What should I share from Sleepyhead?

[DankShroud]

I'm attempting to reduce a variable, usually high nightly AHI of 1.6-5.9. I just downloaded Sleepyhead and imported my CPAP's data. I'm looking at a lot of information right now and want to know what would be useful for me to share here. Is there a way for me to share the Sleepyhead files themselves rather than post screenshots?

[Pugsy]

No. We can't do anything with the data files themselves.

viewtopic/t158560/How-to-post-images-for-review.html

Pick a recent good night and a recent bad night...like within last week or so.
It's not particularly helpful to look at detailed stuff weeks old.

[DankShroud]

A recent good night

Screenshot (8).png (160 KiB) Viewed 1238 times

And a recent bad night

Screenshot (6).png (127.47 KiB) Viewed 1238 times

[palerider]

Why is your minimum pressure set at 20?

[DankShroud]

Why is your minimum pressure set at 20?

I wasn't feeling relief at lower pressures, a sleep study showed a minimum pressure of 11cm to be semi-effective in controlling the apneas. I felt no relief at this pressure and my AHI was relatively high, I also suspected I had UARS that would only respond to higher pressures. So I worked my way up from 11cm to 20cm, with no change in my AHI. I left the minimum pressure high because it didn't affect my AHI and I felt no different.

[Hannibal 2]

I'm attempting to reduce a variable, usually high nightly AHI of 1.6-5.9.

Why do you feel this AHI range is high? Most people have variable AHI but anything under 5.0 is considered treated. What's your average? I have occasional bad and exceptionally good nights, I'd say my AHI range was 0.5-5.5 but on average around 1.8

[DankShroud]

I'm attempting to reduce a variable, usually high nightly AHI of 1.6-5.9.

Why do you feel this AHI range is high? Most people have variable AHI but anything under 5.0 is considered treated. What's your average? I have occasional bad and exceptionally good nights, I'd say my AHI range was 0.5-5.5 but on average around 1.8

My average is around 3.0. I only feel my AHI is high because of how unrested I feel in the morning following a 3.0-5.9 night, and how I feel slightly better when it's under 2.

[kteague]

When we're sorting through variables it's a process of ruling out as many factors as possible to more clearly see what is left. Since your efforts are based on how you feel, maybe it would help to test your perception of how you feel. When I first started, I think I was too heavily swayed by the data. Looking at "bad" numbers in the morning seemed to create in me an expectation of feeling bad. You know - a self fulfilling prophecy kind of thing. Are you looking at your numbers in the morning? If you are, I suggest you choose for a while to purposefully not look at your data (not even your screen data) until the day is over and you've already journaled how you felt that day. If you see a pattern develop that how you feel and higher AHI are in sync, you can stop the experiment. Data is a wonderful thing, but we need to use it and not allow it to use us. Good luck with sorting through things.

[DankShroud]

Screenshot (10).png (116.09 KiB) Viewed 1159 times

Looking at my flow rate, I frequently have these episodes of what appear to be disordered breathing that Sleepyhead ignores. Should I worry about something that looks like this?

[Pugsy]

You need to understand that it's not SleepyHead that is doing the ignoring.
It's the machine that is doing the ignoring...SleepyHead just reports whatever data the machine gathers.

There is certain criteria in place per the ResMed software/algorithm that needs to be met before the machine will flag whatever.
There has to be a minimum amount of flow reduction and the duration of the whatever reduction has to last a minimum of 10 second duration. If you aren't seeing a flag then something in the criteria normally needed for a flag hasn't been met.

You can make a change in SleepyHead and define some user flagged reductions if you wish...so that those flow reductions that don't meet criteria will be flagged.
Preferences/CPAP tab lower left corner. You will probably also need to rebuild the CPAP data for the changes to take effect.

Are these less than criteria met events the cause of your not feeling the good numbers? That's an unknown. Maybe at best.
Not everything that is wrong with our sleep is because of sleep apnea or sleep disordered breathing and the best AHI numbers in the world don't guarantee that we will feel them.

[Jas_williams]

Screenshot (10).png

Looking at my flow rate, I frequently have these episodes of what appear to be disordered breathing that Sleepyhead ignores. Should I worry about something that looks like this?

That area of non breathing was about 8 seconds so is not counted as an apnea the vibration of the line is the resmed testing if this is an obstruction or clear airway, the resmed starts testing after 4 seconds of no airflow

[lucas7bm]

I suggest you choose for a while to purposefully not look at your data (not even your screen data) until the day is over and you've already journaled how you felt that day. If you see a pattern develop that how you feel and higher AHI are in sync, you can stop the experiment.

Wonderful advice, @kteague.
We all know how suggestionable we are, and that's why placebo (and homeopathy ) "works". When looking at data to confirm how good was your night, OP, at least make sure that you took some time before to analyze how you're feeling, not how you should feel after seeing the numbers.

The analysis of such detailed data provided by modern CPAP machines is a bless and can help you find the reason why your night was good/bad. It is also extremely helpful to observe and correct problems that you couldn't usually observe by yourself (like pressure change arousals, for example). And all of this is crucial to get an optimal treatment.

But be aware that while information can help explain why you feel good/bad, it can also make you feel good/bad, by the power of suggestion.

[Hannibal 2]

+1

The data is important but it's easy for us to become obsessed with it. I keep thinking though that if your pressure is so high, it could be disturbing your sleep. Possibly better to have a lower pressure with a slightly raised AHI but a less disruptive rest. For me, it's all about getting the right balance.

[palerider]

but anything under 5.0 is considered treated.

Just because "under 5.0 is considered treated" doesn't mean that it's good, or acceptable.

[Lucyhere]

PR... you are pretty much one of the experts here. Do you have any suggestions for Dank?