Hard Exhale Before CA (Pics)

Here's something that's been happening to me pretty much since I started tracking my data. My diagnosis is OSA, and with therapy, I have minimal obstructive events (as far as my machine is concerned).

What I can't seem to figure out are the central apneas. Rather than my flow rate gradually looking labored (like my mom's flow rate, who as a clinical CSA diagnosis), mine is preceded by a dramatic looking exhale, every time. I have raised my pressure min from the default 4.0 prescription, to 8.6, otherwise I repeatedly wake up all night with OAs. Also maxed out my humidifier since I like to sleep in a cold room. I should also add I have a parasomnia-type condition called excessive fragmentary myoclonus where I can kick my legs during transitory sleep stages, though to my knowledge, it never happens while I'm asleep.

I went ahead and added various examples of these events, starting with a full night overview:





Anyone seen central apneas look like that before? Thanks!

http://freecpapadvice.com/sleepyhead-free-software
Watch the videos above
Your Central/CA happened AFTER an arousal breath...that's what you are seeing just prior to the flag.
A big gulp of air...you weren't asleep. We don't take big gulps of air like that while asleep.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 10, 2022 6:51 pm

http://freecpapadvice.com/sleepyhead-free-software
Watch the videos above
Your Central/CA happened AFTER an arousal breath...that's what you are seeing just prior to the flag.
A big gulp of air...you weren't asleep. We don't take big gulps of air like that while asleep.

Thanks! Just to be clear, you’re saying I’m waking up, and then roughly 3 seconds after waking up, I’m not breathing for ~23 seconds? And then I repeat that every 20 or so minutes? I certainly don’t recall doing that, but I suppose it’s not impossible. Are there any indications sleep apnea therapy is causing the arousals?

On the one zoomed in section you shared the flow rate prior to the big gulp of air looks like nice normal asleep breathing with no indications of airway issues.
We don't know (or have any way to know what happened a the time of the big gulp) heck, you may have just briefly held your breath while changing position in bed. Often we take a bigger breath when we turn over and hold our breath while turning over in bed.

There's also spontaneous arousals which are arousals that we don't know why they happened and they are often so brief we don't form a memory of them. I always have a lot of arousals that I don't remember. Sometimes with flagged events and sometimes with no flagged events.

There's nothing you can do in terms of machine tweaks for centrals/CAs anyway. Plus you aren't having enough of them to warrant concern. It's normal to have an occasional real asleep central anyway.