First night with machine - with numbers

Last night was my first night with my cpap - and I think it went pretty well. I set it up to ramp for 1/2 hour starting at 4 which is where the titration started as well. I read for while just to get used to the mask, and was rather surprised at how much different the pressure is when it got close to my prescribed 8 - I can't imagine dealing with some of the numbers I've seen posted on here. Anyway, it was a surprise because I never woke up during the titration, and never actually experienced anything above the starting 4. So, when I actually was ready to go to sleep I reset the ramp jsut to make it easier. That was strange, too, because I was then a little more used to the 8 and the 4 felt like it wasn't enough. But, I was too tired to change it and went to sleep anyway. I'd say I slept uninterrupted until about 5:00 when the dog wanting to go out woke me up. I then went right back to sleep until almost 7:00. Today feels much like after the titration - much better than what I'd consider normal. After the titration I realized that I almost always have a "background level sinus headache" that just seemed normal until it wasn't there that morning. It's gone today as well. Unlike most of you I did not go to the doctor with anything more than my wife complaining of the snoring and gasping.

Anyway, here are the "daily" numbers from the first night:
total hours: 8.3
pressure 7.2
leak .18 L/s
AHI 8.0
AI 1.1
HI 6.9

On my studies the hypopneas were much more prevalent than the apneas.

So, how does that seem for a first night?

BTW - the DME did not enable EPR, but I did on my own and set it to 2 for now. I figured it would come down after a week or so, but that would make getting used to using the machine a little easier. Is this a mistake?

No, it wasn't a mistake to set the EPR to 2. And it is easily changed as you adjust to CPAP.

Actually, for your first night at home on CPAP I'd say you did great! And a h*ll of a lot better than I did!!! Good going!

The more hours you sleep the more likely of higher AHIs and wearing your mask w/CPAP going whilst still awake for awhile reading, watching TV or whatever also tends to raise your AHI so that makes your data last night look even better.

Also that pressure is the 95th percentile meaning you slept at or below 7.2 cms of pressure most of the night. You're doing good, JayBee! Just keep in mind, one night does not the entire story tell. Good luck w/a week's data, that will tell you more. And HOW YOU FEEL is the real proof of the pudding.

Humm... I guess consistancy is a good starting place?

First night:
total hours: 8.3
pressure 7.2
leak .18 L/s
AHI 8.0
AI 1.1
HI 6.9

Second night (last night):
total hours: 6.09
pressure 7.2
leak .30 L/s
AHI 7.6
AI .8
HI 6.8

I did not put it on to read like the previous night, I just waited and put it on when I was ready to go to sleep. I did not bother wiggling the mask all night to see if it was leaking this time like I did the first night.

If my prescribed pressure was 8, and I was going to use EPR, I'd set the cpap pressure at 10 and set EPR at 2 or 3.

EPR will drop the pressure an exact number of cm's each time you exhale. I'd want the EPR pressure when I exhale to be at or close to the prescribed 8.

rested gal wrote:If my prescribed pressure was 8, and I was going to use EPR, I'd set the cpap pressure at 10 and set EPR at 2 or 3.

EPR will drop the pressure an exact number of cm's each time you exhale. I'd want the EPR pressure when I exhale to be at or close to the prescribed 8.

Does anyone know if the pressure relief setting (C-flex 1, 2 or 3 for example) on Resperonics machines equates to a similar "exact number of cm's" reduction in pressure???

I can see an experiment coming up this weekend!

Scott