Sudden spike in clear airway / central apnea events after break from CPAP

Hi

I have been using CPAP on an off for very limited periods as I am still trying to get used to the machine, and decide between a full-face or nasal mask.

After about a month of not using CPAP (and using CPAP only once for 45 minutes in the month before that), I tried for 30 minutes in the afternoon today, while half asleep on my bed.

I was trying a nasal mask, but my nose was slightly blocked, and the air pressure would force my lips open slightly while I was half asleep to let air out.

This created some anxiety and I could not get to sleep properly, because I was worrying about falling asleep with my mouth open. I was not comfortable.

When I stopped the CPAP, I noticed that I had a very high number of clear airway events and no obstructive apnea (presumably because I opened my mouth several times).

In my hospital test and home test I only had a few clear airway events. Most of those events were hypopnea or obstructive apnea.

I know people get CA when they start with CPAP. Can nerves cause CA also? My breathing gets messed up when I am nervous, so I guess that messes up my breathing rhythm even if there are no obstructions.

Just wondering if any others have experienced this.

There's no need to look any results as long as you not sleeping with the machine for a number of hours.
The machine's scoring is based on the assumption that breathing disruptions are interrupting normal regular sleep breathing. When you're awake what the machine registers is basically nonsense.
Concentrate on getting used to the mask and machine, and do that consistently.

Yes, unfortunately, I was unable to get to sleep properly because of anxiety.

I think that transitioning from wakefulness to sleep was what caused the strange reading.

It just freaked me out when I saw the high CA score. I wonder if others have had that experience.

For your peace of mind, most of the time high 'Ca's' are what are called 'sleep-wake junk' when seen just as you fall asleep or prior to waking, and are not in fact true central events. You're worrying pointlessly and as the other poster said, you can't get valid results when even half awake as the machine doesn't 'do' those but needs more time while truly asleep to show any useful info.

Thanks. Interesting - there is even a term for unreliable readings like that.

Awake breathing is a lot less regular than asleep breathing. We often pause between breaths, or hold our breath, for ten seconds or more while we're awake. That produces a CA flag.