Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea
Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - Printable Version

+- Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Public Area (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Public-Area)
+--- Forum: Main Apnea Board Forum (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Main-Apnea-Board-Forum)
+--- Thread: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 (/Thread-Waking-up-at-3am-when-flow-rate-is-0)

Pages: 1 2


Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - emperorsgroove - 02-23-2022

I'm new to this forum, so apologies if I should post this a different way or in a different place.

I've been trying to use CPAP for 3 years and I can't stick with it. I always wake up at 3am and I haven't been able to figure out why. I've read a few posts on hear about a few different causes it may be, but I'm not sure anything I've read relates to my issue.

My equipment and settings:

  • Resmed AirSense 10 For Her
  • Resmed AirFit P30i
  • Autoset mode: 7-10.4 cmH2O
  • EPR: Full Time
  • EPR Level: 2 cmH2O
  • Ramp: Off
I recently discovered the Oscar software and have been looking at my Daily data every morning. It seems at around 3am every night my flow rate goes to 0 for about 5 seconds and then spikes up, I guess when I wake up. This doesn't seem to be aligned with any event flags. 

I'll include images from last night's data, in case it help.

If there is any further data that would be helpful, please let me know.

Any suggests would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


RE: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - Sleeprider - 02-23-2022

If you are saying your machine shuts down at 03:00 it does not show in the chart, however, if you are using SmartStart, then turn that off to prevent the machine from shutting down. If you are awakening at that time and removing the mask, then it is a habit.


RE: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - emperorsgroove - 02-23-2022

No, the machine isn't turning off. I just notice on the flow rate chart that the flow rate goes to 0 for a few seconds, which I think indicates that I stop breathing. There are no events shown in the events log when this happens. Then the flow rate spikes (deep breath in) and I wake up.


RE: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - Geer1 - 02-23-2022

That overall example doesn't show anything obvious, you would have to post some zoomed in views of the arousal for us to get an idea of what may or may not be happening.


RE: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - emperorsgroove - 02-23-2022

(02-23-2022, 02:29 PM)Geer1 Wrote: That overall example doesn't show anything obvious, you would have to post some zoomed in views of the arousal for us to get an idea of what may or may not be happening.

Here is a zoomed in view of the event at 2:58 which woke me up. Does this help?


RE: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - GuyScharf - 02-23-2022

Could you zoom in at the 3 am period where you wake up and post a screen shot of about the last 10 minutes?

How do you feel when you wake up? What do you do after you wake up? Do you remove mask and go back to sleep? If so, why remove the mask?


RE: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - emperorsgroove - 02-23-2022

(02-23-2022, 02:37 PM)emperorsgroove Wrote: Here is a zoomed in view of the event at 2:58 which woke me up. Does this help?

Just to clarify, it wasn't flagged as an "event".


RE: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - emperorsgroove - 02-23-2022

(02-23-2022, 02:38 PM)GuyScharf Wrote: Could you zoom in at the 3 am period where you wake up and post a screen shot of about the last 10 minutes?

How do you feel when you wake up? What do you do after you wake up? Do you remove mask and go back to sleep? If so, why remove the mask?

Here is the last 10 mins. The green line is set to when I woke up.

I feel tired when I wake up, even after using CPAP. Last night was 5:41hrs of use. In the past I usually try and fall asleep again with the mask on, which I haven't had success in. Last night I took the mask off and went back to sleep without it. I remove the mask because I can't fall back asleep with it on.


RE: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - Sleeprider - 02-23-2022

Starting before the event, you are exhaling orally. The breathing pause is too short for an apnea and the recovery breath is just an arousal and getting back in sync. None of this is abnormal, but the sleep disruption is the concern. You punched out of therapy due to the arousal without giving yourself much of a chance for more sleep.


RE: Waking up at 3am, when flow rate is 0 - Geer1 - 02-23-2022

You don't have obvious flow limitations but one thing I did notice is how your respiration rate slowly climbs at multiple points in the night and exhalation time declines as the night goes on. Makes me wonder if reducing the exhalation effort might help, I would try raising EPR to 3.

I would also be interested in seeing another 8-10 minute view during normal breathing, starting at say 00:45.