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Data Questions
#1
Data Questions
Hi everyone.  I've been using the Dreamstation for two months now and I'm afraid I'm going backwards.  I fall asleep with no problems but wake after ~ 1 hr.  If I can fall back asleep, I awake again after another ~2hr. Then I rarely fall back asleep.  In the past two weeks, I find myself wearing the mask until 4 hrs has elapsed and I meet compliance.  In more recent days, I have been frustrated enough to just take the mask off rather than toss and turn. Previously, I had a few nights where I used the mask for 6-7 hrs and I know I feel better in the morning on those few occasions.

I have a question about a recent poor night I experienced.  I am a stomach sleeper using the F30i.  Often I try to put a pillow under my chin to prevent OA but on this night I used the Eliminator.

Why does my pressure rise beginning at 23:30 with only 1 OA event?  The pressure doesn't drop until I wake up and turn the machine off.

I appreciate any comments.


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#2
RE: Data Questions
Looking at the events posted, there are several shown over the total time.  The stair step part of the pressure graph is a result of your settings of the Ramp = 4 cm H2O, Time = 30 minutes, and type = Linear.  The machine is responding to the need to increase pressure but limited to the ramp rate until the necessary pressure is reached.  Then, you can see the pressure gradually decreasing until the next event at midnight.  

A couple of comments about your settings:
1) If you can do without the Ramp feature, turn it off.  If not, can you live with reducing it to 10 - 15 minutes.
2) Turn the Auto On function to On Status.
3) It looks from this very short example, that your starting pressure is too low.  Can you look at other data and see if the average pressure is similar?  If so, you might consider increasing the starting pressure from 9 cm H2O to 10 cm H2O in conjunction with getting your doctor to agree that increased pressure is appropriate.
4) Your tidal volume looks great as does your respiration rate.  Share those numbers with you doctor.
5) Your comments imply a sleep hygiene issue.  When you wake up in the night and then have difficulty getting  back to sleep and staying asleep, it suggests that a different strategy might be useful.
a) If you are not back to sleep in 15 minutes, unmask, get out of bed, go to another room, and do something boring - read and novel, listen to elevator music, etc. until you feel sleepy (not tired but sleepy.)  Then go back to bed.
b) Keep repeating this cycle until it is time to get up in the morning.
The aim of this process is to retrain your brain to the new habit of "I'm in bed, I'm supposed to be sleeping, If I'm not sleeping I get out of bed." 
c) Try to get to bed at about the same time in the evening and get up at about the same time in the morning.  Going to bed is when you are sleepy, not when you are tired.
d) No reading in bed, no TV in bed, no eating in bed.  Try to build the habit in (a) above.
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#3
RE: Data Questions
Thank you very much for your comments.  Will look at changing settings but definitely agree that I need to improve my sleep habits.
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