[CPAP] It's the little things...

[mjbearit]

So I have been really trying to get more sleep and get into a steady routine because I want to get my AHI down as far as I possibly can. The better I sleep, the better I feel and the AHI is a pretty strong indicator of how well I sleep. I find the RERA to be about equally as important, but that is another story. Well I finally did it! I started seeing AHIs in the .40s night after night! I had 3 straight nights in the .40s then suddenly, night before last it popped up to 1.53! I was devastated! Wrong way! Last night when I went to bed I looked down to push the "on" button (I hate the auto start feature!) and I saw that my humidifier was on 1. I always keep my humidifier on 2! That's odd. So I turned it back to 2, pushed the button, turned off the light and went to sleep. This morning my AHI was at .59. Now I'm not laying out hard medical evidence here, but I do find it interesting that the one night that my humidifier get changed it costs me a full point on my AHI. Oh, I know anything below a 5 is good, but I figure this is more like scoring golf rather than bowling! Lower is definitely better! All I can figure is that the little things really do make a difference!

[SuperSleeper]

That is interesting. Of course, a handful of nights does necessarily prove it, but it's an interesting indicator that it has an effect, at least.

[Sleepster]

I had 3 straight nights in the .40s then suddenly, night before last it popped up to 1.53! I was devastated! Wrong way!

Stuff like that happens to me all the time. And probably a lot of others, too. I believe that only average values matter. For example, if you had an average of 0.4 for a month, followed by a month where it was 1.53, that might mean something significant is going on.

[zonk]

The thing matters most for me is getting over 6 hours of sleep each night and any less would feel lousy whatever the AHI say
Your little things might not be the same as my little things

[Dreamcatcher]

I dont have any little things only large ones. I feel like a dogs dinner even when my AHI is very low, yet when I dont use my machine I feel great (..and no Im not cured) I think the wife has spiked my coffee with something

[mjbearit]

I think the wife has spiked my coffee with something

Arsenic?

[mjbearit]

That is interesting. Of course, a handful of nights does necessarily prove it, but it's an interesting indicator that it has an effect, at least.

You know what made me notice this was someone saying something about their exhalation relief having a large affect on their numbers. And this came immediately to mind and it makes me wonder how many of the seemingly insignificant things that we do can cause issues? Personally I have noticed no difference in my AHI when my exhalation relief is on one or on two (never tried three!), but I wasn't really looking for anything other than comfort either. This might be something to play with down the road just to see if it is possible to fine tune your AHI even lower.
I do agree with Zonk about the number of hours of sleep also. I am really guilty of not getting enough hours of sleep. I get up at about 4:00 AM 3 days a week and about 5:00 AM the other 4 days. This means I have to go to bed really early, but when the sun is still out it is difficult to go to bed! I am working on this though. I feel good at 8 hours and if I manage to squeak in 8 and a half hours, I am ready to take on the world!