Need some help/advice - here's my symptoms and machine settings

[Dormeo]

Just to be sure: could you check whether you have the machine set to mask type = full face?

If you have, or could get, a copy of your prescription, you could shop on line for a mask, looking for places that will let you return the mask for a different one if it doesn't work out. I'm seeing the Aloha nasal pillow mask for under $70, if that's not a budget-breaker for you.

Of course, every face is different, but I liked the Aloha. It didn't cut across my cheekbones, was stable, and had a little loop that let me route the short hose up through the top head strap.

[bbillingsley1985]

Just double checked and it is definitely set to full face mask on the machine.

The money isn't really an issue. Even if it was, I've already paid and it comes with free exchanges through 30 days so I can swap if I need to.

I'll look into that mask you suggested. Only thing I can really do at this point is find a comfortable mask.  I'm getting pretty used to how the machine operates and I'm fine with it, it doesn't really bother me anymore but I just hate that I'm not seeing results and actually sleeping through the night. I'm such a light sleeper anyway that I notice everything. If I hear the dogs make any noise at all it'll jolt me up. Seeing posts of people say they wake up and their mask is off, it's hard to believe for me that people can sleep that solid to where they don't remember taking the mask off. I'm so aware of everything through the night that there's no way I could do that.

[Gideon]

If I may suggest that in addition to everything here that you dig into sleep hygiene and see what you can do to improve that.

[Dormeo]

To elaborate on Gideon's recommendation, here are commonly provided guidelines for better sleep. For quite a while I thought they didn't apply to me, then out of desperation I started following them, and what do you know, they helped.

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
• Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get at least 7 hours of sleep.
• Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
• If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
• Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
• Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
• Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
• Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening.
• Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.
• Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.

[bbillingsley1985]

Thanks to the both of you for the tips. Great advice. I've been following some of those tips but not all. The sleep schedule advice especially is helpful to me.

As far as today's report, basically same chart as previous days.....lots of leaks. Don't think that Vitera mask is going to work out for me. Just feels too bulky and guess the shape of my face is not optimal for the setup. I'll check it extensively before I go to sleep and there are no leaks, but I'm such an active sleeper I guess somewhere throughout the night it gets readjusted. Then the red marks are still on the nose. Think my next best option is give the pillow mask a shot.

I was looking at the P30i/N30i and realized that both cushions are compatible with eachother which means I can try both the P30i and N30i cushions with the same headgear setup. I'm thinking Tuesday I'll set up an appointment to swap out the Vitera for that and can spend $15 on amazon for the opposite cushion to try both out. I really like the feel/setup of the F30i so I figure I'll stick with that same under the nose style with hose attachment at the top because of the marks they make etc.

That's the best I can figure anyway. I am at least sleeping each night. Quality isn't as good as I would like it but it does seem like I'm getting more and more used to the cpap operation throughout the night.

[Gideon]

Look at the Mirage Activa nasal Mask.
Properly adjusted it has about .25 inch play is any direction and still maintains a seal. The seal literally floats on your face because of a bellows between the frame and the seal. It was my go-to mask prior to the P10

[SarcasticDave94]

Since you normally do not mouth breathe, I agree you should move away from full face. Activa, P10 as both were suggested. I only had suggested Vitera as you were already on a full face. I think now most full face masks might end up full fail.

[bbillingsley1985]

You think Activa or P10 would be better choices than trying the N30i/P30i?  Curious on if reviews for them are worse compared to P10/Activa among the board.  The P10 I think would work, but the thing I worry about with Activa is the same thing I worried about with Vitera....marks on the nose.  I like that P10 and P30i/N30i sit under the nose.  That would mean no nose marks but the new worry is would it seal good?

On last night's sleep I had a weird thing happen.  First off, I was back on the F30i because my nose line was still very red from the Vitera.  So sometime around 2 am I jolted up, this isn't anything new as it happens a lot but it just felt sort of different last night.  I woke up kind of feeling sick and it took me a good while to fall back asleep after.  Then this morning I woke up and felt even more sluggish than normal.....I always feel pretty slulggish but this one was extra bad.  Just kind of a sick weak feeling.

Pulled up the chart and looks like right at 2 am, which coincides roughly to when I woke up, I had a RERA.  I've never had that before and not even sure what that means.  I remember looking at the clock and it was around 2:15 and I was definitely awake.  I woke up sometime before that but may have been a bit after 2 am.  On the 2nd attachment, I pinpointed what was going on at the exact time of the RERA and didn't really see anything out of the normal.  Flow rate didn't appear that I stopped breathing or anything.

Was just curious what that was all about especially since I felt about as sick as I've ever felt this morning after waking up....It was a terrible night of sleep.  All tossing and turning after 2 am and then like usual from 5 am something on, there were a ton of CA's.

[Sleeprider]

You can see from the charts your pressure changes a LOT and it does this because you have flow limitations. Your closeup of the flow rate shows the typical flattening of the inspiration curve. This is where your Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset can be a star and provide you with expiratory pressure relief (EPR) which is equivalent to bilevel pressure. All you have to do is turn on EPR full-time at a setting of 3. What happens is your exhale pressure will be 3-cm less than your inhale pressure, and this helps to remove the airway resistance at the root of the flow limitation. It's going to make you more comfortable and help you to sleep better, and may help with leaks, although I like the other mask suggestions by Gideon above. Once you have used EPR, let's take a look at your results, and I'd like to increase the minimum pressure enough to keep the pressure swing to less than 3-cm. By eliminating flow limitation you will immediately see far less pressure variation, but we need to see the results.

[Gideon]

No matter who says what on masks, no matter what the reviews say, masks MUST be tried to see if they work for you.