Using your machine to do your own Sleep Study?

I have been doing very well on my CPAP and sometimes I wonder if I really need it? Most times my AHI is around 1.5 or even lower! Dumb question or maybe not, how would I go about using my machine to record how bad or not I would do without CPAP? I am afraid of doing something like this without a sleep lab watching over O2 levels and respiration. From the data below, could I set the maximum pressure to seven and would show events after 7?

A bad evening is at 5.0 or less here is some data from December 21st.

I think the answer to this puzzle....is to purchase a SPO-7500 Recording Oximeter.....and record your O2 levels for a few nights without CPAP therapy.

The reason for CPAP therapy is to keep ones O2 levels at 93% or above while sleeping.

You might want to run an experiment by discontinuing CPAP therapy.....while you watch the results with an Oximeter.....set to record what's happening every 2-seconds.

Hi again Fredman,

I WOULD not discontinue my therapy to do a ox test, isn't there one you can buy and use it along with the cpap? I see your numbers go fron 7 to 12 and that is considered "moderate" apnea so I wouldn't chance that if I we're you!!! It's just to risky as far as i'm concerned... I'd say, Experiment with something else!!!

Keep us informed!

SleepyNoMore

SleepyNoMore - That 7 -12 are his pressure range settings not his AHI. His AHI ( in that report) is below 5 so his sleep apnea is well treated with cpap. Fredman - I think you do need cpap though since those are your numbers (AHI) WITH therapy.You are doing quite well but you are having events.

I think using cpap is keeping the events under good control. Without cpap you would probably have more events.

nevermind

Hawthorne wrote:SleepyNoMore - That 7 -12 are his pressure range settings not his AHI. His AHI ( in that report) is below 5 so his sleep apnea is well treated with cpap. Fredman - I think you do need cpap though since those are your numbers (AHI) WITH therapy.You are doing quite well but you are having events.

I think using cpap is keeping the events under good control. Without cpap you would probably have more events.

Hawthorne,

Yes I understand that,

I have encore pro and encore pro analyzer and have downloaded my data for about 15 months now so I understand the readings, I was trying to say that with the top pressure being or going as high as 12 and maybe even higher on other nights that he is considered to have moderate sleep apnea and therefore should not stop his therapy to experiment with the oximeter, just wear it while on therapy, I tend to say things wrong or backwards at times, just shine it (I am left handed & brained),... If I said something backwards in this post, let me know!

SleepyNoMore

SleepyNoMore wrote:

Hawthorne wrote:SleepyNoMore - That 7 -12 are his pressure range settings not his AHI. His AHI ( in that report) is below 5 so his sleep apnea is well treated with cpap. Fredman - I think you do need cpap though since those are your numbers (AHI) WITH therapy.You are doing quite well but you are having events.

I think using cpap is keeping the events under good control. Without cpap you would probably have more events.

Hawthorne,

Yes I understand that,

I have encore pro and encore pro analyzer and have downloaded my data for about 15 months now so I understand the readings, I was trying to say that with the top pressure being or going as high as 12 and maybe even higher on other nights that he is considered to have moderate sleep apnea and therefore should not stop his therapy to experiment with the oximeter, just wear it while on therapy, I tend to say things wrong or backwards at times, just shine it (I am left handed & brained),... If I said something backwards in this post, let me know!

SleepyNoMore

Thanks guys. All good ideas. The obvious - the low AHI is an indication of what CPAP is doing for me now. If I stopped those numbers could well be over 5, at least that is what I could assume. Thanks for looking at the numbers and I was just looking at them thinking there were "normal" duh...of course with treatment. Can I spell denial!

Okay this is going to sound silly but here goes --

I have severe OSA. My pressure settings are 9 - 15. Originally I was DX a pressure of 8 to 12 and raised it on my own as I tend to do better and I track my progress with the software.

How can you state that he has moderate OSA based on his pressure settings? Each user is unique and pressure needs are unique to that person. Someone with mild/moderate apnea may need a higher pressure range than someone with severe apnea depending on how much pressure one needs to keep their airway open. Fredman may not need a higher pressure yet still have severe OSA.

sleepycarol wrote:Okay this is going to sound silly but here goes --

I have severe OSA. My pressure settings are 9 - 15. Originally I was DX a pressure of 8 to 12 and raised it on my own as I tend to do better and I track my progress with the software.

How can you state that he has moderate OSA based on his pressure settings? Each user is unique and pressure needs are unique to that person. Someone with mild/moderate apnea may need a higher pressure range than someone with severe apnea depending on how much pressure one needs to keep their airway open. Fredman may not need a higher pressure yet still have severe OSA.

Sleepycarol - Another good point as well. My original home study take home a thingy box that I got from the DME which consisted of an oximeter, a microphone (to be taped to neck) to measure snores, a candula that measured (air - not sure in our out ) and a strap that went around the chest below the nipples recorded over 200 hypopneas per hour! I couldn't believe that when I heard it I was in shock. But then again I was awaking every morning feeling like I was drunk, had a severe headache the majority of mornings and couldn't come to until my coffee and very rousing hot shower.

I just can't get over how well my numbers are showing....again I think I am in denial. I assume that if I had a Lab sleep study it may be more conclusive. Anyways, maybe I shouldn't worry about how good the numbers are and trust that I do indeed have SA and that it is being well treated by my current therapy.

Sleepynomore you were concerned about providing advice in another post...don't be - it is your opinion and I don't base any decisions only on one piece of advice - as a group or a collective we certainly put our heads together and come up with some real good stuff.

Fredman wrote: Sleepynomore you were concerned about providing advice in another post...don't be - it is your opinion and I don't base any decisions only on one piece of advice - as a group or a collective we certainly put our heads together and come up with some real good stuff.

Fredman,

Thank You so much, I needed to hear that.. You are a sweetheart.

SNM

I find that the numbers are helpful to me only as I learn how I feel in relationship to my AHI, FL, and SpO2 numbers, etc. If my AHI gets above 1.2 ish I don't feel so hot. When it gets up to 2.0+ I feel miserable. But "they" say the goal is to get to 5.0 or below. I feel OK if I can keep AHI around 0.5 or less. 4.0 would mean naps all day for me. Other people have different results, so consider keeping track of how you feel at various numbers, and strive to improve what you need to to feel better.

I am still working with the relationship between my SpO2 numbers and my Encore Pro data to understand how to improve how I feel - and they are pretty much all in the normal range, but I am still not feeling 100%.

That's my understanding sleepycarol. The pressure setting(s) are what keep a particular individual's airway open and has nothing to do do with the severity of their sleep apnea.

During the sleep study the pressure is raised gradually until it is enough to keep the airway open to prevent most events, for that individual, and give an AHI at least 5 or below. Often, that is all they will do at a sleep study - get the AHI below 5. Of course other things are done to see if anyhting else is going on in a person's sleep like RLS, etc.

Many people on this forum tweak their pressure settings to get lower AHIs because they generally feel better.

Anyway, Fredman, I would say you do have sleep apnea and your pressure settings are keeping your airway open enough (at least on the one night you showed here) to keep your AHI mostly below 5. You described your "At home" sleep study and the number of events seems to me like it is severe.

Not to worry! You are taking care of that with your cpap. Without your cpap you would be where you were as you described before cpap.

I think we can all agree that you need your cpap! That's the important thing!

My opinion is that our ongoing treatment of OSA is comparable to that of diabetes in that it's a long term commitment. Those keeping diabetes under control with insulin don't experience the symptoms but that doesn't meant they are cured. I suppose they could stop taking insulin to see, but if they don't die from it they will most likely discover how grateful they are that they have the treatment to keep it all under control.