420E readings when awake.

cvansant · Post by **cvansant** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 3:17 pm

Last night I ran for about 3 hrs while awake to see what my readings would look like. My settings and results:

Settings:
Min pressure= 7.5
Max pressure= 12
Initial pressure= 8.5
IFL1= Off (Based having runaways similiar to RG previous posts.)
IFL2= On
Typical pressure through the night stays down at 7/8.

Index of readings during the test:
Aps=0
Ap/CA=0
Hypops= 1.5
Hypops w/FL=.4
Runs=8.9
But I am awake and breathing normally(?)!

Comments?

Clif

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 3:22 pm

When you are awake you will sometimes take a partial breat because something distracted you or caught your attention. The software could interpret this as a hypopnea, etc. Of course, when you are asleep this wouldn't happen.

So the results while awake are of dubious value.

john5757 · Post by **john5757** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 5:46 pm

Last night I ran for about 3 hrs while awake I think that you read for three hours if I understand you correctly. The graphs shows some runs where you sitting in a chair quietly straight up? My ResMed will not increase the pressure until I just go to sleep. I was able to stay awake for one hour at one time on the Spirit with out it increasing the pressure.

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:08 pm

It is nearly imposible for me to recline without using a cpap . Awake or not . I simply can't breathe . Your results don't surprise me . You don't need to be asleep to have apneas . Just in a position to cause your tongue or uvula or other parts to block the airway . My cpap died saturday . Saturday night was hell. Thank god for cpap.com getting me a replacement today. Thanks for the loaner from a friend also.

:twis ted:

cvansant · Post by **cvansant** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 1:33 pm

Bill,

I agree that the "awake" readings are extraneous. I just thought it would be interesting to see what the machine would record. It does beg the question, "If it records so many events when I am awake, does what it records mean much when I am asleep?" Since I got the 420 and started tweaking the parameters my apneas have virtually disappeared, but the hypops and runs continue.

I was not up reading or engaged in any activity. It was after midnight. I had already slept for a while and couldn't get back to sleep. The house was quiet, not a creature was stirring, ... I was in my usual sleeping position(s). Just lying there, and my curiosity got the better of me. Why not do a session that should be completely clean, as a reference?

I am not overweight. 6'2", 195-200. (I know. Some of the health nuts would want me down to ~185 or less. Ain't gonna happen. I grew up skinny as a fence post and have no desire to go back down to that level.)

Thanks,
Clif

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 1:37 pm

IIRC, higher pressures are often/usually/always (?) needed to eliminate hypopneas, but apneas respond to a lower pressure.

OK, I'm not remembering this very well at the moment (distracted by work preventing me concentrating on useful info like this), so don't rely on what I said.

However, the deep even breathing of normal sleep has little resemblence to awake resting breathing unless you are in a deep meditative state, I've read (somewhere).

Jan in Colo. · Post by **Jan in Colo.** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:42 pm

I can't give a technical reply because I don't know diddly-squat about that stuff.....but I do breathe oddly when I'm quiet and at rest. Reading for example. I will breathe very shallowly for quite a while and all of a sudden have a real big shuddering sigh. I've done that my whole life. I just breathe too lightly in those circumstances, I guess and all of a sudden need a big dose of air.

Interesting comment about having a CPAP machine die on you. YIKES! I haven't purchased my first machine yet...renting through insurance and the DME....but while I'm admiring all the fancy-dancy models as future purchases, I've also had the thought that I should pick up one of the cheap basic workhorse models to have as a backup. My sleep study said I have 77 arousals per hour....sounds like I might as well just stay up all night if I can't hook up to a Cpap machine, it would be about as restful!

Jan in Colo.

cvansant · Post by **cvansant** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 3:06 pm

Thanks again, Bill. I had forgotten the hypop and lower pressure connection. Guess I'll crank up my minimum another notch or so. Makes sense. The original CPAP was handed to me set for 9cm based on the sleep study report summary, "... the patient required titration to 11cwp. However, 9cwp is effective."

Clif

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