Record your sleep with a webcam

Hello everybody

I am currently on a quest to get a better grasp of what condition I am suffering from. It's most likely going to be UARS/mild OSAS and the CPAP seems to help slightly.
Since I believe pulse oximetry and sleepyhead can't tell me everything I need to know, I bought a webcam with the intention of recording myself over the course of a night.
Specifically, I used the OBS software (https://obsproject.com/), which is free and allows you to record without time limits.

I can see myself waking up briefly after a series of heavy breaths. I counted all these arousals and there seem to be a lot each hour. Meanwhile the home sleep study recorded only a few events (AHI under 5). I will edit this video and take it to my local university sleep lab and consult a doctor about it.

I hope this will help somebody!

That sounds like a good set up.

Any recommendations on a type of camera to use with this setup?

I am a bit behind the curve on video technology.

Thanks,

I would consider using an Arlo wireless cam IF I wanted to record. It has a motion sensor and works fine in the dark. Also you can easily move the cams anywhere in the house or outside for security. Has an app for your phone so you can check on things when away from home.
HTH

Have you tried to correlate episodes of the heavy breathing with your sleepyhead data at the same time? Just wondering if something might show up like maybe in the flow charts that could be helpful.

The main reason I posted this is because surprisingly I wasn't able to find any good information online about sleep recording. OBS is so much superior to any other solution.

As for the webcam, I bought a Logitech HD Pro C920 for 60$ (https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Widescr ... ech+webcam), which works really well, but honestly, I think any webcam will do. Since the camera requires a bit of light for a good quality video, you might want to cover your eyes.

kteague wrote:Have you tried to correlate episodes of the heavy breathing with your sleepyhead data at the same time? Just wondering if something might show up like maybe in the flow charts that could be helpful.

The first night I slept without CPAP to see how my arousals actually look like. I feel like I don't suffer from classic obstructive sleep apnea which manifests with snoring and a collapse of the airway. Instead I was able to see two kind of events: One was an arousal after heavy, slightly louder breathing. The other one was an arousal followed by swallowing. The latter is the reason why I am currently investigating laryngopharyngeal (silent) reflux as well.
And yesterday I slept with my CPAP and I am currently looking at the video. I had lots of central events that night and I thought it would be interesting to see what is happening.

Check out this thread for ideas on making your own IR camera from a cheap webcam.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=65101&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

It's easy, just remove the IR filter. Google "Convert WebCam to IR" for lots of examples.
Here's a wikihow: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Webcam-In ... red-Camera

Use the camera to make a time lapse video which requires less memory and is easier to view than a full length video. Many Laptops have the ability. Shot intervals of 20 or 30 seconds works pretty good.

An infrared light source is not required, low light will do, but the thread does include an example of how to make an infrared source.

Jay Aitchsee wrote:Check out this thread for ideas on making your own IR camera from a cheap webcam.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=65101&st=0&sk=t&sd=a.

Ah, I think I stumbled upon the thread before
However, I feel OBS is the better choice as full length videos give you a better understanding.
And while an IR camera is definitely something nice to have, I can imagine that a normal webcam is sufficient. For diagnostic purposes a recording of one night should be enough and the light can be blocked with a sleeping mask.

The Arlo camera uses IR so there is no need for light. It senses motion and you can vary the time it records after sensing. OR I guess IF you wanted a continuous recording you can do that. You can also set the schedule to turn it on at a defined time. Very small cam with a variety of mounts so its easy to position.