First 30 days - Averaged 3 hours a night. Suggestions?

Pugsy wrote:Insurance companies rarely even know what settings are being used or even if they are effective or not. They only care about hours of use so they aren't paying for something that you aren't using.
They won't know that you changed anything and if they did they wouldn't care.

Now they will probably care about the 3 hours of average use. Have you checked to find out what is required in terms of usage compliance? Most often it is 30 days with at least 4 hours of usage for 70% of the 30 days.

Well I didn't get that! Not for lack of trying though. I won't stop unless they take it away from me. Aside from the discomfort, not having my airway collapse and breathing filtered air while I'm sleeping seems pretty positive.
-Edit-
I've got 90 days, not 30, to be in compliance, so once I get this mask thing handled, I'm good. So stoked about the Flex! Thank you very much for pointing out the obvious. I saw Flex in the product name but had no idea what it meant, and the sleep clinic sent me home with it locked off. They never even mentioned it.

If you start running out of days to get your compliance requirement met.....you can always use the machine while watching TV or reading. It doesn't know if you are asleep or not and those hours will count in the usage department.

Hopefully you won't need to do that if that little change to AFlex helps you sleep better/longer in the first place but if it gets close..use it while reading or watching TV.

Pugsy wrote:If you start running out of days to get your compliance requirement met.....you can always use the machine while watching TV or reading. It doesn't know if you are asleep or not and those hours will count in the usage department.

Conspirator to insurance fraud!

I'm turning you in Pugsy.

lol

Pugsy wrote:If you start running out of days to get your compliance requirement met.....you can always use the machine while watching TV or reading. It doesn't know if you are asleep or not and those hours will count in the usage department.

Hopefully you won't need to do that if that little change to AFlex helps you sleep better/longer in the first place but if it gets close..use it while reading or watching TV.

I should mention, tried testing the nasal pillows mask again tonight, and my nose just won't let me do it. Not enough flow through there most of the time, even with A-flex. So I used the Simplus face mask.

Ok, let's try this screen capture thing I see the cool kids doing. My AHI number is lower than others I've seen on here, and Sleepyhead calls it "pretty good". I have no idea how that equates to a Severe apnea diagnosis, but that's what I have. The main thing is, after switching on A-Flex, I got 7:55 mask time! (including my test nap) Yeah!



Looks like after I jostled my mask into place to get a good seal, I got my deepest sleep in a long time, then the alarm went off

If you use Imgur to post with the large thumbnail and copy the linked BB code to your post it will show in your post and we will be able to click on it to see it in a larger size. Here is a link to explain.
Your data looks good and if you slept well all is a good!

Curious: Can A-Flex / C-Flex improve leaks?

RubySnooze wrote:Curious: Can A-Flex / C-Flex improve leaks?

These features are generally not useful in reducing mask leaks.

Both features lower the pressure on exhale. So, everything else being equal, you would have less leak on exhale. But you still have the same amount of leak on inhale, so have you really solved the problem?

To reduce unintentional mask leak -

- Make sure the mask is fitted properly. (See mask manufacturer's video and other videos on youtube.)

- Make sure the headgear is adjusted properly (See mask manufacturer's video and other videos on youtube.)

- If you use a low ramp pressure or a low minimum pressure, you should fit and adjust your mask at the higher pressures it is operating at for most of the night. You would temporarily change the machine pressure settings while you do the fitting and adjusting. It's best to do this well before bedtime before you are tired and ready for sleep. Don't forget to change your settings back to the ones you prefer.

- Make sure to use good hose management - the hose should not pull on the mask. Notice how your hose is positioned between machine and mask. It should be positioned to minimize any pull on the mask. Hose management is an individual practice. How it is done depends on the mask, the position of the machine, your sleeping position and other factors specific to the individual.

- If you still have problems, learn from the forum what mask liners are available.

- Start a thread in cpaptalk asking for help. Subject: Need Help with Mask xxxxxx

- If your mask still has excessive leak, try other masks. Many people report trying several masks before they find one that works well for them.

Note: Links to just some of the mask manufacturers' instructional videos can be found on the forum host's website - https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks.php and https://www.youtube.com/

- CG

ChicagoGranny wrote:

RubySnooze wrote:Curious: Can A-Flex / C-Flex improve leaks?

These features are generally not useful in reducing mask leaks.

Both features lower the pressure on exhale. So, everything else being equal, you would have less leak on exhale. But you still have the same amount of leak on inhale, so have you really solved the problem?

To reduce unintentional mask leak -

- Make sure the mask is fitted properly.
- Make sure the headgear is adjusted properly (See mask manufacturer's video.)
- Make sure to use good hose management - the hose should not pull on the mask.
- If you still have problems, learn from the forum what mask liners are available.
- If your mask still has excessive leak, try other masks. Many people report trying several masks before they find one that works well for them.

Good luck!

Thanks, ChicagoGranny!