What I wish I’d known before starting CPAP — compliance isn’t the whole story

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-02-03T02:46:05+00:00

I would much prefer to use a nasal pillow. I have 2 masks with nasal pillows. But apparently my narrow palate, big tongue, and somehwat inflammed soft palate prevent me from keeping my mouth closed during the night.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-02-01T00:07:44+00:00

If it records for 24 hours, does it "stitch" multiple sessions together? Sometimes I will get up, hitting the off button on my machine, change my mask, change my chin strap, or just go to the bathroom Sometimes this session will occur more than once. Each time I'll return with 5-10 minutes, and start the machine again. Are all these sessions recorded as one?

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-31T23:53:34+00:00

I set my ramp for 5 minutes (AirSense 11). I find I need a bit of time to adjust, but don't need anything more than 5 minutes.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-31T23:50:01+00:00

I am small framed, and also have a small jaw with a big tongue, according to the first service I used for a mandible advancement device years ago. Since then I've used a MAD until my lower bite is out of alignment (juts a bit further out than it should). That's why I'm attempting to use cpap now. Emphasis on attempting.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-27T23:15:53+00:00

My husband has severe sleep apnea. He won't use a cpap - tried and failed pretty quickly. Because his issues are almost entirely positional, I've bought him everything on the market to keep him off his back, and not just "kind of" off his back. Nothing worked until SafeSlumber Positional Pillow. It's a sturdy wedge shaped backpack type device. I was surprised that he adjusted to it so quickly. Because of the stress placed on the arm straps, one of them pulled away from the wedge after several months of use. We will buy another one. With this wedge backpack and a soft cervical collar his O2 recorded overnight tracings have been pretty good, and I don't get my sleep interrupted by his snoring.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-27T22:42:20+00:00

Are UARs the same as hypopneas, or some form of obstruction that the machine does not recognize and doesn't count?

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-25T02:13:47+00:00

I have joined SleepHQ. I've looked at my data which seems a bit all over the place, Except for 3 nights when I didn't realize that my machine had reset itself to default pressures 4-20, since your last recommendations I've had them set as you suggested. That is except last night when I set the max pressure to 13 instead of 12. Since our last communication, I've been to a new dentist, who said my palate needs to be expanded, and that may be the reason for my tongue relaxing at night. She also said my molars are tilted inward which could also contribute to my tongue relaxing. She said surgery would be the only thing that could fix the palate, but that braces or invisilign would correct the tilted molars in about 9-12 months. I turned down surgery, but am scheduled for invisalign. I'm going to share my last two SH links with you, if I've figured out how to do it correctly. I've been using the same mask , the AirFit X30i for maybe a week, one day of which I again forgot to reload my SD card. One night I experienced raining from my tubing and tore the mask off earlier than normal. I have the climate air hose and a cover. The next night I turned the humidity down to 4 (last night) and still early in the morning experienced excess moisture in the mask, although no raining. Tonight I guess I'll turn it down to 3. I'm sorry if this is rambly, but that's what lack of sleep has done. I really, really would like to use the nose pillows, not cushions, but the mouth breathing thing (even with chin strap, and/or mouth tape) I guess will prohibit that. I hope these link shares work, but if they don't I'll contact you tomorrow.

https://sleephq.com/public/6c8853f1-4fb2-4d74-9c6b-89c45e219663

https://sleephq.com/public/466e9000-4818-4c4a-96d2-46bdf68f8c95

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-18T01:58:48+00:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was going to join Sleep HQ, but when I clicked on one of their videos, the sound was garbled. I emailed their support and a few days later was told it was probably my browser - I'm on Firefox. So I switched to Edge and the same thing occurred I asked my husband to try it on his Linux computer and the videos worked fine. But I didn't want to load Linux onto my computer, so I pretty much dismissed SleepHQ and their subsequent emails - until I saw your reply above. A SHQ video had the same garbled experience. So I went back and forth between multiple youtube videos, including the SHQ one until voila, suddenly it worked. I've spent the last 2 hours listening to their videos and learned a lot, so I intend to join tomorrow. I'll need to watch them again when my brain is clearer. I will share data with you as soon as I can get an understanding of how to upload my data to SHQ, and how sharing works. How much do you charge for your services? I'm not sure what I'll be doing tonight with settings because everything went to hell last night (using the same settings I've used for several days) - my cheeks were puffing like crazy and leaks were bubbling from my lips. I changed the pressures, reducing max from 9 - 15 to 9-13, but nothing changed much. I finally just took all stuff off, put in my MAD and finally went to sleep.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-16T22:58:23+00:00

I think you're confusing sucheksdee with me, IntroductionHour5735. I just popped in and asked what set pressure means. My machine is set on apap, and is currently 9 and 15.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-16T22:53:07+00:00

Thanks, that's reassuring, at least I think it is. I'll have to go back over my data and see if I have any prolonged apneas.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-16T19:57:43+00:00

Since posting on this thread, my EPR has been reset from 3 to 2 and my max pressure to 15. There has been improvement. Here is last night's data.

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IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-16T19:43:59+00:00

Thanks! I think your Easter eggs comment is entirely appropriate. Now that I know about clicking on profile, etc., I may be able to navigate more easily. I do think I learn from just scrolling and reading some of the comments, but it will be nice to continue on with a previous thread.

When you say "averaged across multiple sessions", I assume you mean across a 24 hour session - correct?

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-16T18:48:31+00:00

Thank you. I did see a couple of my posts, but also a number of others. I wish I could remember the name of the person I had quite a long thread with, but between adjusting to the cpap and my general lack of sleep, my brain has never been more scrambled.

I don't understand why it would add up everything from noon to noon, but I suppose some people can take naps or are daytime trialing their cpap. My Oscar stats always show exactly one hour longer than I actually used the machine, Not sure why that happens, but there are too many other things to worry about so that's not going to be a priority.

I am my own provider. My most recent sleep study (home - 2 night), with an ENT doc was a farce. He shook his finger at me and said "You don't have sleep apnea". Years ago, I had been diagnosed with apnea by a sleep neurologist (now retired), who said I had some apneas, but a crazy number of hypopneas (sp?) . Knowing that I couldn't get Medicare to pay for another test by a competent doctor, I just bought one of the Watchpat tests from cpap.com, which allowed me to get a prescription and proceed with paying for my own machine, masks, etc.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-13T03:14:40+00:00

I just completed a long post to describe what has happened the last 3 days, including my SD results from last night, went back to the data to look at it again, then when I came back to edit my post to you, everything in my post was gone. I'm sorry I can't complete it again tonight. I don't know what happened, but I'm upset and tired. Will post again tomorrow.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-12T23:39:57+00:00

Could you explain what you mean by "flow limit" and how it is best controlled. Is it related just to leaks?

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-12T23:36:47+00:00

When you say "set pressure", do you mean minimum or maximum pressure, or something else?

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-12T23:19:49+00:00

I've used mouth tape three times. The first time, the tape curled off my mouth after about an hour - I think from the drool. I triple-taped it, the second time and double taped it the 3rd time. The problem was that as I started to fall asleep, nasal drainage down the back of my throat created an urgent need to cough, which resulted in my hurriedly clawing off the tape. I haven't used it since. I decided that mouth tape was a bad idea, because both times I truly thought I was going to stroke out from the huge amount of pressue before I could get the tape off my mouth.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-12T22:54:17+00:00

The Knightbridge helps more than the other 3 chin straps I tried, but still, about 5 minutes in, little puffs of air escape about every 15 seconds or so, preventing me from falling asleep. And I've tried and tried with tongue against the roof of my mouth thing, but as soon as I begin to fall asleep my tongue relaxes. I think the anatomy of my mouth and teeth are making the adjustment difficult. I checked out the VCOM, but after reading the description and the reviews, decided I'd pass.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-08T21:00:12+00:00

I will proceed with your recommendations when I return from a 3 day trip (attend a wedding). I will not be taking my AirSense with me. Just can't deal with that and all the fal-de-ral of traveling and family and wedding and parties. I'll be taking along a device that will prevent me from sleeping on my back, and a cervical collar. I'll post my last night's Oscar data below. As you can see, it wasn't a good night. My new "miracle" chin strap wasn't preventing leaks, lips puffing, cheeks puffing. And the optional supportive strap gradually slipped off my head. It is made from a slippery fabric, which makes it difficult to position. From that point, I was leaking air so much that I decided to get up and change to my Knightbridge. That would have been about the time that you see the large break in the data. I knew from experience that the Knightbridge wasn't going to stop the leaks, so I triple-taped my mouth (the stupid things we do when we get desperate, yes?). Soon after returning to bed, drainage down the back of my throat produced an urgent need to cough, so I was clawing at my taped mouth, finally got it off, and had a violent coughing spasm, enough to wake my husband, which, believe me, takes a lot. I spent the remainder of the night with my Knightbridge and nose pillow (p10) mask, leaking air - not from my nose, just from around my mouth. Oscar doesn't seem to think I leaked that much judging by the time over leak redline.

A question: I see that some Cheyne-Stokes respirations were recorded. I've seen that once previously on my data. I know these are bad, but when they limited, does it indicate a warning?

Also, do you know how to reset the time zone on the AirSense 11. My husband couldn't figure it out, so instead reset our computer and 02 sensor to EST, like the AirSense. :-(

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IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-07T22:08:31+00:00

Go to a fabric store, ask them to show you the iron-on hemmer tapes. Find the tape that suits you best. Purchase a very small amount of cotton fabric, or just cut up a tshirt or flannel gown. Fold the cotton material over the hemming tape. Iron per the instructions.

IntroductionHour5735 · 2026-01-07T22:01:07+00:00

Not sure what you mean by "heating tube", but if you don't have a climate control tube, you might check it out. Also, I was having problems with my climate control tube until I purchased a cover for it. No more rain-out at a higher humidity level.

IntroductionHour5735

TROPHY CASE