New to CPAP and have some questions about my machine!!

So I am new to CPAP therapy and have a few questions. I am using the resmed airsense 10 autoset. I have been using this machine for 5 days now. I know about the ramp time when beginning therapy but my concern is in the middle of therapy. I will wake up like 3 to 5 hours in the middle of sleep and it feels like my machine is either blowing at pressure setting 1 or less..but when I look on my machine it says it is blowing at my prescribed setting of 9. So then I will pull the mask away from my face let it blow a little bit and snug it back down and it is back to the normal pressure. Is this normal? and yes i checked for kinked tubing and so on..

Hmmm...this is just a hunch...We come to CPAP therapy with all our aquired habits of sleeping, including pressing our faces against and into our pillows, our favorite sleeping positions, and our tendencies to pull our covers up around our ears, etc. Is it possible that your mask exhaust is inadvertently getting blocked in the night? If so, you might not have to pull your mask off to adjust your pressure. Try just turning your exhaust in the opposite direction, settle in and go back to sleep. You may have to do this until your brain picks up on what is happening and you start doing this adjustment in your sleep - or - you become instinctive and your brain prevents you from getting into the offending position, covers, etc.

The Airsense 10 machine is awesome...my hubby has one. I'm jealous.

What kind of a mask are you using? Is it possible it is a nasal pillow type that is going too far into your nose, and is blocking the flow?

I'm using a full face mask

What you describe is quite common. It's just your body adjusting to the airflow. It's still there, you just don't feel it because your brain often edits out constant background sensations. It's the same sort of thing that happens with persistent sounds or smells. People who live next to railway lines usually stop hearing the trains after a week or so. Your CPAP machine is designed so that the least amount of air it can deliver is 4 cmH2O, so it would never go down to 1 cmH2O. It is not a cause for concern.

I really like sleeptech's comment. He's spot on.

If you like, you can verify what is actually happening to you in your sleep by getting the Sleepyhead application (for free) online, an SD card and SD card reader (I got mine at cpapXchange.com). You can then install the SD card into your machine (the little "cabinet" at the upper left-hand side of your machine) to record your sleep. When you are ready to see your sleep data, remove your SD card from your machine and slide the little lever on it downwards. Your SD card is now locked and you may now place the card into your reader and plug it into your computer. Voila...follow the directions and your data appears. This will not interfere with the data sent wirelessly to your doctor. You'll be able to confirm your actual sleep pressures as they fluctuated the night before and much more. When you're done viewing, remove your SD card from your reader and remember to slide the little lever upwards into the unlocked position. It is now ready to be placed back into your machine to record your sleep for another night. Enjoy!