Does mask fit influence AHI reading?

I would have thought not but last night I woke up early, only 5.5 hours registered, a bad mask fit but AHI of 0.0!!!!

The m,ask fit is driving me nuts at the moment. It has registered OK some nights but then shows bad others. I'll tighten the straps a bit but do not want them too tight and uncomfortable. However, with only 5 mins of ramp time, I'm unaware of leaks. But maybe during sleep the mask gets distorted & allows leakage as I sleep in different positions - I really have no idea if this is the case.

But that AHI of 0,0 seems VERY off.

John

Well, it CAN if the leaks are too big and the machine can't properly detect events.
I see you have a nasal mask in your profile. If you're leaking air out your mouth, that could also affect the numbers for the same reason.
But, I frequently have better numbers if i have just a little higher leakage (but not Large Leaks or anything severe).
Sometimes, tightening a mask too tight can also cause leakage. Most masks are supposed to "float" on the face.....assuming that they're properly sized.


Den

.