How to Monitor Sleep Apnea - at Home (i.e. long term)

[SleepMelb]

Hi,

I have been recently diagnose with Sleep Apnea (AHI 29) and used APAP machine for few weeks but not much improvement. It may be due to nasal septum deviation/sinus and at the moment trying nasal spray (GP prescription) but not any improvement. For the last few weeks I have been looking for some method to get some idea (approximation) for OSA. I tried using Mobile App (snoring) but no help.

I am wondering if any one can guide me for simple sleep tracking (like Pulse Oximeter or Night vision camera).

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks

[wm_hess]

Hi

If you could go to the user control pane up near the top of the screen and fill your user profile & edit your equipment people can help you a lot better by knowing what you're using. Since you're using an APAP here is a link for a program called sleepyhead. https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead. With the software (and depending on your equipment), you can get a breath by breath graph over the entire night. It can show if you're having leaking issues and other information.

-Bill

[SleepMelb]

wm_hess

Thanks wm_hess

I rented the machine (Airsense 10) and returned after four weeks on 2nd Dec 2015. As per one week report events were:

13 Nov - 12 (one hour slot)
14 Nov 11, 14, 11
15 Nov 10, 10
16 Nov nil
17 Nov 12, 11, 25
18 Nov 11, 10, 10
19 Nov 11

Since then I am trying with nasal spray, sleep on side and weight loss (83kg to 80kg). My GP recommended to a specialist for nasal septum deviation/sinus (after radiology scan) which I have to schedule it and have waiting period for 4-6 weeks.

During this time, I would like to know how I am travelling. I know little bit about sleephead software but can it be use without CPAP/APAP machine (with someother gadget) to find out about AHI.

[49er]

wm_hess

Thanks wm_hess

I rented the machine (Airsense 10) and returned after four weeks on 2nd Dec 2015. As per one week report events were:

13 Nov - 12 (one hour slot)
14 Nov 11, 14, 11
15 Nov 10, 10
16 Nov nil
17 Nov 12, 11, 25
18 Nov 11, 10, 10
19 Nov 11

Since then I am trying with nasal spray, sleep on side and weight loss (83kg to 80kg). My GP recommended to a specialist for nasal septum deviation/sinus (after radiology scan) which I have to schedule it and have waiting period for 4-6 weeks.

During this time, I would like to know how I am travelling. I know little bit about sleephead software but can it be use without CPAP/APAP machine (with someother gadget) to find out about AHI.

Hi SleepMelb,

You had what is known as a brick that didn't yield much useful data. As a result, you wouldn't have been able to use sleepyhead to properly adjust your therapy to optimize.

While having nasal obstruction issues can make pap therapy more difficult, they rarely are the cause of sleep apnea, particularly when you have moderate apnea as in your case. You still need to focus on getting one of the data capable machines listed on forum member archangle's web site:

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph ... ne_Choices

I would only add that since the new PR machines aren't yet compatible with sleepyhead that you might want to acquire one of the Resmed machines that is listed.

Do I assume correctly, you returned this machine a DME? Hopefully, more knowledgeable forum members can give you advice on how to get a data capable machine from them if that is is possible. You may need to buy one online. But with moderate apnea, you need treatment which is pap therapy.

49er

PS - I just realized I made a mistake in not clarifying what machine you returned. What is the AirSense 10 CPAP or the Airsense 10 Autoset since you said it was an APap?

[Sonnyboy]

Hi,

I have been recently diagnose with Sleep Apnea (AHI 29) and used APAP machine for few weeks but not much improvement. It may be due to nasal septum deviation/sinus and at the moment trying nasal spray (GP prescription) but not any improvement. For the last few weeks I have been looking for some method to get some idea (approximation) for OSA. I tried using Mobile App (snoring) but no help.

I am wondering if any one can guide me for simple sleep tracking (like Pulse Oximeter or Night vision camera).

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks

You have Sleep Apnea [AHI 29].
Your best option is to use a full data auto machine and monitor your treatment with Sleepyhead.

Sleepyhead will provide you with the information you need to determine if the machine settings coupled with mask fit are correct for optimal treatment for you.
A few weeks use, even at optimal treatment, is not enough time to determine "improvement".

This forum is a great place for help.

Ask all your questions.
Determine the best machine for you.
Download Sleepyhead and try again.

Merry Christmas!

[Too tall]

Once you get sleepyhead working and you can measure your progress, I'd try using Afrin Sinus (oxymetazoline) nasal spray for a couple of days and see if your AHI goes down. If it does, you are likely a candidate for nasal surgery. It's addicting, so don't continue to use it. I had the surgery a month ago and it reduced my AHI with CPAP to less than one. Average is probably .3 to .5. I would recommend trying to sleep on your sides only all night and see if that changes your CPAP AHI. I'm not an expert on this stuff, just someone like you who experienced and found what worked and what didn't.