first night with Bleep

[onward60]

This is the first night I have gotten my dreamports attached properly and tried to sleep with my machine. I barely understand this machine. My daughter has been helping with it. She said to just push the button, so that's what I did.

My sense is that I was kind of dosed off and woke up a couple of times (which is typical for me) and then a strong itch inside my nostril woke me. I could not ignore it. I took off the dreamports and scratched. Then I was wide awake. It was shortly after midnight. I looked at the screen to see what it said.
time 1.7 hrs
pressure 7.4
obstructive apneas 0
central apneas 5.2

What does this mean?

My sleep study was a home study. I copied this from it:

Obstructive apneas/hypopneas: 65
Central appearing apneas: 0
Apnea-hypopnea index: 14.2 events per hour.
Central apnea-hypopnea index: 0.0 central events per hour.

Oxyhemoglobin saturation range: 99% to 94%
Oxygen desaturation index: 11.3 desaturations per hour.
Time oxygen saturation < 88%: 0.8 minutes (.02%) of sleep time.

[Miss Emerita]

The central apneas probably reflect the fact that you were in and out of sleep during that short period. A CA flag appears whenever you pause your breathing for 10 seconds or more without some obstruction in your airway. We pause our breath a lot more when we're awake or being aroused from sleep than when we're fast asleep. So I wouldn't worry about this if I were you.

I hope you don't have a repeat of the itchy nose problem. I love using the Bleep mask, but it does have the disadvantage of not being easily removed and put back on.

[onward60]

The central apneas probably reflect the fact that you were in and out of sleep during that short period. A CA flag appears whenever you pause your breathing for 10 seconds or more without some obstruction in your airway. We pause our breath a lot more when we're awake or being aroused from sleep than when we're fast asleep. So I wouldn't worry about this if I were you.

I hope you don't have a repeat of the itchy nose problem. I love using the Bleep mask, but it does have the disadvantage of not being easily removed and put back on.

Thank you. That is very interesting. I never imagined I paused breathing for that long!

I had practiced just wearing the ports quite a few times without hooking it up. It sometimes itched a bit but not enough to get me to remove it. I was surprised when I jolted awake with a very strong itch.

I'm using the dreamports now but think I need to switch to the eclipse. I have tried so many times to attach the port to the connector and still struggle each time.

[Miss Emerita]

People with arthritis in their fingers or with other hand problems may do well with the Eclipse, so I’d encourage you to try it.

I have some arthritis in my fingers but do well with the original Bleep — less well with the Eclipse, for some reason. For me, the breakthrough was being able to maneuver using the bathroom mirror. Once I got that, the rest was OK. I push up on the prongs front and back, and then I check the seal by blocking the bottom of the short hose to make sure there’s no leakage.

[onward60]

People with arthritis in their fingers or with other hand problems may do well with the Eclipse, so I’d encourage you to try it.

I have some arthritis in my fingers but do well with the original Bleep — less well with the Eclipse, for some reason. For me, the breakthrough was being able to maneuver using the bathroom mirror. Once I got that, the rest was OK. I push up on the prongs front and back, and then I check the seal by blocking the bottom of the short hose to make sure there’s no leakage.

That's basically what I've been trying to do, but practice makes perfect. And I can't tolerate practicing due to soft tissue injuries to my hands (chronic). What was the difference with the Eclipse that made you prefer the Dreamports?

[Miss Emerita]

For some reason, the Eclipse was a lot noisier, and it also pulled more on my nostrils. Oh, and I didn’t like having to trim that little bit that would otherwise cover a portion of the ring.

[onward60]

For some reason, the Eclipse was a lot noisier, and it also pulled more on my nostrils. Oh, and I didn’t like having to trim that little bit that would otherwise cover a portion of the ring.

Oh dear. I already have to trim a bit off on the original because of overlap in the center. I have a very narrow nose, apparently. And I am concerned about the weight of it. Do you use any kind of hose management system?

[Miss Emerita]

You might take a look at this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-pRVlAo6Ic

At around 6:30, Stuart starts discussing hose management.

[onward60]

You might take a look at this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-pRVlAo6Ic

At around 6:30, Stuart starts discussing hose management.

Thanks. I did see that. I was curious about whether or not a hose management system would take the weight off the nose.

[Deborah K.]

I too use and love the bleep. I do find that having the hose lifted up does take weight off of the nose. I use the exact combination of equipment that Stuart uses, and it works very well. Like Miss Emerita, I tried the eclipse but went back to the original. Like you, I have a narrow nose, and the halos stuck out too far from my nostrils, sometimes poking a hole through the tape. I also did not like the additional weight. Most folks seem to like the eclipse better, but there are those of us who like the original bleep better. It's more fiddly to put on, but for me, it's more comfortable. I think preferences have a lot to do with our particular nasal anatomy.

Pugsy got to participate in the trial before the eclipse was released, and she got to use a pediatric halo, meaning that it was smaller around, and she liked it better than the ultimate eclipse. Maybe they will come up with a smaller, lighter eclipse that more people will enjoy.

I would never want to use any other mask. I LOVE my bleep!

P.S. I have always had to trim the narrow end of the tape down just a little. Otherwise, there is too much overlap, and the tape blocks the holes a little. I think I have a really narrow septum.

[onward60]

I too use and love the bleep. I do find that having the hose lifted up does take weight off of the nose. I use the exact combination of equipment that Stuart uses, and it works very well. Like Miss Emerita, I tried the eclipse but went back to the original. Like you, I have a narrow nose, and the halos stuck out too far from my nostrils, sometimes poking a hole through the tape. I also did not like the additional weight. Most folks seem to like the eclipse better, but there are those of us who like the original bleep better. It's more fiddly to put on, but for me, it's more comfortable. I think preferences have a lot to do with our particular nasal anatomy.

Pugsy got to participate in the trial before the eclipse was released, and she got to use a pediatric halo, meaning that it was smaller around, and she liked it better than the ultimate eclipse. Maybe they will come up with a smaller, lighter eclipse that more people will enjoy.

I would never want to use any other mask. I LOVE my bleep!

P.S. I have always had to trim the narrow end of the tape down just a little. Otherwise, there is too much overlap, and the tape blocks the holes a little. I think I have a really narrow septum.

Thanks. I really wish I could use the original. I have a narrow nose and narrow nares that angle back. The angles of the dreamport are very difficult for me. They want to stick outward. I'm afraid the eclipse will be even worse. However, I have a lot of pain in my hands that is aggravated by tying to get the connector hooked up. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do.

It sounds like you are saying the dreamport halo is smaller than the eclipse halo? Is that correct? Maybe I should order a small box of the eclipse halos before I order a whole kit.

[Pugsy]

Maybe I should order a small box of the eclipse halos before I order a whole kit.

Send me a private message with your name and address and I will just mail you one little sheet of the halos so you can see what they look and feel like and gauge size. No need to spend the bucks. I just got a supply of new stuff last week.
I can spare a sheet.

I have small nostril openings myself...that's why I loved the pediatric size...but I can get the regular size to work just fine and it's so much better than the clunky plastic original dreamports

Don't worry if they sort of go out at an angle...I never could get them to go straight down but the weight of the hose will help straighten the ports.

And yes...I do understand the hand issues and I am sorry to say it will probably get worse. I know mine did and then I had surgery on my thumb/wrist bones.

[Pugsy]

BTW I did have a chat with Stuart about the pediatric sized Halos....almost on my hands and knees begging but the cost is prohibitive because tooling has to be changed and all the paperwork for the FDA has to be done all over again to be able to sell the pediatric size. At least a half a million bucks and we gotta sell a lot of Eclipses so Stuart can make the big bucks...and then I can get the pediatric size.

[Deborah K.]

Onward, on me the bleep parts stick outward too, but when I attach them to the hose part they go in just fine.

[onward60]

BTW I did have a chat with Stuart about the pediatric sized Halos....almost on my hands and knees begging but the cost is prohibitive because tooling has to be changed and all the paperwork for the FDA has to be done all over again to be able to sell the pediatric size. At least a half a million bucks and we gotta sell a lot of Eclipses so Stuart can make the big bucks...and then I can get the pediatric size.

Gee, I wonder how much he could raise on GoFundMe.