Utterly Weird Experience

[steamfan]

I've been CPAPing since August or thereabouts, and pretty much everything is fine. My AHI runs between 4 and 6 most nights and I was told by my sleep doctor that this was just dandy with him. Okay. He's the expert (Mayo Clinic, researcher, nice guy, great communicator). So three nights ago I managed to rip my Slimline hose in half. Not quite sure how, Woke up tangled in the wreckage of the hose. Switched to the Climateline hose I had as a reserve/spare/whatever. Now here's the weird thing. Now, for reasons unknown, my AHI is running between 0.3 and 0.6. What? Huh? Whyfor?

[KatieW]

Hey, that's great! Wonder why? What was your humidifier setting with the Slimline? What is it now, with the Climate Line? And what is the temperature and humidity where you sleep?

[BusyLyn]

I can't help with the answer to your original question, but I have a more important question for you. Have you felt better after the last 3 nights of sleep when your AHI has been below 1.0? If so, keep using the Climate Line. And let your sleep doctor know the secret of your lower average AHI.

Lyn

[steamfan]

Hey, that's great! Wonder why? What was your humidifier setting with the Slimline? What is it now, with the Climate Line? And what is the temperature and humidity where you sleep?

Humidifier was set to 3.5 I think. I never changed it after I received the machine, and it should still be the same with the Climate Line. Temperature where I sleep is about 65F and the humidity about 30%.

[steamfan]

I can't help with the answer to your original question, but I have a more important question for you. Have you felt better after the last 3 nights of sleep when your AHI has been below 1.0? If so, keep using the Climate Line. And let your sleep doctor know the secret of your lower average AHI.

Lyn

Yeah, actually I feel noticeably better. And I plan to keep using the Climate Line (I just ordered another one, for a spare). Thanks for your response.

[Big S]

With the climateline hose you set the temperature you want at the mask and the system delivers air at 80% humidity as long as the climate control is set to auto. With it, you have an integrated system, without it (slimline) you have a knob that can deliver more or less humidity depending on ambient conditions in the bedroom and what you desire. If you want more humidity than bedroom ambient conditions will allow, you will get rainout and lose that extra humidity. With the climateline, if you set the mask temperature too low, the climateline will raise the temperature enough to deliver the air at 80% humidity as long as the S9 system climate control is set to auto. You probably wouldn't notice the difference except your humidifier tank will deplete more quickly. With everything else being equal, correct humidity for your sinuses will mean less congestion and better sleep therapy.

[JohnBFisher]

Without the data (and just the AHI number) I can only speculate. However, I bet that with the slimline you had a drier mouth / throat. The climateline would help increase the moisture in your throat. That should help reduct the hypopneas and possibly obstructive apneas. (More moisture would tend to decrease minor blockages due to dry, "sticky" tissue. Most people snore noticably more during cold than during warm months.

The good news is that it made such an appreciable difference for you. Hope the trend continues for you.