Leak decreases, AHI increases
New CPAP user and forum member -
Curious as to from one night to the next, the leak can be lower, but AHI increases. Here is my data for the past 2 nights:
Thursday: Leak 7.2 / 19.2 (Med / 95%) AHI 0.59
Friday : Leak 3.6 / 13.20 (Med / 95%) AHI 3.22
I am sure leak is just part of the therapy, but this has me curious.
Also, I see plenty of people with VERY low leak levels. Are the leak levels I have had for the past 2 nights acceptable?
RE: Leak decreases, AHI increases
We need to see Oscar chart to have any idea what happened
08-21-2021, 05:12 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-21-2021, 05:13 PM by rhyman.)
RE: Leak decreases, AHI increases
OSCAR data from night 1, followed by night 2.
RE: Leak decreases, AHI increases
Are you using a high resolution monitor? If so, please the section on OSCAR Graphics Problems on the
OSCAR Troubleshooting Wiki page.
Your graphs are too squashed to see them in detail. We normally want to see only the first six graphs. Just pull down the separator between each graph to enlarge the first six until they fill the screen.
RE: Leak decreases, AHI increases
The way your charts were posted (very small and hard to see) it appears that when your AHI went up you could be having positional apnea.
Positional apnea is when you sleep in a position when you cut off your own airway. Sometimes is sleeping on your back or sleeping on to high of a pillow. Positional apnea is by also known as chin tucking - your chin drops down to your Sternum cutting off your air ( which is of course apnea)
NO CHANGE of pressure can help, you can only stop it by staying out of that position. Yours is not bad and you can stop it by being aware not sleeping in a position that will cut off your airway. IF you can’t there is a link in my signature to collars that help a great deal.
RE: Leak decreases, AHI increases
Another thing to keep in mind, leaks near or above 24, which is ResMed's leak redline, will either show false Apnea events, too high or low, the PAP can't give accurate readings and the therapy pressures may not have been at the proper levels.
As mentioned it could also be that you have positional Apnea. Your PAP cannot blow enough to keep your airway open in that case. You will need a physical device like a soft collar to keep your head and neck in correct alignment.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: Leak decreases, AHI increases
2 nights is not enough data for a statistical conclusion.
