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Card reader for first review of sleep data
#11
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
(03-19-2012, 08:16 AM)Jenny Wrote: I just thought about it and could it be that I used the APAP less than 4 hours last night? I had more "fits and starts" and maybe total time was not greater than 4 hours? (I still have to learn how to slay the insomnia monster at 1 a.m., when it appears.) Also, what does the AHI mean on the info screen--is that apneas it solved successfully, or unsuccessfully? When I checked it yesterday, the info screen said I had 3.2 for AHI. I can't believe this isn't explained in the manual, or am I missing something? Surely this doesn't mean the body is healing itself? My AHI at the sleep study 3 months ago was 26/hr. Thanks for any helpSmile

ahi is like a composite score of obstructive apnea, central apnea and hypoapnea. 3.2 is excellent. that's 3.2 combined episodes per hour average. you need to sleep longer because the number may not be accurate depending on how much you slept at a time. you could for instance, extreme example, wake up every 10 minutes, you would have 0 ahi and show 4 hours on the machine. but you are headed in the right direction. how about large leak? what were those numbers? also how close are you coming to your maximium pressure?

the body does not heal. you're on this thing forever. when the machine is effective, it keeps the airway open so you don't have apneas. the ones you do see are the ones that the machine didn't stop. in real life its probably impossible to have 0.0 ahi, so you will always have some. so lets work on sleeping longer and see where the numbers go. if 3.2 is accurate your settings are probably correct. if your ahi number goes up or you are bumping up against your maximum pressure you my need a slight pressure adjustment. if you do start adjusting make small adjustments and try them out for several days before going higher or lower.

http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/sl...=Main_Page

look down the page at the documentation section for user guide, faq and glossary of terms
First Diagnosed July 1990

MSgt (E-7) USAF (Medic)
Retired 1968-1990
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#12
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index) is the total number of apneas (no breath) and the total number of hypopneas (shallow breath) for that night added together then divided by the number of hours slept that night.

So say if you had 100 apneas and 50 hypopneas and slept for 8 hrs. that would be 100 + 50 / 8 = AHI of 18.75.

You want to keep that AHI down to less than 5.

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#13
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
Thanks for all that. But are you saying that the APAP does not correct all the apneas? If you are saying this, why doesn't it? I don't get this at all. Seems to me it should correct all of them. Regarding the mask leak, this is the weird thing. I have the mask alert enabled for it to beep and I've tested it by holding my mouth open and nothing! When I checked the leak data, I forget exactly what it said but it was nothing (meaning no leakage). I'm thinking that since I have the nasal pillows the mask alert won't work? Is this right if you know? Because if that is the case then that's worthless to me. I can hardly believe my mouth doesn't fall open sometime during the night even with a chinstrap and a large towel tucked under my chin to keep my mouth shut (and the towel is buttressed by a pillow under my arm, not to mention the one between my knees. I can't believe it's come to this for me (towel under chin). I'm glad the AHI of 3.2 is good but I still feel horrible everyday since I can't seem to master the terrible insomnia starting at 1 a.m. I am going to drink 2 teabags worth of Yogi Bedtime tea since I ordered it after I saw a reviewer say 2 teabags worth made him very extremely sleepy and he thinks 3 teabags worth would make one "comatose." I might go 3 if after 2 I don't feel an effect. The 90% pressure setting said 89% on the INFO screen. The manual says "90% Pressure is defined as the pressure at which the device spent 90% of the session at or below." My question is at or below what? It goes on to say "For example, if the device recognized airflow for 10 hours, and 9 hours were spent at or below 11 cm H20, and 1 hour was spent above 11 cm H20, then the 90% Pressure would be 11 cm H20. I have an auto and the range is 5 to 9, so how is this info helpful to me? I don't get it. Any help is much appreciated on my questions.
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#14
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
Quote:Thanks for all that. But are you saying that the APAP does not correct all the apneas? If you are saying this, why doesn't it? I don't get this at all. Seems to me it should correct all of them.

No, it will not correct them all. The goal is to keep that AHI down to less than 5. I know a few folks here have theirs lower than 2.

Just as blood pressure medication does not ensure perfect blood pressure, and just as diabetes medication does not permanently level out blood glucose, neither does a xPAP totally remove apnea events.

With an AHI of less than 5, and with 8hrs of sleep, and if I remember how to reverse an equation, that means that all night, you have 40 apnea/hypopnea events. Considering that my original sleep test said I was averaging 68 an HOUR, I think 40 the entire night is dang good!

When you have hypertension, you have to take your meds, watch stress, etc. Hot days, exercise, grumpy boss - they can make BP rise.

When you are diabetic, you have to take your meds, watch what you eat, etc. Those 4 fries you snitched from your co-worker's plate, changing your exercise routine - they can make glucose rise.

When you have sleep apnea, you have to use your CPAP, watch your numbers, etc. Alcohol, high stress, body position while sleeping - they can alter the AHI.

As to the rest, I don't have that machine nor does my machine record data (never again will I fall for that) so I can't answer those questions.
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#15
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
Thanks. It is disappointing it will not correct all apneas, especially since it is a mechanical process, i.e, forced air. I might have to play around with the maximum range. My sleep study said zero central apneas. I just read that increased pressure will not change AHI if you have central apneas. On second thought, I'll keep the range I have for now and just try to get thru the night and then see how I feel, even if I still have 3.2 AHI.
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#16
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
(03-19-2012, 08:10 PM)Jenny Wrote: Thanks for all that. But are you saying that the APAP does not correct all the apneas? If you are saying this, why doesn't it? I don't get this at all. Seems to me it should correct all of them. Regarding the mask leak, this is the weird thing. I have the mask alert enabled for it to beep and I've tested it by holding my mouth open and nothing! When I checked the leak data, I forget exactly what it said but it was nothing (meaning no leakage). I'm thinking that since I have the nasal pillows the mask alert won't work? Is this right if you know? Because if that is the case then that's worthless to me. I can hardly believe my mouth doesn't fall open sometime during the night even with a chinstrap and a large towel tucked under my chin to keep my mouth shut (and the towel is buttressed by a pillow under my arm, not to mention the one between my knees. I can't believe it's come to this for me (towel under chin). I'm glad the AHI of 3.2 is good but I still feel horrible everyday since I can't seem to master the terrible insomnia starting at 1 a.m. I am going to drink 2 teabags worth of Yogi Bedtime tea since I ordered it after I saw a reviewer say 2 teabags worth made him very extremely sleepy and he thinks 3 teabags worth would make one "comatose." I might go 3 if after 2 I don't feel an effect. The 90% pressure setting said 89% on the INFO screen. The manual says "90% Pressure is defined as the pressure at which the device spent 90% of the session at or below." My question is at or below what? It goes on to say "For example, if the device recognized airflow for 10 hours, and 9 hours were spent at or below 11 cm H20, and 1 hour was spent above 11 cm H20, then the 90% Pressure would be 11 cm H20. I have an auto and the range is 5 to 9, so how is this info helpful to me? I don't get it. Any help is much appreciated on my questions.

have you used sleepy head yet? if not, stick the card in the machine and look at the reports. it sounds like you're only looking at the machine screens. sleepy head makes it all more clear.
First Diagnosed July 1990

MSgt (E-7) USAF (Medic)
Retired 1968-1990
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#17
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
3.2 is great! Look at it this way, you need an AHI of 5 or greater to be diagnosed with sleep apnea. So, you're doing great.

The pressure does nothing for central events, true.

A CPAP works by forcing air into the throat which assists in keeping the airway from collapsing. Since central events happen with the airway open, extra pressure is not needed.

If you lay on your back, the throat will want to close, so more pressure will be needed. If you lay on your side or stomach, the throat will not have gravity helping it to close so less pressure is needed. If you have a machine that does not adjust the pressure, if more pressure is needed, you won't get it so you may have more apnea events.

Did you know that the muscles of your throat, including the ones that hold the tongue in place, are considered voluntary muscles? We actually THINK about keeping everything in place, just like we think to raise our hand to scratch our nose. So when asleep, those muscles relax just like the rest of the voluntary muscles. If they relax and get close together, the breathing in and out causes them to vibrate - creating the snore. If they vibrate too much and/or they relax too much, they collapse and close the airway. This is why thick necked people and overweight people are more prone to sleep apnea. The airway is already being pushed by other muscles and fat.

Anyway, how long you been using the machine? I would not change the pressure more than, oh, .5 a week or more. You want your body to adjust. Did you read the "how to find the optimum pressure" page?
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...re-on-cpap
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#18
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
[/quote]

have you used sleepy head yet? if not, stick the card in the machine and look at the reports. it sounds like you're only looking at the machine screens. sleepy head makes it all more clear.
[/quote]

I tried to look at the card but Sleepyhead said the card had no data. So I'm going to try again tonight. The screen info I reported was indeed from the screen before I reset all the data due to my many fits and starts. I might need more days' data I guess before I can use Sleepyhead.
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#19
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
Try it before noon.

And remove the / from the first 'quote' and it will work.
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#20
RE: Card reader for first review of sleep data
(03-19-2012, 09:12 PM)PaulaO2 Wrote: Did you know that the muscles of your throat, including the ones that hold the tongue in place, are considered voluntary muscles? We actually THINK about keeping everything in place, just like we think to raise our hand to scratch our nose. So when asleep, those muscles relax just like the rest of the voluntary muscles. If they relax and get close together, the breathing in and out causes them to vibrate - creating the snore. If they vibrate too much and/or they relax too much, they collapse and close the airway. This is why thick necked people and overweight people are more prone to sleep apnea. The airway is already being pushed by other muscles and fat.

Anyway, how long you been using the machine? I would not change the pressure more than, oh, .5 a week or more. You want your body to adjust. Did you read the "how to find the optimum pressure" page?
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...re-on-cpap

Thanks for the URL. I'll look at that tomorrow. I've been using the auto for a week. I got stuck with the brick like you in Dec 2011 when I first got diagnosed. The constant pressure I could not take, so I just paid for the auto myself. I'm overweight but not obese and I know weight makes apnea worse. My dad had a "terrible time sleeping" and went to a sleep clinic I guess in the early 80s but mom said all they did was give him a pillow. I guess they didn't have CPAP yet? He also had a stroke at 54 and died of ALS at 59. More interestingly, I wrote my uncle, my dad's brother, last month and asked him if anyone in the family out west had apnea and he said he'd been on CPAP for the last 5 years and that he probably had it the majority of his life (he is 77). Further, he thinks my granddad had it. My dad, his dad and brother are all over six feet and were and are very skinny. I'm six feet and am basically thin except for my waste area, which needs 40 pounds less (this would be overall on me).
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