Newb needs help. Exhaling issues

[Brad S]

I am glad you are seeing at least what it COULD be like for you, so that you don't give up hope.
On my pressure range thread, I have been learning a lot more about how to read the charts. I will be posting my sleep hq for last night which was a decent sleep with 10 arousals. (I like that better than AHI. lol)

I have a lot of hope that this will work. I feel like my life depends on it. I try every single night-
I also upload my info daily to SleepHQ and trying to see if that is any easier to decipher.

That said, give a look because I am seeing something with my chart that I also see in yours and I want to ask Pugsy about it. (And whomever else feels secure in their knowledge of how to answer.)

I would love for someone to take a deep dive into a night or two to see what I am doing. I am also very curious as to what you are seeing that we might have in common. It is so fascinating and also a very frustrating thing to have all of this information and not know what it means.
I know how to fix the clock on Oscar but the clock on SleepHQ is off by 58 minutes on Saturday and behind an hour and 20 last night.

Saturday night. Vacation
https://sleephq.com/public/d6966eed-821 ... e05209a4fa

Last night. Home. The first session was 9 minutes after I went to bed and had a hair in my nose that just wouldn't settle down. Got up and had to take care of it.
https://sleephq.com/public/84f1a56b-419 ... c3bf7b94b8

[lynninnj]

I am glad you are seeing at least what it COULD be like for you, so that you don't give up hope.
On my pressure range thread, I have been learning a lot more about how to read the charts. I will be posting my sleep hq for last night which was a decent sleep with 10 arousals. (I like that better than AHI. lol)

I have a lot of hope that this will work. I feel like my life depends on it. I try every single night-
I also upload my info daily to SleepHQ and trying to see if that is any easier to decipher.

That said, give a look because I am seeing something with my chart that I also see in yours and I want to ask Pugsy about it. (And whomever else feels secure in their knowledge of how to answer.)

I would love for someone to take a deep dive into a night or two to see what I am doing. I am also very curious as to what you are seeing that we might have in common. It is so fascinating and also a very frustrating thing to have all of this information and not know what it means.
I know how to fix the clock on Oscar but the clock on SleepHQ is off by 58 minutes on Saturday and behind an hour and 20 last night.

Saturday night. Vacation
https://sleephq.com/public/d6966eed-821 ... e05209a4fa

Last night. Home. The first session was 9 minutes after I went to bed and had a hair in my nose that just wouldn't settle down. Got up and had to take care of it.
https://sleephq.com/public/84f1a56b-419 ... c3bf7b94b8

I feel like the sleep HQ is a lot more user-friendly for posting her on the board. I know Oscar is really great but I have a hard time with uploading images and what not.

I also don’t have a clue how to read these things but I feel like I’m learning a little bit here? Hopefully nobody bites my head off of this but I think of the way I look at it is more of a 30,000 feet kind of thing. I’m starting to pay more attention to where the spikes are in the pressure and how they correlate with the data points like spikes in the leaks.

I wish somebody who was in the know would come by and confirm or tell me that I’m off base.

I don’t know enough to look closely at it and say this is a false positive that is a false positive. But it seems so it’s much more likely to get a false positive when you are aroused by a mask leak. Somebody might’ve been onto some thing when they said maybe it’s the pillow that you used on vacation? Give that some consideration and see if you need to make a change?

We’re gonna get through this Brad. You’ve come a long way already!

[Brad S]

Hopefully nobody bites my head off of this but I think of the way I look at it is more of a 30,000 feet kind of thing.

You handle yourself amazingly well when the snarks show up. I have learned so much here but in particular, reading and following your posts has been a tremendous wealth of information both in what you write and the responses.

Somebody might’ve been onto some thing when they said maybe it’s the pillow that you used on vacation? Give that some consideration and see if you need to make a change?

Good point indeed, but I do bring my own pillows from home and used them last weekend.
When we travel, I use my pillows and blanket to pad my wifes oxygen machine in the suitcase to keep it secure and from moving around. Might as well use my own pillows.

We’re gonna get through this Brad. You’ve come a long way already!

Thank you friend. I am determined to figure this out one way or another and with the help of people like yourself, it makes all of this so much easier. I do always appreciate you taking the time to sort through my ramblings.

[lynninnj]

Hopefully nobody bites my head off of this but I think of the way I look at it is more of a 30,000 feet kind of thing.

You handle yourself amazingly well when the snarks show up. I have learned so much here but in particular, reading and following your posts has been a tremendous wealth of information both in what you write and the responses.

Somebody might’ve been onto some thing when they said maybe it’s the pillow that you used on vacation? Give that some consideration and see if you need to make a change?

Good point indeed, but I do bring my own pillows from home and used them last weekend.
When we travel, I use my pillows and blanket to pad my wifes oxygen machine in the suitcase to keep it secure and from moving around. Might as well use my own pillows.

We’re gonna get through this Brad. You’ve come a long way already!

Thank you friend. I am determined to figure this out one way or another and with the help of people like yourself, it makes all of this so much easier. I do always appreciate you taking the time to sort through my ramblings.

JFTR I *really don't know that much about this.

I just think that we came on here around the same time and are equally newbies we find ourselves in the same place on some issues. I was lucky though that the transition to cpap went smoothly for me. Now I am trying to smooth out whatever rough edges remain.

I am also wanting to put it out there that I was wondering if the pressure spikes coordinating with the leaks were related to the arousals/events. It becomes a chicken and an egg. Are the pressure spikes because of a mask leak? Are the events or arousals because of the mask leaks? Or do the arousals happen because the mask is leaking and can not adequately keep the throat open?

That said, I hope you find the sweet spot and get it under control. Good luck!

[Iamstumped]

Good point indeed, but I do bring my own pillows from home and used them last weekend.
When we travel, I use my pillows and blanket to pad my wifes oxygen machine in the suitcase to keep it secure and from moving around. Might as well use my own pillows.

Medical equipment, should NEVER be packed in luggage, but as a carry on and is not counted towards carry on limits, when flying

[Brad S]

Medical equipment, should NEVER be packed in luggage, but as a carry on and is not counted towards carry on limits, when flying

I did not know this. Reading your post, are you specifically talking about flying? Or at all?
I was not clear when I made the statement of the oxygen concentrator being in a suitcase. I should have qualified it by saying we only drove and the suitcase was in the car.
Thanks!

[Pugsy]

I am also wanting to put it out there that I was wondering if the pressure spikes coordinating with the leaks were related to the arousals/events. It becomes a chicken and an egg. Are the pressure spikes because of a mask leak? Are the events or arousals because of the mask leaks? Or do the arousals happen because the mask is leaking and can not adequately keep the throat open?

None of the newer model machines built in the last 10 years will increase the pressure in response to a leak or trying to fix a leak.
They just won't/can't do it.

Pressure increases will come from snores, flow limitation, OAs or hyponeas....but never ever from a leak.

[lynninnj]

I am also wanting to put it out there that I was wondering if the pressure spikes coordinating with the leaks were related to the arousals/events. It becomes a chicken and an egg. Are the pressure spikes because of a mask leak? Are the events or arousals because of the mask leaks? Or do the arousals happen because the mask is leaking and can not adequately keep the throat open?

None of the newer model machines built in the last 10 years will increase the pressure in response to a leak or trying to fix a leak.
They just won't/can't do it.

Pressure increases will come from snores, flow limitation, OAs or hyponeas....but never ever from a leak.

But arousals can occur from a leak and cause a false positive OR a leak will allow the throat to collapse a bit and cause an event- does that sound right?

Meaning You might see an event marked on your data around the time of a leak but it could be a real event because of throat collapsing on itself or a fake event because it woke you up slightly?

[ozij]

Understanding OSCAR and understanding SleepHQ are the same thing.

The Lanky Lefty has excellent turorials on his youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/Freecpapadvice/featured - time invested in viewing and re-viewing them is well worth it.

Same for time invested in viewing and re-viewing the videos on https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... ws+sleephq.

Not only can you learn from the tutorials, you can also learn from the way those guys analyze other people's data.

Just make sure you're on those channels and not pulled away by copy cat videos.

[Brad S]

The Lanky Lefty has excellent turorials
Same for time invested in viewing and re-viewing the videos on https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... ws+sleephq.

Thank you for the references. I am subscribed to them both and there is great information there.
Between the brain fog, which is getting worse, working 12+ hours a day and the stress of all of this combined with other personal factors makes it almost impossible for my to focus and take the time to concentrate on the videos and details of how to figure my charts out only makes it all the more frustrating.
Even with this, either I read the posts and suggestions and fire off a reply without taking the time to think and organize what I am saying or it takes me hours to compose a message. Typing a little here and there as I work until I think I have a complete message.
I will get this figured out. It is just going to take me more time than I was hoping for.

[Brad S]

Last night I recorded 7:28 minutes and MyAir score was 97 for the second night in a row.
Sounds great, right?
I am so fricken tired and last night was such a fight. Woke up repeatedly. Uncomfortable and restless. Several times my mask was leaking really badly. I did not realize or understand until this morning when I thought about it. At one point, I woke up to the leak and looked at my machine. The pressure was at 14.02 What I am thinking, and I may be wrong, but when I go to bed, the pressure is set to start at 9. Mask fit is great. As the pressure builds, well, it blows too hard and I lose the seal.
Thanks Captain Obvious.
Without mashing the mask against my face, I don't know if I can keep the leaks away or if I can sleep with it smashed on my face.
I thought I was supposed to start feeling better?

https://sleephq.com/public/993cd90f-b89 ... 937a4d5029

[lynninnj]

Last night I recorded 7:28 minutes and MyAir score was 97 for the second night in a row.
Sounds great, right?
I am so fricken tired and last night was such a fight. Woke up repeatedly. Uncomfortable and restless. Several times my mask was leaking really badly. I did not realize or understand until this morning when I thought about it. At one point, I woke up to the leak and looked at my machine. The pressure was at 14.02 What I am thinking, and I may be wrong, but when I go to bed, the pressure is set to start at 9. Mask fit is great. As the pressure builds, well, it blows too hard and I lose the seal.
Thanks Captain Obvious.
Without mashing the mask against my face, I don't know if I can keep the leaks away or if I can sleep with it smashed on my face.
I thought I was supposed to start feeling better?

https://sleephq.com/public/993cd90f-b89 ... 937a4d5029

Holy crap!

How can you have all those apneas in the middle when you don’t even have the mask on according to the chart? I don’t understand. Or am I reading it wrong?

I hope someone here can help you!

[lynninnj]

You also have a string of hypos etc 2:30-2:47 but I am looking at chart and see no obvious reason why and very little pressure change from the machine. (admittedly a newbie but I wish someone would say whether I am seeing this correctly).

Shouldn’t the machine help with some of this?

[Pugsy]

(admittedly a newbie but I wish someone would say whether I am seeing this correctly).

Don't feel bad....I am not a newbie and I am sitting here scratching my head wondering what the hell I am seeing here because it just doesn't compute.
Plus the OSCAR screen shot doesn't quite line up with the sleephq image which might be the time zone thing.

This makes no sense at all and I can't tell if OSCAR is showing the same thing or not.

But then I don't do sleephq and I don't do the AirSense 11 either.
And I can't tell if massive leaks were a factor here or not. From the leak graph...doesn't appear to be the case.

Short version...I simply dunno what we are seeing here except for sure crappy sleep quality.
The flow rate (what is shown) is riddled with evidence of arousal/awake breathing. Is this a one off computer glitch in the file???? Wouldn't be impossible I suppose.

Until Brad can sleep more soundly he won't ever feel better regardless of what this report is showing.

[lynninnj]

(admittedly a newbie but I wish someone would say whether I am seeing this correctly).

Don't feel bad....I am not a newbie and I am sitting here scratching my head wondering what the hell I am seeing here because it just doesn't compute.
Plus the OSCAR screen shot doesn't quite line up with the sleephq image which might be the time zone thing.

This makes no sense at all and I can't tell if OSCAR is showing the same thing or not.

But then I don't do sleephq and I don't do the AirSense 11 either.
And I can't tell if massive leaks were a factor here or not. From the leak graph...doesn't appear to be the case.

Short version...I simply dunno what we are seeing here except for sure crappy sleep quality.
The flow rate (what is shown) is riddled with evidence of arousal/awake breathing. Is this a one off computer glitch in the file???? Wouldn't be impossible I suppose.

Until Brad can sleep more soundly he won't ever feel better regardless of what this report is showing.

riiight? tell me that’s not weird.

Brad was your mask on during those gaps?

if you zoom in on the sleep HQ it’s hard to figure out if a lot of those events were real even during sleeping hours for the pressures going up and down. As opposed to the empty space marked events.