Just Now Keeping Mask On All Night, AHI Is Too High

Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new to the CPAP game, and I've just recently been able to keep my mask on all night. I import my info into Sleepyhead regularly. Today it said I had an AHI of 5.92 which it said was not good. What can I do to improve this number? I tried reading the Beginners Guide Wiki, but it is just so overwhelming for me. It would be awesome to get some help here.

Last Session Stats

Hours: 8:57
AHI: 5.92
Obstructive Index: 0.56
Hypopnea Index: 4.92
Clear Airway Index: 0.45
Flow Limitation Index: 0.56
RERA Index: 1.79
Leak Rate: 8.53
90% Leak Rate: 22.00
% of time above Leak Rate threshold: 7.45%
Avg Pressure: 8.73
Min Pressure: 5.00
Max Pressure: 11.00
90% Pressure: 9.80
Avg EPAP: 7.00
Min EPAP: 4.00
Max EPAP: 9.50

You haven't told us what your machine settings are or what machine and mask you are using.

sucramnella wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:39 pm

What can I do to improve this number? I tried reading the Beginners Guide Wiki, but it is just so overwhelming for me. It would be awesome to get some help here.

Follow the instructions in my sig to arrange your charts to provide what we need, then you can post a few days worth, since it only takes one screenshot per day.

Please fill out your equipment profile in your user profile.

LSAT wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:49 pm

You haven't told us what your machine settings are or what machine and mask you are using.

Please do so by putting the information in your profile. That way, it will show up on all your postings.

D.H. wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 5:40 pm

LSAT wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:49 pm

You haven't told us what your machine settings are or what machine and mask you are using.

Please do so by putting the information in your profile. That way, it will show up on all your postings.

Done! Thanks for telling me.

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 5:32 pm

sucramnella wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:39 pm

What can I do to improve this number? I tried reading the Beginners Guide Wiki, but it is just so overwhelming for me. It would be awesome to get some help here.

Follow the instructions in my sig to arrange your charts to provide what we need, then you can post a few days worth, since it only takes one screenshot per day.

Please fill out your equipment profile in your user profile.

Thank you! I followed the instructions to take a screenshot. However, the instructions say to include the graph for Flow Limit, but that doesn't seem to be in my version of Sleepyhead. Are the instructions out of date, or am I crazy? Haha.

sucramnella wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 10:55 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 5:32 pm

sucramnella wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:39 pm

What can I do to improve this number? I tried reading the Beginners Guide Wiki, but it is just so overwhelming for me. It would be awesome to get some help here.

Follow the instructions in my sig to arrange your charts to provide what we need, then you can post a few days worth, since it only takes one screenshot per day.

Please fill out your equipment profile in your user profile.

Thank you! I followed the instructions to take a screenshot. However, the instructions say to include the graph for Flow Limit, but that doesn't seem to be in my version of Sleepyhead. Are the instructions out of date, or am I crazy? Haha.

The instructions should be updated to reflect that the FL graph is only on resmed machines... so, no, you're crazy in this regard, as to other possible crazyness, it's too early to say

Unfortunately, you zoomed in on a seven minute segment, and so most of the chart isn't very useful... please zoom back out (down arrow) and repost. Just based on your pressures though, I'm thinking 8 or 9 minimum would be a good place to start.

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 11:36 pm

sucramnella wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 10:55 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 5:32 pm

sucramnella wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:39 pm

What can I do to improve this number? I tried reading the Beginners Guide Wiki, but it is just so overwhelming for me. It would be awesome to get some help here.

Follow the instructions in my sig to arrange your charts to provide what we need, then you can post a few days worth, since it only takes one screenshot per day.

Please fill out your equipment profile in your user profile.

Thank you! I followed the instructions to take a screenshot. However, the instructions say to include the graph for Flow Limit, but that doesn't seem to be in my version of Sleepyhead. Are the instructions out of date, or am I crazy? Haha.

The instructions should be updated to reflect that the FL graph is only on resmed machines... so, no, you're crazy in this regard, as to other possible crazyness, it's too early to say

Unfortunately, you zoomed in on a seven minute segment, and so most of the chart isn't very useful... please zoom back out (down arrow) and repost. Just based on your pressures though, I'm thinking 8 or 9 minimum would be a good place to start.

Oh boy. My bad. I just edited the post with the correct image.

sucramnella wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 02, 2018 12:14 am

Oh boy. My bad. I just edited the post with the correct image.

Nicely done.
I'd say 9 for a minimum, based on the pressure line and where you're having events.

palerider wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 02, 2018 1:36 am

Nicely done.
I'd say 9 for a minimum, based on the pressure line and where you're having events.

Thanks! I'll try this for a few days. I do notice now that I am having events and snoring during the lower pressure times.

sucramnella wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 02, 2018 9:10 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 02, 2018 1:36 am

Nicely done.
I'd say 9 for a minimum, based on the pressure line and where you're having events.

Thanks! I'll try this for a few days. I do notice now that I am having events and snoring during the lower pressure times.

Yup, and that's a sign that the min pressure is too low. CPAP will stop snoring, but only if it's adjusted right... and far too few are, out of the gate.

palerider wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:24 pm

Yup, and that's a sign that the min pressure is too low. CPAP will stop snoring, but only if it's adjusted right... and far too few are, out of the gate.

I ditto this. If the initial pressure is too low, then it will take the machine too long to reach the pressure needed to prevent events -- make sense? What I did when I moved to an APAP was to track the median pressures for a few weeks and set my low pressure closer to the number, that way the machine could more quickly reach the pressure to abort any nascent apneas and then let me have the least amt of pressure as long as possible. I get lower ribcage pain when the pressure is too high for too long so I have exhalation pressure relief set which along with the optimal low initial pressure works for me YRMV. Tuning that pressure and exhale relief has given me an average annual AHI of 0.1 for 7.5 years.

I am rated as 'severe' so I'd say with help from this forum's members (settings & mask recommendations) my therapy is as good as it gets!