3 AHIs per hour

Hi everyone,
I started cpap therapy 4 nights ago and things have been going really well. After reading experiences on here i was worried how i would adjust but I'm not having much trouble getting used to the machine or mask.

The ResMed app is telling me I'm having abut 3.7 "events per hour". Now that is a fantastic number compared to the 57 /hr i had during my sleep study. But I'm wondering why that number isn't zero? I'm fully compliant with the mask - why would i still be having events? Should i just be happy with that number or be trying to get it down further?

I haven't downloaded or installed the sleepyhead app yet. If it's possible to get that number down even more i will go through the effort. Thanks for your help!

Most everyone has an occasional obstructive event while sleeping. You might occasionally hit zero, but it's not worth chasing. Having said that, you can probably improve on 3.7 optimizing pressure and position. Definitely download SleepyHead and post your numbers. It's easy, it's interesting, it's fruitful. Go for it.

jessplease wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:05 pm

The ResMed app is telling me I'm having abut 3.7 "events per hour". Now that is a fantastic number

It's barely adequate.

jessplease wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:05 pm

But I'm wondering why that number isn't zero?

because the squidgy meatbag on the end of the hose isn't perfect.

jessplease wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:05 pm

I'm fully compliant with the mask - why would i still be having events?

Because "compliance" is only for your insurance company... it means *NOTHING* about how well things are working.

"Here, wear these glasses"
"But, I can't see with them"
"Don't care, wear them all day, you'll be 'compliant'".

jessplease wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:05 pm

Should i just be happy with that number or be trying to get it down further?

I wouldn't be.

jessplease wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:05 pm

I haven't downloaded or installed the sleepyhead app yet. If it's possible to get that number down even more i will go through the effort. Thanks for your help!

Well, you know what the next step is.

Instructions for use in my sig.

You are only 4 nights in; it would not hurt to leave things as they are for another couple of nights.
Getting used to the process is very important.
Skip that, and you have no idea what to do next.
Welcome to the forum; and try a little patience.

jessplease wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:05 pm

Hi everyone,
I started cpap therapy 4 nights ago and things have been going really well. After reading experiences on here i was worried how i would adjust but I'm not having much trouble getting used to the machine or mask.

The ResMed app is telling me I'm having abut 3.7 "events per hour". Now that is a fantastic number compared to the 57 /hr i had during my sleep study. But I'm wondering why that number isn't zero? I'm fully compliant with the mask - why would i still be having events? Should i just be happy with that number or be trying to get it down further?

I haven't downloaded or installed the sleepyhead app yet. If it's possible to get that number down even more i will go through the effort. Thanks for your help!

welcome aboard, jess!

the most important question is, how do you feel? i mean in comparison to how you felt before starting treatment?

how low you want that number to go is up to you. we are each of us different. we react to cpap therapy in different ways.

as has been mentioned, it's kind of pointless to "chase zero". i know, i know...it makes sense that the less apnea you have, the better off you are, right? but it doesn't always work out that way.

but yes, take the time to download sleepyhead. it's software, not an app. you will need a windows box or mac or linux (see, palerider? i WAS paying attention!) to run it.

good luck!

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 10, 2018 10:26 pm

or linux (see, palerider? i WAS paying attention!)

3 events of unknown category per hour average...4 nights of cpap therapy...we really need to see the software detailed results to offer much of anything.

How is your sleep quality? Waking very many times during the night fiddling with the mask or whatever??? (I know at 4 nights into therapy I was waking probably a dozen times just fiddling with the mask) could cause the machine to flag awake breathing irregularities by mistake and give you a false AHI because awake events don't count. These machines only measure air flow and have no way to know if you are asleep or not.

We really need to see the event category breakdown of that AHI before we go off making WAGs about what may or may not be going on with your therapy.
And we for sure need to know if you think you slept soundly or was waking often which increases the chances of a not so accurate AHI because of potential for awake events being flagged by mistake.

Scenario:

"Jake" wakes up following his sixth night on CPAP. "Darn it! I only got in 3 hours and 47 minutes, that's not enough. I'll just lie here fully awake for another twnety minutes or so until I get past that magic fourth hour. I don't want "arbitreary third party" to judge me - soon all my doctors will know I am non-compliant and a total waste. I can't make it too obvious, though - would a half an hour look more real? Fifteen minutes? Nah, that's cutting it too close - why are these decisions so difficult. Should I just relax and sleep? What's waking me up? Is there anything I can do to change that? Maybe I should ask for some help".