Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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GearChange
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Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by GearChange » Sun Jun 26, 2022 11:25 am

I am usually pretty good at reasoning, however I am not able to figure this one out by reasoning alone. We live on the East Coast for about half a year and then move to the West Coast for the other half of the year. I use the same PAP machine regardless. However I am persistently finding that my AHI is well below 1 when on the West Coast as apposed to averaging 7, while on the East Coast.
I ensure that both my laptop clock as well as my machine clock is correctly set for each time zone and I use distilled water for my attached humidifier ( even down to the same brand).
Here's is my typical sleep pattern on the West Coast (and yes it is persistent and happens every single time):

WCOAST.png


and here's my typical sleep pattern on the East Coast:


ECOAST.png
Clearly when I am on the East coast, I am not sleeping as well as I do on the West Coast where I sleep like a normal person with no indication of clinical stage apnea but why?
Even though I have had extensive experience with the use and functionality of several types of different PAP machines,no information in my posts should be put in practice unless cleared by your own medical practitioner first.

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by ChicagoGranny » Sun Jun 26, 2022 12:27 pm

GearChange wrote:
Sun Jun 26, 2022 11:25 am
East Coast

West Coast
What is the difference in elevation?

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mummmz
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by mummmz » Sun Jun 26, 2022 1:40 pm

Possibly due to humidity levels. Try visiting down south, New Orleans or the gulf coast, to see how the high humidity affects you. Could also be more stressful on the east coast due to job, inlaws, or whatever.

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Dog Slobber
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by Dog Slobber » Sun Jun 26, 2022 2:23 pm

Different bed?
Different Pillow?

Could you be experiencing chin tucking / positional when sleeping in the east?

There seems to be a high correlation between low AHI and Patient Triggered breaths. There also appears to be a correlation between high pressure support and low AHI (which is expected). Neither of which explains the East/West Coast variance.

Your West Coast is almost 100% Patient Triggered Breathing, much less East Coast.


Do you notice the same phenomenon when you use your ResMed ASV?

dataq1
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by dataq1 » Sun Jun 26, 2022 3:06 pm

Hypopneas are 21 times more frequent on the East Coast.

Are you sleeping better (your subjective assessment) or are your "numbers" just better on the West Coast?
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Architect
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by Architect » Sun Jun 26, 2022 5:10 pm

Could be anything, regardless wonderful news. New environment.

In my case, through out the years, sometimes sleeping at different locations, out of city/state, I would sleep better, my stress levels reduced, more relaxed, getting away from stressful environment. Example, I always slept better, along the ocean, opposed to large city. Or beautiful mountain range, breeze, opposed to hot desert scape.

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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by dataq1 » Sun Jun 26, 2022 5:27 pm

dataq1 wrote:
Sun Jun 26, 2022 3:06 pm
Hypopneas are 21 times more frequent on the East Coast.

Are you sleeping better (your subjective assessment) or are your "numbers" just better on the West Coast?
Edit for clarity:
@Gearchange- in your example YOUR hypopneas are 21 times more frequent on the East Coast. Rather striking change.
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by Janknitz » Sun Jun 26, 2022 5:28 pm

Well, it's simple. The West Coast is just better, all around. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Could it be allergies? I don't have CPAP data to back it up, but I often sleep better in places where I'm not as likely to have my allergies triggered. New places, with new flora I haven't gotten sensitive to . . .YET. Different levels of humidification? Different bedding, mattresses, pillows? Different elevation? My daughter and I visited Albuquerque to find a place for her to live during residency when she graduated from medical school last year. The Air B and B we stayed at was at the very edge of town at the very highest elevation where there were houses. I slept really well, despite an elevated heart rate and shortness of breath on exertion. AHI was the same, but it generally runs 0.0 to 0.2 anyway.
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GearChange
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by GearChange » Sun Jun 26, 2022 7:55 pm

dataq1 wrote:
Sun Jun 26, 2022 3:06 pm
Hypopneas are 21 times more frequent on the East Coast.

Are you sleeping better (your subjective assessment) or are your "numbers" just better on the West Coast?
That's a good question.
I am sleeping much better on the East Coast, despite the numbers.
On the West Coast It doesn't quite feel as great.
Even though I have had extensive experience with the use and functionality of several types of different PAP machines,no information in my posts should be put in practice unless cleared by your own medical practitioner first.

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GearChange
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by GearChange » Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:00 pm

Janknitz wrote:
Sun Jun 26, 2022 5:28 pm
Well, it's simple. The West Coast is just better, all around. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Could it be allergies? I don't have CPAP data to back it up, but I often sleep better in places where I'm not as likely to have my allergies triggered. New places, with new flora I haven't gotten sensitive to . . .YET. Different levels of humidification? Different bedding, mattresses, pillows? Different elevation? My daughter and I visited Albuquerque to find a place for her to live during residency when she graduated from medical school last year. The Air B and B we stayed at was at the very edge of town at the very highest elevation where there were houses. I slept really well, despite an elevated heart rate and shortness of breath on exertion. AHI was the same, but it generally runs 0.0 to 0.2 anyway.
The weird thing is that personally I think I sleep much better on the East Coast, despite the numbers to the contrary.
My bed mattress is much better on the West Coast but then again I have like a 6" memory foam mattress top padding on the East Coast. This actually could explain the high AHI and also the rather large numbers of machine triggered breaths.
And no, I have no seasonal allergies, thank god.
Even though I have had extensive experience with the use and functionality of several types of different PAP machines,no information in my posts should be put in practice unless cleared by your own medical practitioner first.

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GearChange
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by GearChange » Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:07 pm

Dog Slobber wrote:
Sun Jun 26, 2022 2:23 pm
Different bed?
Different Pillow?

Your West Coast is almost 100% Patient Triggered Breathing, much less East Coast.


Do you notice the same phenomenon when you use your ResMed ASV?
I am beginning to suspect "bed and pillow".
I sleep much deeper on the east coast. I know this for a fact because I monitor my sleep stages and can see a definite pattern of much longer deep sleep and REM stages on the East Coast, where my pillows are down and I have a 6" memory foam mattress topping, in addition to a Weighted Blanket🤣
On the West coast my mattress is much better quality so no need for a mattress top. Also there my pillows are synthetic and I have no weighted blanket.

i am thinking that I am inducing a much deeper sleep experience on the East Coast and yes, BOTH my machines show same results except that my Resmed ASV doesn't show as much detail and it always tends to show lower AHIs than my Respironics ASV, anyway, making it harder to see the difference as being so pronounced as Respironics data shows.
Even though I have had extensive experience with the use and functionality of several types of different PAP machines,no information in my posts should be put in practice unless cleared by your own medical practitioner first.

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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by Tec5 » Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:10 pm

GearChange wrote:
Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:07 pm
I have a 6" memory foam mattress topping,
AH, You must have missed the memo..... when comparing AHI between different beds you should apply the "inches of memory foam" as a factor.
Divide your East Coast # by six to correlate the two.
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by chunkyfrog » Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:20 pm

Tec5 wrote:
Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:10 pm
GearChange wrote:
Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:07 pm
I have a 6" memory foam mattress topping,
AH, You must have missed the memo..... when comparing AHI between different beds you should apply the "inches of memory foam" as a factor.
Divide your East Coast # by six to correlate the two.
:lol: :lol:

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dataq1
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by dataq1 » Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:42 pm

Interesting question and responses.....
Suggesting that AHI can be influenced by seasonal allergies, bedding, pillows, ambient humidification.....(and I don't dispute that suggestion)

Sleep studies are normally done on a one night basis, a snapshot of sleeping observations with fixed sleeping conditions (season, humidity, bed, pillows, blankets. etc).
Makes one wonder if a person varied those conditions how it would affect the AHI of one's sleep study and particularly for marginal cases - the diagnosis.
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Re: Sleeping Much Better On The West Coast, But Why?

Post by chunkyfrog » Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:19 pm

Maybe the west coast is the best coast . . .
:mrgreen:

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