CPAPtalk.com

One thing that has not yet been said, but deserves to be said: When you change your settings, you need to use the new settings for at least a few nights before changing them again: We don't sleep exactly the same every night and it can also take the body a few nights to really get used to the new settings.

I'll also put my two cents in about 95% pressures: If your AHI is where you want it and your sleep quality it good, it really doesn't matter if your 95% is right on top of your max pressure and it also doesn't matter if your machine is staying right at that max pressure for long periods of time.

But if your AHI is too high on most nights or if your sleep quality is lousy on most nights and your machine is reaching its max setting for a lot of the night, then you do need to do some experimenting with the max pressure setting.

ozij wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 18, 2022 9:34 am

What does your flow limitation graph look like?

^^^^^^^^

Skyking wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 18, 2022 1:28 pm

Have any of you used a service like Singular Sleep? It looks like they have a service for $45 to have sleep data reviewed by a board-certified physician.

That's the last thing you need. Sleep apnea is an odd duck. Doctors are good at differential diagnosis but don't know much about machines, masks, or pressure.

Sleep center techs can be really good, or not. Mine was excellent and gave me a good start.

Any who works at a DME is almost be guaranteed to be useless.

The experts on this forum (and the other one) are the best I've seen, bar none.

loggerhead12 wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 19, 2022 8:03 pm

Skyking wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 18, 2022 1:28 pm

Have any of you used a service like Singular Sleep? It looks like they have a service for $45 to have sleep data reviewed by a board-certified physician.

That's the last thing you need. Sleep apnea is an odd duck. Doctors are good at differential diagnosis but don't know much about machines, masks, or pressure.

Sleep center techs can be really good, or not. Mine was excellent and gave me a good start.

Any who works at a DME is almost be guaranteed to be useless.

The experts on this forum (and the other one) are the best I've seen, bar none.

Wow…thanks logger. OK then.

I have the pressure set at 7-15 and as someone suggested I’m going to leave it there for a while. I noticed the AHI last night was 1.2. Is it that simple or can someone have a low AHI and still not get a good night sleep? The wife and I have this concierge type physician. I rarely call her as opposed to my wife, but I called her this morning about all this to get her to take. She looked at a few numbers and said since I’m going to get the cardioversion tomorrow morning I should wait until I am out of afib. She was actually concerned about respiration rate being over 30 at 95% even though the medium was 18.6. As you said most physicians don’t have a clue but I think she’s at least above average on this it seems. At least she’s going to contact a colleague of hers at John Hopkins once my heart issue settles down.

Skyking wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 20, 2022 7:48 am

I noticed the AHI last night was 1.2. Is it that simple or can someone have a low AHI and still not get a good night sleep?

There's a heck of a lot more to getting a good night's sleep than just having a low AHI.

In math we would say that having a low enough AHI is a necessary requirement for a good night's sleep, but not a sufficient one.

In other words, sleep disordered breathing (aka OSA) where the AHI is too high is enough to guarantee that you won't get a good night's sleep where the body wakes up totally rested and refreshed.

But just fixing the sleep disordered breathing does not guarantee a good night's sleep: There are too many other variables: Are you getting enough sleep in the first place? Are you dealing with sleep onset insomnia problems? Are you dealing with sleep maintenance insomnia problems? Are you dealing with substantial pain issues that can play havoc with your sleep cycles? Are you having problems with periodic limb movements? What about restless legs? Is the sleep environment itself conducive to a good night's sleep? [Too much noise or too much ambient light can create problems for a lot of folks.]. If you have a bed partner, are your bed partner's movements bothering you? Do you have other health problems that are known to cause problems with sleep?

In other words, fixing bad sleep is more involved than just fixing OSA, but fixing OSA for those of us who have it is a critical part of fixing bad sleep.

And good luck in getting the heart problem addressed.

robysue1 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:22 am

But just fixing the sleep disordered breathing does not guarantee a good night's sleep: There are too many other variables:

You mean like every time he hits 20 cmH2O, he has an awakening (not an arousal, an awakening).

Is the cure worse than the disease?

Rubicon wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 19, 2022 3:47 pm

ozij wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 18, 2022 9:34 am

What does your flow limitation graph look like?

^^^^^^^^

Hey o.!

Doesn't this remind of the IFL1 runaways that used to happen on the old PB 420Es?

Rubicon wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:34 am

robysue1 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:22 am

But just fixing the sleep disordered breathing does not guarantee a good night's sleep: There are too many other variables:

You mean like every time he hits 20 cmH2O, he has an awakening (not an arousal, an awakening).

Is the cure worse than the disease?

It sure felt that way 10-12 years ago with me as you may recall.

And to help me learn something: What's the giveaway that he's having awakenings rather than arousals every time he hits 20 cmH2O?

As for looking at the flow limitation graph: Yeah, that needs to be done. If you see what you expect to see in that graph, what's the suggested thing to try? Upping the min pressure? Lowering the max pressure? Both?? Neither??

Rubicon wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:38 am

Rubicon wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 19, 2022 3:47 pm

ozij wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 18, 2022 9:34 am

What does your flow limitation graph look like?

^^^^^^^^

Hey o.!

Doesn't this remind of the IFL1 runaways that used to happen on the old PB 420Es?

It sure does!

robysue1 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 20, 2022 9:18 am

And to help me learn something: What's the giveaway that he's having awakenings rather than arousals every time he hits 20 cmH2O?

I'd say it because he's taking his either taking his mask off or hitting the off button every time the machine gets to 20. Every time but one.