The machine. I still think this machine is the bomb! I have only the old iron lung I was using before to compare it to, but I actually still love this machine (as much as one can love an xPAP!). It is way quiet compared to the old machine. My mask makes way more noise than the machine ever does! I love the new "comfort features"! In the old days it was just a ramp button, which never really did anything for me! I love the new humidifier too. I think it just works better, well for one thing it has more settings than on and off! I love the fact that it does the whole "Auto" thing! My last sleep study was in 2004 and I hated it so much I never asked for another! This gives me the option to give me the correct pressure for this point in my life.
Data, well what can I say? I love having data! My old machine said how many hours it had operated and it would even tell you how many days you were compliant (not that anyone ever checked....another story). I now know more about my sleep than I ever wanted to, and I completely understand what is going on, whereas before I could not even guess. I have issues trying to understand all of it sometimes, but I suppose this will come with time as well. But the thing is, I know what happened during the prior night. When I am tired I look at my night and I understand why I am tired. I feel good and I know why I feel good! The challenge it would seem, is to replicate the best night and never have the bad nights again! However, we all know that we are human. Sometimes life does not go the way we want it to. For those times I am glad I have an Auto so it can make the necessary adjustments to keep me above the sod.
My current average AHI is 1.68 and overall I feel this is an improvement over my life before I started suckin on the machine again. I have noticed I have 2 good days, then a bad day so I'm not sure what is up with that, but they say anything under a 5 is good so I figure I am not yet over a 4 on any individual day, so I'm good!
Today is one of those "bad days" and at 5 PM my eyes are burning and I am exhausted (I fell asleep twice while I was working today). I was almost at a 4 night before last then last night right at 3, but we have had a death in the family so I expect things like this to take a toll. After this weekend when everything returns to normal I will make the attempt to get more sleep (I'm averaging less than 6.5 hours these last few days and I am an 8-9 hour guy).
So there is my current take on all things sleepy!
PRS1 - Auto - A-Flex x2 - 12.50 - 20 - Humid x2 - Swift FX