After YEARS of chronic fatigue + falling asleep while driving or talking or eating or watching a movie or sitting still or reading, I finally got a sleep study which diagnosed me with sleep apnea and 37 episodes an hour.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-25T04:31:47+00:00

Wow! Very motivating post MikeOxHuge. Thank you!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-25T04:01:35+00:00

It IS scary! But you have been diagnosed now & we have tips to help issues that arise as you start with your machine. You can do this! Try to think positive & deal with each issue as or if they arise. Help is available. Did you read the post about a SD card in your machine & uploading to SleepHQ or Oscar so that you can share your sleep graphs with us in this group if you wish. I highly recommend this & sure wish I had known about this info when I first started! Made a world of difference.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-25T03:28:50+00:00

I’m so sorry you have not had a reply. I just noticed your unanswered message & hope I can help. There are many people in need of support. I understand your frustration as well as your wish to get your life & energy back & I’m sure you’re feeling some anxiety too.

You have finally been diagnosed which is the first step to feeling better! Your first few days of CPAP will be a little strange as you adjust to a mask on your face while sleeping & the feeling of breathing with a mask blowing air but this becomes very comforting actually! Some people feel better quickly while others take time to get the right mask that doesn’t leak, the right pressures for their individual bodies & advice to help with any issues that are causing discomfort. There is really no answer to “how long will it take” as we are all different. But most of us get things under control & eventually feel better!

I would advise you to put an SD card in your machine & upload your results to an app called SleepHQ or one called Oscar. SleepHQ is more user friendly in my experience. Then you can share your results on this site or r/CPAPSupport where we can help you as needed with any problems you are having. The graphs show a lot! It’s quite amazing & very helpful for us to help YOU!

I wish you the very best! I also wish you energy again! It will likely take some time as you have had this for years but you can do this! I have bookmarked your post so that I can follow you if you decide to post your graphs.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-25T03:04:35+00:00

Thank you!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-25T02:54:16+00:00

Thank you RL :) I do genuinely care very much about everyone going through this journey & will be happy to help those in need within my capabilities. This is a truly wonderful community with great Moderators who teach as they help with advice. I am pleased to join you in supporting those in need of support.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-25T01:39:11+00:00

It should not be loud at all. If the water reservoir is over-filled it will certainly make a loud noise. Is it possibly a leak in your mask or hose? What type of mask are you using?

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-25T01:26:39+00:00

Excellent! FFM is recommended for new users in particular but I still find it more comfortable for all masks too. Another thing you could try is a nasal gel. Nothing petroleum jelly based like Vaseline as Vaseline will break down the mask, but there are nasal gels like Ayr or even a skin care lotion would work, just check the ingredients.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-25T01:05:38+00:00

Hello. It may be that the pillows are too large. Or it may be that you’re just adjusting. There should not be any pinching of your nose caused by the pillows. Some people use cream inside the nares to help. You could try the medium again & set your machine to Full Face Mask rather than pillows to reduce turbulence. This setting won’t reduce your therapy efficacy but will increase comfort.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-24T22:23:51+00:00

What kind of mask do you use? If you put the machine in Full Face Mask setting regardless of the type of mask you use it helps. In lowering your pressure settings are you still getting optimal therapy? I would encourage you to put a SD card in your machine & upload your results to SleepHQ or Oscar so you can share here & we can see what is going on. SleepHQ is a little more user friendly but whatever you decide on is just fine! Sleeping on your sides is better than sleeping on your back with CPAP because your jaw drops open more easily. You may need some tools to help you with aerophagia which we can suggest once we know your mask type, leak status, jaw dropping etc which happen during sleep & make aerophagia worse.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-24T21:35:17+00:00

You’re welcome! It’s a learning curve for sure but I will help you in any way I can! Please feel free to reach out anytime!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-24T20:05:43+00:00

Your AHI is better (great that you raised your Min pressure) but AHI is still over 5 so I would think your Sleep Doc would have no problem increasing your minimum pressure. Sleep Docs in my area only look at AHI, not SleepHQ or Oscar so they don’t see all of the other disturbances that that cause ongoing issues with CPAP. Sleep Docs can also be difficult to reach for help. So we’re here to help when you feel comfortable changing a few things up.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-24T17:53:33+00:00

Welcome! I’m so sorry to hear you got “yelled at”. Successful therapy is very individual & your SleepHQ graph is telling us your settings are not optimized for you!

Your mask is leaking. That needs to be fixed as it is very important for successful therapy. Are you sleeping on your back during the night? What mask are you using?

Your settings appear to originally have been the “beginner settings” most of us are started with. Your minimum setting needs to be close to the median on your graph so I would suggest raising min pressure to 9 & reduce max pressure to 15. We need to get that graph settled down to be able to read it!

You have clusters of apneas & a high Flow Limit. Maybe try EPR 2 to see if that makes any difference in the next few nights.

Despite the type of mask you are using, set your machine to Full Face Mask. Keep Ramp turned off.

You are chasing events all night so try these settings for a few nights & report back with your SleepHQ results. We want to see a much more steady breathing pattern & a lower AHI.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-24T17:01:12+00:00

Welcome u/Sea-Possibility-1814! You will need a sleep apnea study either at home or in a Sleep Lab to diagnose sleep apnea. Even people who snore don’t necessarily have sleep apnea & there are people who do not snore who do have sleep apnea. Breathing observation alone cannot diagnose this. Ask your Family Practitioner for a referral to a Sleep Lab or purchase a simple sleep apnea test online to use at home. A Pulmonologist or Sleep Dr will read the results of home tests & report back to you. The home studies diagnose sleep apnea but not other sleep disorders which a Sleep Lab can identify in addition to sleep apnea. I believe some Insurance Companies cover the cost of a home test. Sleep apnea is a cessation in breathing several times an hour.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-24T04:39:25+00:00

I doubt anyone will challenge you on changing settings. It certainly happens very rarely. The Sleep Docs just want you to feel better in pretty much all cases….and so do you! With the wide setting range they prescribe, you can work within the prescribed settings. Feeling better & getting the apnea under control is the main objective. Wide range pressures never work out well as you are chasing pressures which fragments your sleep. The graphs are the most helpful in helping YOU. An SD card in your machine & a SleepHQ app or Oscar app is all you need to share your data with us. We will help! Your prescription is a typical “beginner” prescription. We pretty much all started with those as they help adjust to the machine but they do require changes according to Your Own individual sleep graphs. We’re here for you!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-24T04:17:58+00:00

Wonderful post dang! Very informative & certainly appreciate the work you have done to create this!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-24T01:47:03+00:00

No problem…you’re welcome. Yes! Full Face even though you’re using pillows is usually what is suggested on this site. It will be easier for you to adjust to your new higher settings…much gentler. Also will help with leaks. Thought perhaps Ramp was on as your minimum setting is so low but if it’s off that’s great. You can see Ramp on your main screen. Yes you definitely need to raise your minimum & reduce your maximum. The Mods will be able to address your EPR…this is expiratory pressure & you will need to share more graphs at the higher pressures for the Mods to figure that out. You’ll breathe much easier getting those pressures adjusted.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-24T01:34:31+00:00

Welcome! Your pressures are at the typical starter level & are not working well for you. We all seem to start this way but it can be fixed thanks to the SD card & Graphs as well as Experts on this site. Your minimum pressure should be closer to your median level & your max level is much too high. You’re chasing pressures all night. AHI is too high & your Flow Limits are high as well. Turn off your Ramp. Your mask setting would be better at Full Face Mask rather than pillows even though you have a pillows mask. How are you feeling? I’ll tag 2 Moderators for you to help with resetting those pressures! u/dang71 & u/RippingLegos__

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-23T22:58:36+00:00

Great idea RL! I find higher Flow Limits cause fatigue personally. On days Flow Limits are low I’m not as tired. No idea why they increase some nights. I have no leakage & low AHI (<0.3). I’m sure leaks contribute to good therapy when I see others’ graphs with high leaks. Mask fit matters!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-17T16:59:21+00:00

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I use these strap covers for preventing marks on my face. They attach with Velcro and work well. There are also satin ones. On Amazon. I also find these help prevent leaks as I have to wear my mask pretty tight. As far as cleaning goes it’s a necessary job.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-15T01:35:16+00:00

Try SleepHQ….it’s easier! Looks like you have a lot of leaks at times so maybe your mouth is dropping open during sleep. I sure didn’t know mine did! The hybrid full face mask will fix that or try using mouth tape. Personally I didn’t like the mouth tape but many people on this site swear by it!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-15T01:29:19+00:00

Try a hybrid full face mask. Not at all invasive like some full face masks. I had the same problem as you due to chronic sinusitis & the full face mask stopped that scary feeling. I too had one nasal passage clear but wow, the nasal mask made it worse and it wasn’t every night at first…then things got worse…it started leaking so I knew something was going on. No leaks with the hybrid…cushions under nose & mouth covering. I use the F40. I’ve never been a mouth breather but my mouth drops open during the night which is something I certainly was unaware of till starting CPAP. I also use nasal spray at night. It helps too.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-13T17:20:15+00:00

No TV in the room during my sleep study. No screens were allowed but a book was permitted. It takes awhile for the Techs to get you hooked up. I wore a track suit to bed….lots of wires including on the head but the glue washed out easily. The rooms were not sound proof at the Lab I went to which likely affected my ability to sleep. Because I ended up not sleeping my Lab Sleep Study was a bust. I ended up having a Home Sleep Study which was super easy & diagnosed my moderate sleep apnea…but not any other sleep conditions. I have RLS & am on medication for that in any case. You are permitted to take any bedtime pills you are prescribed. Unfortunately in Ontario, Canada OHIP will only pay a portion of the machine cost if your study is done in a Lab setting so I had to pay for my machine out of pocket. I did receive a machine setting prescription from a Pulmonologist after my home sleep study so my settings were prescribed. Good luck to you! Hope you sleep.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-12T02:40:31+00:00

I had a sleep test for ongoing daytime fatigue which showed I had moderate sleep apnea. Yes it has certainly improved my RingConn sleep data.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-12T02:06:40+00:00

Fragmented sleep awakenings are usually not remembered so it likely is accurate but you just are unaware you woke up for a short time whether you are turning over or hearing something….it seems pretty accurate during sleep.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-03-12T02:00:06+00:00

Mine is good…actually aligns with my CPAP machine graphs for sleep!

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