Please Help Me Adjust My Set-up

[OkyDoky]

I agree to see your eye doctor. When you see the doctor they can measure the dryness of your eye and that might answer one question for you.
I have severe dry eye and my ophthalmologist placed lacrimal duct plugs to keep my tears from draining off. This also kept the air from drying out my eyes.
It's an easy procedure, they just place them in the office.

[sleepbandit9]

Get some strap pads or make some for those side straps going over your cheeks.
The puffiness comes from the normal fluids within the skin not being able to float around or disperse well because the strap pressure sort of blocks that needed dispersal. Strap covers help diffuse the pressure and allow for the fluids to disperse more easily.
Padacheek makes some nice ones or if you are handy you can make your own.
When I used the P10 I had to use the strap covers or else I got massive bags under and over my eyes. The side I slept on was always worse as well.
https://www.padacheek.com/

Or take a look at the mask I use. Link in my profile...no straps.

So I have these sleep masks by Manta. The eye pads are removal as they are attached with Velcro. I pulled them off and added them to my P10. This will hold me over until the bleep arrives Saturday.

Can you advise what size memory card I should use? I downloaded Oscar. My problem is my sleep is fragmented. Not so much my AHIs. If you looked at just basic feedback from the Resmed app you'd think my sleep is good. I can routinely get 2.5 or less AHIs and I have a good mask seal most nights. I have been having troubling switching to the bleep. It has lost its grip a few times, then I switch back to the P10, but then I wake up with a beat up face. Anyway, I feel tired and I think its from awakening due to the mask coming off and not so much AHIs. I have the humidity figured out and I am compliant. I need to get this bleep situation corrected. And I also put my hose over my bed board which helped with my hose management. So groggy today. Grrrr. 12 more days and I have done my 30 consecutive. I hope I survive. Sadly, I am missing my Tap appliance. I see how the cpap could be better, but I just haven't figured it out.

[Pugsy]

SD card 2 GB is more than sufficient but hard to find the smaller capacity cards now. I am using an 8 GB Sandisk card I got at Walmart a while back when I lost my original card.
No need to go with the expensive high end SDHC 64 GB cards though. Waste of money. Cheap basic SD card 8 to 16 GB is more than enough and will work just fine.

And yes...fragmented sleep from any reason is probably more of a killer than AHI might be in some people.
And AHI of 0.0 doesn't mean much if we wake up a gazillion times during the night because of other stuff happening that wakes us up.
There is a good article here that talks about the need for the normal sleep cycles and the impact on the restorative powers of sleep.
Now I know it is talking about alcohol but just substitute "anything" where they talk about alcohol and you will get the drift.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/article ... -and-sleep

If your Bleep adhesive is coming off during the night....not enough skin prep is being done. Sometimes I cheat and don't do the pre wash and/or enough alcohol wiping and mine will come loose. I don't have particularly oily skin either. So if your skin tends to be oily you may have to be more aggressive with the soap wash and skin prep. Check whatever soap you are using as well because often moisturizing soaps contain oil....that's how they moisturize the skin. Oil is the biggest enemy of the Bleep adhesive.
Doesn't mean you can use that soap on other parts of the face...just on the area where the adhesive needs to stick. That's what I do.
I do special cleansing just on the nose and I do the regular skin care routine on other parts of my face. A little more work but to me it is worth it to be able to ditch the headgear.

[sleepbandit9]

SD card 2 GB is more than sufficient but hard to find the smaller capacity cards now. I am using an 8 GB Sandisk card I got at Walmart a while back when I lost my original card.
No need to go with the expensive high end SDHC 64 GB cards though. Waste of money. Cheap basic SD card 8 to 16 GB is more than enough and will work just fine.

And yes...fragmented sleep from any reason is probably more of a killer than AHI might be in some people.
And AHI of 0.0 doesn't mean much if we wake up a gazillion times during the night because of other stuff happening that wakes us up.
There is a good article here that talks about the need for the normal sleep cycles and the impact on the restorative powers of sleep.
Now I know it is talking about alcohol but just substitute "anything" where they talk about alcohol and you will get the drift.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/article ... -and-sleep

If your Bleep adhesive is coming off during the night....not enough skin prep is being done. Sometimes I cheat and don't do the pre wash and/or enough alcohol wiping and mine will come loose. I don't have particularly oily skin either. So if your skin tends to be oily you may have to be more aggressive with the soap wash and skin prep. Check whatever soap you are using as well because often moisturizing soaps contain oil....that's how they moisturize the skin. Oil is the biggest enemy of the Bleep adhesive.
Doesn't mean you can use that soap on other parts of the face...just on the area where the adhesive needs to stick. That's what I do.
I do special cleansing just on the nose and I do the regular skin care routine on other parts of my face. A little more work but to me it is worth it to be able to ditch the headgear.

I got the SD card loaded into the machine. I need to get a USB to SD converter to put data on my computer. I believe I have one at work. So I am 20 days into "therapy" and have learned a lot. Also, I was able to keep the bleep on the entire night. I cleaned my face with the witch hazel more diligently and lined the ports up to exactly so the port rim sits exactly to my nostril opening. 18 out of 20 on mask leak. I would've expected 20 out of 20. I don't think it was leaking at all.

Some observations:

1) I need 5 humidity and highest heat or my throat is scratchy. This may not work for the bleep because at the highest heat I get droplets in the tube and I think that's why the ports fell off the night before. Last night I did 4 humidity and ports stayed in place. Throat and right eye dry though today;
2) I may not be a good candidate for cpap. My study's AHI was 10. That's probably reduced to a 5 AHI just by sleeping on my side;
3) My eyes are dry in the morning even with the bleep and I know that is sealed tight as drum. My right eye is really dry and puffy underneath even with the bleep which likely means air is getting into my eye by another route. This is probably the thing that will drive away from CPAP. I just don't see a way to keep the air out of my eyes if it is entering through internal body leaks/cavities.
4) Also, the bleep did get rid of the lines around my nose that made me look old. Not having the nasal cushions pulling my nose up for 7/8 hours no matter how lightly strapped definitely made a positive impact there.
5) My bp, cholesterol, etc. before therapy were already excellent. My quality of life due to low quality sleep was chief reason for treatment. Also, driving was a little funky.
6) Is there any benefit to continuing for another 10 days for insurance purposes?

YOU ALL HAVE BEEN THE MOST AMAZING SUPPORT GROUP!!!!! Lovely, lovely people!

[Pugsy]

18 out of 20 on mask leak. I would've expected 20 out of 20. I don't think it was leaking at all.

Don't forget about mouth opening leak possibility.

I need 5 humidity and highest heat or my throat is scratchy. This may not work for the bleep because at the highest heat I get droplets in the tube and I think that's why the ports fell off the night before.

Add a short hose cozy and see if that helps prevent the condensation. You can make one out of an old sock.

My eyes are dry in the morning even with the bleep and I know that is sealed tight as drum. My right eye is really dry and puffy underneath even with the bleep which likely means air is getting into my eye by another route. This is probably the thing that will drive away from CPAP. I just don't see a way to keep the air out of my eyes if it is entering through internal body leaks/cavities.

See eye doctor. Might be a candidate for lacrimal duct plugs.

Is there any benefit to continuing for another 10 days for insurance purposes?

I can't make that decision for you.

[sleepbandit9]

18 out of 20 on mask leak. I would've expected 20 out of 20. I don't think it was leaking at all.

Don't forget about mouth opening leak possibility.

I need 5 humidity and highest heat or my throat is scratchy. This may not work for the bleep because at the highest heat I get droplets in the tube and I think that's why the ports fell off the night before.

Add a short hose cozy and see if that helps prevent the condensation. You can make one out of an old sock.

My eyes are dry in the morning even with the bleep and I know that is sealed tight as drum. My right eye is really dry and puffy underneath even with the bleep which likely means air is getting into my eye by another route. This is probably the thing that will drive away from CPAP. I just don't see a way to keep the air out of my eyes if it is entering through internal body leaks/cavities.

See eye doctor. Might be a candidate for lacrimal duct plugs.

Is there any benefit to continuing for another 10 days for insurance purposes?

I can't make that decision for you.

Crazy question- Can I "cap/tape shut" the right nasal port and just use the left port since it seems my right eye is the only one affected? Is this crazy talk?

[Pugsy]

Can you move enough air through just one nostril to be comfortable?
Some people can and some can't.

And I am not so sure that taping the nostril would stop the air from going up to the affected eye anyway. It's not so much the nostril that causes the problem as it is the nasal cavity itself. Behind the 2 nostrils is one cavity...not 2 separate cavities.
Might be worth trying though. Wouldn't hurt to try as long as you can move enough air and not feel suffocated because if you can't move enough air through one nostril you will likely end up moving air through your mouth.

[sleepbandit9]

Can you move enough air through just one nostril to be comfortable?
Some people can and some can't.

And I am not so sure that taping the nostril would stop the air from going up to the affected eye anyway. It's not so much the nostril that causes the problem as it is the nasal cavity itself. Behind the 2 nostrils is one cavity...not 2 separate cavities.
Might be worth trying though. Wouldn't hurt to try as long as you can move enough air and not feel suffocated because if you can't move enough air through one nostril you will likely end up moving air through your mouth.

Do you think a full mask would resolve this problem? Although I may end up with new problems. Thoughts?

[Pugsy]

I have my doubts as to whether a full face mask would fix your dry eye issues and if you thought the headgear on the nasal mask was bad for causing dents and fluid dispersal issues and puffiness....the straps needed for full face masks are greater and then you also have the more real estate to maintain a seal issue.

I don't know for sure that you have a lacrimal duct issue or not but it's possible. Look up how they interact and connect to the nasal cavity....if you use a full face mask there is still going to be air in the nasal cavity.

[OkyDoky]

You also could use an over counter dry eye nighttime gel to see if that helps. I use the Refresh products. They have both drops for daytime and gel for night.

[sleepbandit9]

I have my doubts as to whether a full face mask would fix your dry eye issues and if you thought the headgear on the nasal mask was bad for causing dents and fluid dispersal issues and puffiness....the straps needed for full face masks are greater and then you also have the more real estate to maintain a seal issue.

I don't know for sure that you have a lacrimal duct issue or not but it's possible. Look up how they interact and connect to the nasal cavity....if you use a full face mask there is still going to be air in the nasal cavity.

Thanks, Pugsy! Last night was my best sleep. Unfortunately, I didn't wear my fitbit so I can't quote anything other than how I feel. But, I feel the most rested so far since starting. No leaks with the bleep again. I attached it correctly again. AHI was 2.3. 20/20 on mask seal. 8:09 usage. I turned the humidity up and that helped a bit. Still a bit dry, but an improvement. Less puffy. Lines is face fading. Once night I forget to fill the humidifier tray. I woke up with the most bloodshot eyes ever in my life. I sneezed for a whole day like an animal. So I know humidity definitely important to me. I am gonna try a higher setting tonight on the humidity and see if the bleep holds!

One thing that I know for sure very different btw cpap and the MAD is that I fall asleep quickly with cpap. That was never the case for my whole life. I could never go down quickly.

Any bite guards that are cheap that can keep my mouth closed? Chin strap not working for me. Keeps slipping off. I get awakened at times with my lips vibrating as little wisps of air escape. Then I reset my mouth and go back to sleep until the wisps return. LOL

[sleepbandit9]

I have my doubts as to whether a full face mask would fix your dry eye issues and if you thought the headgear on the nasal mask was bad for causing dents and fluid dispersal issues and puffiness....the straps needed for full face masks are greater and then you also have the more real estate to maintain a seal issue.

I don't know for sure that you have a lacrimal duct issue or not but it's possible. Look up how they interact and connect to the nasal cavity....if you use a full face mask there is still going to be air in the nasal cavity.

I realized what the problem is. My sinuses are inflamed. Mostly just the right side. Probably needs time for my body to adjust and more humidity.

[sleepbandit9]

I have my doubts as to whether a full face mask would fix your dry eye issues and if you thought the headgear on the nasal mask was bad for causing dents and fluid dispersal issues and puffiness....the straps needed for full face masks are greater and then you also have the more real estate to maintain a seal issue.

I don't know for sure that you have a lacrimal duct issue or not but it's possible. Look up how they interact and connect to the nasal cavity....if you use a full face mask there is still going to be air in the nasal cavity.

Upped the humidity last night to 7. Less puffy and less dry eye. But, lots of rain out. Put winter sock around the bleep. Also, the bleep stayed in position despite the rain out. I guess I have a humidity problem The nasal pillows/bleep probably too intense for me. Not sure what mask solution to move to. I can't do darth vadar type masks. They keep me up all night. Is there a nasal pillow that's not darth vadar-ish?

[Pugsy]

When a person prefers a higher humidity setting it just increases the chance of rain out no matter which mask a person uses.

It's not just the Bleep...it's any mask. It's Physics in action.

There are options though.
Increase the heated hose temp if possible.
Increase the ambient bedroom temperate.
Add short hose cozy.....maybe a real short hose cozy instead of just an old sock so you can have more insulation.

For other nasal pillow masks there is the option of the Padacheek barrel cozy. I don't know how well it would work on the Bleep as I haven't had the need to try it but let me see if it will fit or not.
I have a P10 barrel cozy and I will go find it and see if it will fit the Bleep.

[sleepbandit9]

When a person prefers a higher humidity setting it just increases the chance of rain out no matter which mask a person uses.

It's not just the Bleep...it's any mask. It's Physics in action.

There are options though.
Increase the heated hose temp if possible.
Increase the ambient bedroom temperate.
Add short hose cozy.....maybe a real short hose cozy instead of just an old sock so you can have more insulation.

For other nasal pillow masks there is the option of the Padacheek barrel cozy. I don't know how well it would work on the Bleep as I haven't had the need to try it but let me see if it will fit or not.
I have a P10 barrel cozy and I will go find it and see if it will fit the Bleep.

I want to reduce my max pressure. It’s 16. I sent my doc a note through their portal and heard nothing back. I almost can’t use this machine anymore because the dryness in my right eye. Also, I am getting woke up by the mouth bursts from the pressure ramping up. Those wake ups might as well be apneas. They’re just as disruptive to my sleep. I would love to find the lowest pressure I can sleep with and minimize apneas.