Flow Rate + Twitching

[SpencerSleep]

Hi everyone,

Started my CPAP journey over the last four days. Very comfortable when conscious, however my body/mind still seems to be getting used to things as I sleep.

Last night I think I had a decent stretch of REM sleep that correlated with this interesting flow rate graph (Image 1). This started around 90 minutes into the night.

I've also been recording myself so I have video to reference with the chart and my Apple Watch data. With that, each of the peaks corresponds to a twitch of my feet. It was very regular, about every 60s during this time.

All this lasted until a strange disruption (Image 2) that woke me up. Took the mask off to use the restroom at that time.

I'm struggling with staying asleep once I hit REM, disruptions like this tend to happen just as I'm relaxing into that stage of sleep and it wakes me up like clockwork every ~60 minutes, eventually forcing me out of bed in the morning feeling unrefreshed.

It seems like the machine is preventing extended apnea episodes which is great, but I still have these disruptions. 

Any thoughts on the foot twitching/flow rate connection? One causing the other, normal? 

Any other advice or help regarding sleeping through the night would be appreciated. Thanks all!

Edit: Full night Image 3

[srlevine1]

Have you considered/investigated “restless legs syndrome,” another sleep disorder that may accompany sleep apnea—although there does not seem to be a statistic correlation between the two?

[jdougc]

Your Apnea is well controlled.  Your flow limits are causing the pressure swings though.

The pressure swings occur at approximately at your deep/Rem sleep times. Might be the source of your arousals. That would wake me up.

You may be ready to go to CPAP mode, with a pressure of 8.6 cm, between your median and 95%.

Try that for a few nights.