Sierra

Looks pretty good. OA events are highest. I only see two of the 9-10 events happened at 16 cm pressure. The rest were at 15 cm. Hypopnea were next, and I see only 2 of those 9-10 events happened at 16 cm. The rest are at the lower pressure. You might want to consider using the fixed pressure CPAP mode at 16 cm, if you can tolerate that pressure all night. Those leaks around 4:00 - 4:30 are a bit high, but you just got the mask and perhaps have some fine tuning to do yet.

Welcome to the forum. Your issue is fairly common, and not only with CPAP users. Here is what comes to mind for things to try:

• Make sure your PAP machine is set up for the most comfortable starting ramp pressures to get you to sleep. If you post your specific machine model and the pressures it is set to, and we may be able to help. When you wake up in the night and feel you can't get back to sleep, shut the machine off and get up, and read or something else boring. Don't use a computer or smartphone. Probably best to keep them out of the bedroom. And then when you do go back to bed, your machine will start in the ramp mode again. The long term goal is to get one long sleep, but in the short term it does not make sense to toss and turn in the bed when you can't sleep. Just get up. Reserve the bed as a place to sleep.
• Do whatever you can to make your mask and machine comfortable. If the pressure is bothering you, talk to your sleep clinic about any opportunities to reduce it.
• Try to go to bed at the same time every night, and get up at the same time. 7-8 hours sleep is all that most people need. If you try to push the time longer, it can make for poorer quality sleep, and waking up in the night.
• Try to avoid naps during the day and evening. Save your sleep for night time in bed.
• Avoid alcohol or the like before bed. It can get you to sleep quicker, but when it wears off you wake up.
• If your climate control allows it, set the temperature in the room lower for sleeping. 18 C or 65 F is considered ideal for sleeping.

I have found the tools at the website link below to be very helpful in getting a good sleep without medications.

SleepWell - It's no Dream

Well I tried my Mark I modification to the Swift FX to tame that tornado air stream that comes out of it. It was using three layers of fiberglass window screen material taped over the exhaust of the jet engine. It did work really well in in an afternoon nap. It felt good although I only slept for about 10 minutes. Slept overnight with it. Net result was an AHI of 6.3 which is the highest I have been since October 2, 2018. Back to the drawing board.

My hero is Thomas Edison who said “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

One down and only 9,999 to go to catch up to Thomas. Mark II is in the prototype testing lab for tonight...

Be patient. The project is in the prototype testing stage.

I liked the part about the "box breathing". My wife does what she calls "yoga breathing" when she wakes up in the night and has trouble getting back to sleep. I sure hope it works to get her back to sleep, because I know one thing for sure from reviewing her SleepyHead charts. It blows her AHI score right out of the water (navy seal style!). She gets an OA event for every time she holds her breath.

I think I have made an industry breakthrough in the mask area. I can't say much more until I get my patent application in. But, I will give you a hint...

We probably discussed this in your other thread about REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder, but what dose did your doctor suggest for the melatonin? From what I read it is typically higher than that needed for insomnia. This link to an article about "How Melatonin Can Treat REM Behavior Disorder" suggests a dose of 3 mg to 12 mg. Another link I read said that any side effects tended to be dose related. 3 mg seems to be the common dose available over the counter, but I have seen some at 1 mg. I expect those could be fairly easily split to 0.5 mg. If you are having issues perhaps it would be worth a try to start as low as 0.5 mg and then work your way up to what is effective in treating the RBD.

SleepyHead is freeware that can be installed on a PC or Mac computer. It also requires a SD card reader as that is how it copies the data collected by your PAP machine. If you don't have one on your computer, a small portable reader that plugs into a USB port is quite inexpensive. Here are some links:

SleepyHead Download

SleepyHead Basic Manual

If you install the software it is possible to post your results here for comments and help in understanding it. Just post again if you need help.

I clean my humidifier reservoir, hose, and mask with pure vinegar first. Next if there are odour issues I use a solution of baking soda and water. That is followed by a wash with Dawn dish soap and water. Last is a thorough rinse with tap water, and hang to dry for 15 hours or so.

First can you give us a little more information about your machine setup. Your machine will display some information like the example below:

• The two numbers on the right near the top are you minimum and maximum pressures. What are they?
• The number in the middle of the circle when you first turn it on is the ramp start pressure, if it is set. What is it?
• The icon in the bottom left indicates the ramp setting? Is it on Auto or?
• Do you have a heated hose? It will be marked as a ClimateLine on the gray fittings at the end.

I am not quite following your event event frequency. Where are you getting this information? There should be a count in events per hour. In total it is called AHI, and then may be broke down into CA or central events, OA or obstructive events, or hypopnea.

In short yes, it is true that PAP therapy can increase the frequency of central events, but it usually goes away after several weeks.