IS MY CPAP TREATMENT GETTING BETTER?

You say you put the chinstrap on first and then put the headgear over it...

I found that reversing this - putting the chinstrap over the headgear - was the only way to eliminate the leaks. It, the chinstrap, helped
stabilize the sidestraps of the headgear especially when I was side sleeping which for me is about 90% of the time.

DeeCPAP wrote:

Pugsy wrote:

DeeCPAP wrote:I think one of the problems is the pressure was too high (max was 19) because I wanted to stop the clogging when I exhaled. That probably caused the leaks

Your pressure was no where near 19 when the large leaks were flagged.
Your max available might have been 19 but the highest it ever got to was around 12.
Just because it can go to 19 doesn't mean it will go to 19 and in your case the max was apparently 12. Shown on the graph as well as statistics.

Thanks. I tried the 'simulated sleeping' again earlier tonight and the machine is now set to 6.2 and 13.2 -- Since the problem has been with exhalation when the back of my throat or "something" starts fluttering and breathing isn't smooth, this may do the trick. I'll find out tonight (I hope) and the data card is in this time. <too bad there's no palm-forehead icon here> Again, Pugsy, many thanks.

P.S. Rethinking tonight's plans, I think, for one night, I'm going back to the Amera View (the bottom right corner hurts a nerve there, but for one night I won't have to worry or think about sleeping while I'm sleeping! lol)

YESTERDAY"S SLEEP DATA (BELOW) SECOND HALF OF THE NIGHT IS FROM THE AMARA VIEW (please let me know if the data doesn't show properly).
The first three charts should have the data: Please let me know if this upload worked and shows now. Thanks!

http://imgur.com/mHAvA4l page 1

http://imgur.com/1P59c7g page 2

http://imgur.com/9kPLiJp page 3

Leaks were much better controlled with the Amara View.
Do you remember waking much between that last session from roughly 2:45 to 8? That's only a 5 hour block of sleep. Not enough hours to expect much improvement in daytime symptoms for most people.

Which mask do you feel like you sleep the "best" with...if leaks weren't a factor?

Pugsy wrote:Leaks were much better controlled with the Amara View.
Do you remember waking much between that last session from roughly 2:45 to 8? That's only a 5 hour block of sleep. Not enough hours to expect much improvement in daytime symptoms for most people.

Which mask do you feel like you sleep the "best" with...if leaks weren't a factor?

The Amera View let's me open my mouth (which I think I need). The Amera View feels best but it hits a nerve below my right lip so that's not a good one for me because it'll make that nerve problem worse. That's why I'm hoping to get the FlexiFit HC431 Full Face mask. . I've called locally and am waiting for a reply from the one Medicare DME's to see if they have it in stock. The online DME's don't take medicare. Any solutions?? I feel like I'm hopelessly sleep deprived (is it my imagination?)

DeeCPAP wrote: I feel like I'm hopelessly sleep deprived (is it my imagination?)

Well...5 hours of sleep isn't enough even if it wasn't fragmented with a ton of wake ups for some reason or other.
So I doubt it is your imagination.

Now will you feel the miracle once you get all these issues sorted out and you are sleeping soundly for the most part for 7 or 8 hours at a time????...I don't know.
Not all our sleep problems can be blamed on OSA and thus be fixable with cpap.
If you have poor quality sleep or insomnia from something else...cpap can't fix that no matter how much we want it to.
It's a common error that people make...they expect cpap to fix all their sleep problems or energy level problems and the problems are caused by something else and people think that the cpap isn't "working" because they had unrealistic expectations.

But we have to start somewhere and that somewhere is optimal pressures and optimal therapy effectiveness with a decent number of hours actually asleep with minimal wake ups.

The best AHI or leak rate in the world doesn't mean squat if you don't get the required number of hours of sleep with minimal fragmentation.

I don't know what to tell you about the mask situation. I have pretty much zero mask experience with the exception of the Amara View.
Medicare will allow a new mask every 3 months but only 1 headgear per 6 months...some DMEs will just eat the cost of the headgear at the 3 month mark..some won't. Mine won't...they tell me that my insurance (Medicare) allows a new mask only every 6 months...I could argue the point but wouldn't get anywhere because a new different mask without headgear (they do come packaged that way sometimes) is useless to me.

There are some online cpap suppliers who do take Medicare but that involves getting all your records to them to file Medicare...it's a hassle and time consuming but there are some that will.
Liberty Medical is one...American Home Patient is another...VerusHealthcare is another...and of course Apria (crapria) and LinCare which I would totally avoid those 2.

Mikaghan wrote:You say you put the chinstrap on first and then put the headgear over it...

I found that reversing this - putting the chinstrap over the headgear - was the only way to eliminate the leaks. It, the chinstrap, helped
stabilize the sidestraps of the headgear especially when I was side sleeping which for me is about 90% of the time.

Thanks. I may have to try that for the interim, but I didn't think it'd work. It's extremely unpleasant to have one's head wrapped up tight.

I think it may be best to get the Flexifit so I can open my mouth when I sleep. I tried getting used to other masks, but I think the others may disrupt my sleep. Again, thanks!

I managed to get a third sleep (nap) with the help of melatonin (.3 mg.) and here's the total sleep graph with yesterday, early morning and late morning.
Maybe, the sleep periods put all together make one decent period of sleep ? I used different headgear? In the last two segments I used Amera View.

I posted them on Imur here: https://imgur.com/a/vf2gK

I'm determined to get some decent sleep. If anyone's curious, look up "Sleep Deprivation" in Wikipedia. Some people have deemed extreme sleep deprivation as cruel punishment during war time. I'm sure some of us would agree it DOES feel like punishment!

DeeCPAP wrote:Maybe, the sleep periods put all together make one decent period of sleep ?

Doesn't work that way. Sorry. It can help somewhat but far from ideal.

For the restorative powers of sleep to work their best magic the sleep has to have some semblance of being in a solid block. If you don't then the normal progression of the sleep cycles can't happen and that normal progression is needed.
There's a reason that good sleep hygiene is so often talked about.

Pugsy wrote:

DeeCPAP wrote:Maybe, the sleep periods put all together make one decent period of sleep ?

Doesn't work that way. Sorry. It can help somewhat but far from ideal.

For the restorative powers of sleep to work their best magic the sleep has to have some semblance of being in a solid block. If you don't then the normal progression of the sleep cycles can't happen and that normal progression is needed.
There's a reason that good sleep hygiene is so often talked about.

I was afraid you'd say that. lol

In the graphs I have on Imur, I used the Dreamwear on the first sleep cycles and the Amera view on the second. I found that with the Amera View, the mask seems to stretch out and loses its seal when used for over an hour (unless I sleep and it dislodges), but I'll try again. I can't use it for too long because of the sensitive nerve below the right side of my lip, otherwise it'd probably be a good mask for me.

https://imgur.com/a/vf2gK

^^^^^^ The link above is the graph I uploaded a few hours ago (with segmented sleep). No wonder Shakespeare wrote: To sleep perchance to dream !!