2nd night on cpap

I fell asleep on the couch and didn't sleep with the mask until 2am. I had a mini panic episode (which is very rare for me) as I initially laid down because my nose was super stuffy and there was barely any air coming in. I had a wave of "this won't work, I'm going to suffocate" and almost took the mask off. I fought through it and eventually fell asleep.

My result for last night was 73/100...

48/70 for time used
20/20 for mask seal
2/5 for events per hour (15)
3/5 for mask on/off

I felt immediately more alert when I got up. Instead of hitting snooze for an hour I got up and moving easily. I'm close to being where I want to be physically - I'm still a bit tired but I see room for a lot of improvement (mainly going to bed earlier) but I'm feeling confident I'm close to saying this change in lifestyle is 100% worth it.

If your events per Hr is 15, that is unacceptable. That number needs to be below 5 to be considered treated.

Could that number be elevated by me rearranging my mask a bunch? At this point I'm mainly focusing on being able to trust that I won't suffocate, and get through a full night of sleep with it. I have a follow up appt scheduled next month and I'll monitor the events/hour.

TylerJH wrote:Could that number be elevated by me rearranging my mask a bunch?

Definitely. If you remember rearranging the mask that means you were awake and often awake breathing irregularities get flagged by the machine when they really aren't related to sleep apnea.

What pressure are you starting out the night at? Using the ramp?
Often if the starting pressure is on the low side people complain of feeling like they are suffocating because not enough air is moving. Easily fixed by starting out just a little bit higher if that is what is going on.

Pugsy wrote:

TylerJH wrote:Could that number be elevated by me rearranging my mask a bunch?

Definitely. If you remember rearranging the mask that means you were awake and often awake breathing irregularities get flagged by the machine when they really aren't related to sleep apnea.

What pressure are you starting out the night at? Using the ramp?
Often if the starting pressure is on the low side people complain of feeling like they are suffocating because not enough air is moving. Easily fixed by starting out just a little bit higher if that is what is going on.

Yes the ramp is set on auto - I will definitely need to change it. It was frustrating enough to make me want to give up in the first few minutes. I'm not too concerned with the events right now; if in a few months it's above 5 then I will look further into it.

You should fill in your profile with the equipment you are using. (we all have it listed) It will help people help you.