New

[vblaum]

I'm new to the group. I've had my machine for almost a month now (started on the 28th of December). I have a Phillips respironics machine. I noticed an improvement immediately, but the last few nights have me worried as I have been waking up even with the mask on (nasal pillows) and one of the nights I am sure I woke up gasping for air. I have also had damp spots on my pillow (drool?). Does the SD card record information such as waking up or episodes of not breathing?

[Julie]

Hi - do you know what your pressure settings are?

[vblaum]

9

[robysue]

the last few nights have me worried as I have been waking up even with the mask on (nasal pillows) and one of the nights I am sure I woke up gasping for air.

If you have a vague idea of what time the wake happened OR if you turned the machine off and then back on, you ought to look at the data and see if there was anything funky going on just before the wake.

I have also had damp spots on my pillow (drool?).

Drool is not uncommon. But many of us were droolers before starting PAP as well as after. There's also a chance that it could be rainout---super moisture-laden warm air coming out of the exhaust vents hitting the colder, room temperature air near your pillow could leak to drops of water condensing on the pillow. But usually rainout collects in the mask or in the hose rather than on the pillow.

Does the SD card record information such as waking up or episodes of not breathing?

Episodes of not breathing? Yes. Your machine records every breath you take all night long on that SD card. And any periods where you're not breathing for 10 seconds or more are flagged as either an OA or a CA. Periods where the amount of air you are taking into your lungs is substantially reduced for at least 10 seconds are flagged as Hs. You need software to see the data on the SD card. I'd recommend using SleepyHead so that you can see the wave flow data for yourself. It's the wave flow data that shows each and every breath you take.

But the machine does NOT record when you wake up without taking the mask off. Your APAP does not have an EEG attached to it, nor does it have an accelerometer. EEG data is needed to definitively detect wakes, but data fro an accelerometer can be used to infer wakes with some degree of accuracy. So there's nothing on the SD card that will help you determine when you were awake and when you were asleep. Obviously if you wake up, turn the machine off and then turn the machine back on, the off/on cycle will show up in the data.

[flyingwithoutwings]

But the machine does NOT record when you wake up without taking the mask off. Your APAP does not have an EEG attached to it, nor does it have an accelerometer. EEG data is needed to definitively detect wakes, but data fro an accelerometer can be used to infer wakes with some degree of accuracy. So there's nothing on the SD card that will help you determine when you were awake and when you were asleep. Obviously if you wake up, turn the machine off and then turn the machine back on, the off/on cycle will show up in the data.

I'm glad I saw this post Robysue, whenever I wake up I always look at the clock but then when I review Sleepyhead I can't remember. Everyday we learn something new!

[vblaum]

Thanks for all the answers. Is sleepyhead Mac compatible?

[kaiasgram]

Thanks for all the answers. Is sleepyhead Mac compatible?

Yep!

[vblaum]

Thanks. I'll have to look into that and see what it's all about. I'm very new to this so I'm a little unsure of what I'm doing. I don't want to mess up or erase any data before my follow up visit with the doctor.

[HerbM]

Welcome vblaum (but I am as new as you).

It seems obvious but no one has said it yet, so let's make it explicit.

For those who have a Smart phone there are many apps to make it easy to take notes or send yourself messages.

I use an app called Voice Note which allows me to speak to my phone and has my email pre-programmed so that it sends me the message -- just the act of sending ANYTHING will give me the time AND a reminder in my email to check.

Voice Note may not be the BEST app to do this but it's "Ok" at least.

The trick is to find something so easy -- and quick -- to use that you don't really need to think about it or do much of anything to get the job done.

--
HerbM

[kaiasgram]

Thanks. I'll have to look into that and see what it's all about. I'm very new to this so I'm a little unsure of what I'm doing. I don't want to mess up or erase any data before my follow up visit with the doctor.

People have that fear about pulling the card from the machine and putting it into the computer. SleepyHead will not erase your data. With the Mac it's a good idea to write-protect the card before you put it in the computer (by sliding the silver tab over). Then unlock it before you put it back into your cpap machine again.

[RogerSC]

Thanks. I'll have to look into that and see what it's all about. I'm very new to this so I'm a little unsure of what I'm doing. I don't want to mess up or erase any data before my follow up visit with the doctor.

People have that fear about pulling the card from the machine and putting it into the computer. SleepyHead will not erase your data. With the Mac it's a good idea to write-protect the card before you put it in the computer (by sliding the silver tab over). Then unlock it before you put it back into your cpap machine again.

Yep, I always write-protect the SD card when I take it out of my cpap just to prevent accidents. No telling what dumb thing I might do while the card is plugged into my computer, or what could happen if there was a power glitch or power failure while the card was plugged into my computer. Although as we all know, if anything happens, missing data is written back onto the card when it's reinserted into the cpap (except for whatever detailed data that was only on the card and has been deleted from the cpap's internal memory).

[MagsterMile]

I'd like to add a question to this topic RobySue. I think I understand when you talk about the length of Hypopneas whereas the machine detects that you've had low volume of breath coming in for greater than 10 seconds. But, when apneas I had recently presents as 19 or 11 seconds events, what exactly does that mean? I thought that if the machine detected anything greater than 10 seconds, it would assist me. Why would it go on for 19 seconds? Was that the length of time if took to open the airway?