Sierra

I agree with the Edit comment. The cost of another sleep study is likely higher than the cost of an APAP purchased on line. A good APAP like the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet will clear up the issue of whether or not the centrals are real especially if you review the data in SleepyHead. The only issue is that if it turns out that the centrals are real and significant, an APAP may not be suitable to address them. If it is just a trial and you can return the machine that is ideal. That is the way it works here. They give you a trial machine for a couple of weeks, which you can return. The key here is to carefully review the data from the APAP with SleepyHead.

On the positional stuff, I think the difference you see is quite normal. It is a gravity thing with the tongue.

You are fortunate in this situation to have a DreamStation as they run on 12 volts. The ResMed machines run on 24 volts and need an expensive ($100+) DC to DC converter, or have to run off an inverter which is less efficient. I don't see any need for a UPS. Running off DC is just as reliable as running off the grid, providing you keep the battery charged up. I would just get the 12 volt adapter cord that fits your DreamStation machine.

My wife and I both use ResMed machines and I have fitted our RV with 12 volt outlets that feed the 12 V DC to 24 V DC converters. The RV has two 6 volt golf cart batteries to provide a little extra reserve over a single 12 volt. But to go more than a weekend I use a 70 watt solar panel to keep the batteries up. Running the humidifier takes a lot more power than just running the machine. We usually shut the humidifier and heated hose off when running off battery only.

It is normally caused by higher pressures. The fact that your APAP is going to 19 cm indicates that the machine thinks you need that much pressure. It also indicates that the upper pressure limit has been left at the default 20 cm. You may want to consider downloading SleepyHead to view your data and see what is actually going on.

I would agree. This is not likely the right solution to the real problem.

SleepyHead is a free software program that you can run on a PC or Mac. You require a SD card reader to get the data from your CPAP to the computer. SleepyHead works but is not being developed any longer. OSCAR is a replacement. See a thread on it down the page a bit.

My suggestion would be to download SleepyHead and track your readings on your PC or Mac. It will show what the pressures actually are.

First, welcome to the forum!

Masks tend to be very personal. What one person likes, another person hates. I've tried two full face masks and cannot get them to seal, or get comfortable. I have tried three nasal pillow types. My first one was the popular ResMed AirFit P10. There was a little irritation with it at first but I found if I put some 1% hydrocortisone cream on my nose first thing in the morning, the irritation went away after a week or so. But I found the headgear flimsy and It would not stay on overnight. My next try was the F&P Brevida. It had better headgear and stayed on, but it irritated my nose, and I was not as quick to get used to it. It also was more bulky and I found it was easier to deflect off my face when side sleeping -- like you are experiencing. So I pawned it off on my wife and she really likes it. My third try was the ResMed Swift FX. I chose it because it had a similar nose fitting to the P10, but much better headgear. It fit great, and stayed on my face really well, but the air vent system was a disaster for me. It seemed there was no position I could find where this jet engine like stream of air was not blowing on me or the covers and then me... The next attempt has been to marry the P10 nose piece to the Swift FX headgear. Here is a link to a thread on how I did it. This setup has been great. Stays on overnight without wearing a chin strap over it. I do use tape on my mouth to prevent mouth breathing though.

So back to your DreamWear. That system looks good, but I have not tried it. My guess would have been that the air tubes going up each side of the face could be a problem, as you may have discovered. I do however have a friend that uses it, and he really likes it. I would have a couple of suggestions. For a pillow I use a Costco down alternative that is kind of soft and does not push back when you compress it. When I sleep on my side I try to get the mask out over the edge of the pillow. I also use a satin pillow protector to make the pillow quite slippery, so it does not drag the mask out of position on my face. That might help some.

The other suggestion is to download SleepyHead so you can get a better idea what your leaks are really like. The machine reports kind of keep you in the dark. Here are some examples of good and bad leak reports from SleepyHead. I find it helps you understand what works and what does not. I try to keep the leak rate under the leak red line, and don't get too worried unless the % of time over the redline exceeds 3-5%.

Good

Bad

Hope that helps some,

The way it works here in Canada is that the sleep clinic produces the report like you have and then the GP signs a cover sheet to make it a prescription.

I had a look at my sleep report which was based on an at home Phillips Alice NightOne system. They reported a % of the time that I was snoring. It was high at nearly 40%. The % of time snoring may be a better indicator of snoring severity than an index. If your snoring incidents were short but frequent, it could give you a very high index number.

If you already have the AirFit P10 you could buy just the headgear for the ResMed Swift FX nasal pillow mask. That is what I have done. It takes a little modification but the combination works well for me. Here is a link to a post I made on how I did it. Here is a link to the For Her version of the Swift FX headgear. It is $31.

There is the Bella ear loop headgear for the Swift FX. It may be possible to fit that on the P10, but I have not done it.