyhead when I visit him.

--S.

[D.H.]

Thanks. Please keep us posted.

[svh]

Thank you--I will. So far, I've called the DME, and spoke to someone who had ABSOLUTELY no idea what I was talking about. She thought I was concerned that I wouldn't meet compliance and assured me that I would, since I have more than 5 hours each night. I explained that I was actually concerned I was up and about in the night with no knowledge of the fact; compliance is not an issue. She said she would have my "sleep coach" call me. I am also about to email the doctor, but that goes through a hospital portal system (for privacy), and generally isn't a quick answer kind of thing...I've de-activated the "Smart Start" feature. I don't think my machine has a separate auto on and auto off, unfortunately. I'm used to it just starting itself, but if not having that keeps it going all night, I'll live.

[Pugsy]

If you are getting up and cleaning house in the middle of the night...
the machine will continue to blow and you will get a BND (Breathing Not Detected) message along with a brief large leak flag.
The machine will continue to blow once the Smart Start feature has been disabled. Easy to spot on the reports.

[svh]

I cannot begin to tell you how unlikely that is...

We'll see what happens tonight, now that I've disabled Smart Start. Seems odd, though--since I've had no problem with it before. But then, my S9 never shut off by itself, even if it was supposed to. I always had to press the button to stop the blower, even though it started on it's own when I put on my mask.

I just want to know if the machine is faulty, or if I'm getting up in my sleep...

[Pugsy]

I have randomly on occasion seen similar blanks in my reports in nights where I have no memory that there was anytime I took the mask off. Used to happen not all that infrequently when first starting therapy so maybe I was taking the mask off and then putting it back on. Have had blanks of 2 hours even.

Not so much here lately but I had it happen a couple of months ago. Might have been the cat stepping on the off button...I dunno. It was about a 20 minute gap if I remember right.
I know that I have slept with the machine off and mask on for 30 minutes once...woke up to a power outage and had the presence of mind to check my clock against when the machine stopped and surprised the heck out of me but I did it without power for a little over 30 minutes.

The fact that you have have it happen 2 nights in a row is troubling though. I never had it happen except randomly.
We assume no power outage in your case because that is usually easy to spot with the microwave clock blinking if nothing else.

[svh]

Power outage was my first thought--but as you say, no blinking microwave, etc. Also, no cat.

The sleep doctor said not to worry, but to let him know if it kept happening. He said people DO do this (shut off the machine in the night), but that it could also be a firmware thing, and to keep him posted. I'm such an impatient person. I really wanted an answer!

Thanks for trying to help.

--S.

[Mikebear]

I'll tell you what, IF I have a power outage and my cpap turns off, I wake up like a SHOT out of a cannon. I couldn't even imagine reaching over and turning it off like a sleep walker.

If so, there might be an easy solution to that: Tape something over the ON/Off button such as a small tupperware dish. Just tape along the back edge, like a piano hinge. That might make it difficult enough to lift while sleeping, that it could stymie you enough as to not be able to turn it off.

So if you do it right, you'd have to also lift this cover up like a flap, and turn your machine on or off.

[AMK]

One night the power went out for me and I think I continued to breathe into an off machine for something like 2 hours.

I like Mikebear's idea of taping something over the on/off button.

[poppi2]

For the past two nights, my detailed data seems to show that I shut off my machine for about half an hour each night. I have no memory of this, neither does my husband, though I can't say that's entirely conclusive--I find this alarming. ....

Sarah,
I have the same problem, and I don't shut off my machine in the middle of the night. With a profound loss of hearing, I no longer wake up because of the "quiet" noise resulting from a power failure. Because I use the P10 pillows mask and tape my lips, and don't want to rebreathe my exhaled breathe in the long hose, I have inserted a Respironics pressure valve between the long hose and short mask hose. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... chine.html The valve does render the Auto-On function inoperable.

I just reviewed my last year's SH data. From Feb 2017 until Nov 11, I have 5 breaks in data (i.e., more than one session recorded.) All of those could have been legitimate manual power offs. Since Nov 2017, I have 20 breaks in data. And a few of those could be manual power offs or power failures (blinking clock on microwave), but not all of them. My machine is on a small stepstool and the on/off button is a stretch to reach.

I believe my Airsense 10 Autoset has a random recording problem. I hope other members will take a quick look at their SH data. My machine did come with a ResMed labelled SD card. It is no longer under warranty, and I am the only one who bothers to look at detailed data. Until the time gaps become significant, I will live with the problem. Depending on the age of your machine, you might want to rule out sleepwalking and then press the issue.

Good luck, Earl

[svh]

Thanks, Earl. My machine is brand new, with a ResMed card. If anything is wrong with it, I’d like to know. Even with insurance it wasn’t cheap!

[USMCVet]

It's happening roughly same time too which is weird