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A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
#1
A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
So, I feel rather honored to have, albeit against my will, joined a rather exclusive club...the Hose Heads. I've read over this board for a night, and I'm quite pleased to know there is somewhere to turn for answers or just to chat, if needed.

So, I'll spare the details...obviously I have sleep apnea or I wouldn't be here. Last night was my first night with the machine, and I was so excited...thinking I would finally get a good night's sleep. Yeah yeah...I've read that most take time getting used to it, but I was determined to be the exception!

All in all, it wasn't a bad experience at all. I actually have more trouble sleeping right now due to a pulled muscle in my back, so without that issue I may have very well woke to feel refreshed and rested. but I didn't. Blah.

Anyway...here are my numbers from SleepyHead...I have NO IDEA what these mean. I've read what they are supposed to mean, but still...no clue if they are good or not. I don't know what the targets are. So please...enlighten me my new friends!

AHI: 0.37
RERA Index: 0.86
Hours per night: 8:09
Pressure: 12
Avg Total leaks: 40.75
95% total leaks: 55
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#2
RE: A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
Welcome Steve.

Any AHI under 5 is GREAT!

The rest of the membership will have to explain the other stats to you, as I really do not understand them. When I started therapy none of these stats were available to me, so I came to the conclusion that I don't need them. Oh-jeez
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. 
ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.
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#3
RE: A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
Okay...so an AHI under 5 is good, or great even...but what does that mean? LOL
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#4
RE: A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
(04-19-2014, 09:01 AM)BamaSteve Wrote: Okay...so an AHI under 5 is good, or great even...but what does that mean? LOL

First off, welcome to the group. You've come to the right place; so many nice and helpful folks here!

Ok, AHI stands for Apnea-Hypopnea Index. It combines apnea with hypopnea events over the night and averages them per hour. Under 5 is great!

An apnea event is a full airway blockage that lasts 10 or more seconds. A hypopnea event is a partial airway blockage for 10 or more seconds.

AHI < 5 Normal
5 -15 Mild
15 - 30 Moderate
30 > Severe

Hours per night is how long the machine was on.

Pressure is 12. This is what the sleep lab determined that is the most helpful to keep YOUR AHI under 5; think of the pressure as an air splint to keep your airway open.

I'll leave the leak rates and RERA to other, more experienced "pappers."
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures....
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#5
RE: A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
Hi BamaSteve,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Best of luck to you with your CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
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#6
RE: A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
(04-19-2014, 08:21 AM)BamaSteve Wrote: So, I feel rather honored to have, albeit against my will, joined a rather exclusive club...the Hose Heads. I've read over this board for a night, and I'm quite pleased to know there is somewhere to turn for answers or just to chat, if needed.

So, I'll spare the details...obviously I have sleep apnea or I wouldn't be here. Last night was my first night with the machine, and I was so excited...thinking I would finally get a good night's sleep. Yeah yeah...I've read that most take time getting used to it, but I was determined to be the exception!

All in all, it wasn't a bad experience at all. I actually have more trouble sleeping right now due to a pulled muscle in my back, so without that issue I may have very well woke to feel refreshed and rested. but I didn't. Blah.

Anyway...here are my numbers from SleepyHead...I have NO IDEA what these mean. I've read what they are supposed to mean, but still...no clue if they are good or not. I don't know what the targets are. So please...enlighten me my new friends!

AHI: 0.37
RERA Index: 0.86
Hours per night: 8:09
Pressure: 12
Avg Total leaks: 40.75
95% total leaks: 55

Although your numbers, prima facie, appear good, your leaks are too high. This may skew your results.

Shoot for a leak rate under 25 -- well under 25.
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#7
RE: A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
JustMongo

Don't forget that he has a Philips machine which only reports total leaks.

BamaSteve,

Your total leaks are not bad. They are in the area of the intentional leak which we call a vent. Philips just reports all of the air that is flowing. ResMed on the other hand tries to isolate, by calculation, only the unintentional leaks ergo the target of 24 l/min.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#8
RE: A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
Hi BamaSteve, welcome aboard
For textbook events definition, see the clinical manual, the manual available via email, scroll down to bottom of the page 'how to ask for a manual via email' http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual

Apnea hypopnea index (AHI) wiki
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=AHI

AHI: 0.37 ... 0.37 event per hour = fantastic results
Pressure: 12 ... your machine set to blow 12 all night long except Ramp time
RERA Index: 0.86 ... RERA events are arousal don,t meet the criteria to be scored as apnea, everyone have them, nothing to worry about such a low number

95% total leaks: means leak was at or below 55 L/m for 95% of the night (not 55 L/m all night)
Total leak = intentional leak (mask vents leak rate at set pressure) plus unintentional leak (mask leak + mouth leak)

Philips Respironics machines report total leak, you,re not going to see leak number lower than mask vents leak rate. Assume 30 L/m is the Wisp vents leak rate at pressure 12 ... 55 - 30 = 25 L/m = 95% unintentional leak
The leak does not look bad at all, at times my leak number is higher than that. Leak graph gives you better indication, something like adjusting the mask, leaving the machine on while taking a pee, or /and bit mouth breathing can inflate the number somewhat

Hours per night: 8:09 ... In my book, this the most important number

All in all Congrats and Sleep-well








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#9
RE: A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
(04-19-2014, 02:37 PM)justMongo Wrote:
(04-19-2014, 08:21 AM)BamaSteve Wrote: AHI: 0.37
RERA Index: 0.86
Hours per night: 8:09
Pressure: 12
Avg Total leaks: 40.75
95% total leaks: 55

Although your numbers, prima facie, appear good, your leaks are too high. This may skew your results.

Shoot for a leak rate under 25 -- well under 25.
justMongo and BamaSteve,

BamaSteve's leaks are NOT too high.

BamaSteve is using a PR System One that records TOTAL leaks not unintentional leaks like justMongo's Resmed S9 VPAP. And unlike the RedLine at 24 L/min (for UNINTENTIONAL leaks) on the Resmeds, there's not a well defined Official Large Leak number on the PR S1 machines.

On the System One, you are NEVER going to see the total leaks equal to 0.0 L/min because the total leak rate includes the intentional leaks as well as unintentional leaks.

You have to know the intentional leak rate for the mask at the pressures used to be able to tell whether a person's total leaks on a PR System One are good, bad, or indifferent.

For a typical FFM like the Mirage Quattro the intentional flow rate at 12 cm is usually around 40 L/min. For a typical nasal pillows mask like the AirFit P10 or a nasal mask, like the Eson, the intentional flow rate at 12 cm is usually around 35 L/min.

So to put BamaSteve's leak numbers in perspective:

If BamaSteve is using a FFM, the average leak rate is right on target, and the 95% leak rate is about 15 L/min greater than it "should be", so there are probably some (reasonably) short lived "middle-sized" leaks that are NOT large enough to be flagged by Encore as official Large Leaks on a PR System One, but may be large enough to cause some sleep disruption.

If BamaSteve is using a nasal pillows mask or a nasal mask, the average leaks are about 5 L/min higher than expected, so there may be some SMALL leaks going on off and on during the night, but nothing close to an Official Large Leak. The 95% leak rate is about 20 L/min greater than it "should be", so there are probably some (reasonably) short lived "middle to sort of largish" leaks that are NOT large enough to be flagged by Encore as official Large Leaks on a PR System One, but may be large enough to cause some sleep disruption.

In other words, you can't just tell a PR System One user to "keep the leaks well under 25 L/min" because that's just not the way the reported leaks work on the System One.

To BamaSteve:
Just to be clear about what I've said: Chances are your leaks are just fine. But to be absolutely sure that your leaks are just fine, I'd need to know exactly what mask you are using (make and model) AND it would be useful to see the graph of the leak data from the Detailed Daily Data graphs in either Sleepy Head or Encore.
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#10
RE: A newbie, my first night, and all these numbers...
(04-19-2014, 03:54 PM)robysue Wrote: To BamaSteve:
Just to be clear about what I've said: Chances are your leaks are just fine. But to be absolutely sure that your leaks are just fine, I'd need to know exactly what mask you are using (make and model)
A little bird told me, he is using Wisp nasal mask Coffee

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