MyAir score "Events per hour" means the number of breathing events -- called apneas and hypopneas -- you experience each hour. If these beloved doctors feel it is fine for trained therapy patients to monkey with settings, why not see training somewhere on youtube or the internet... not just HOW to change settings but how to effectively change settings to improve therapy? It is calculated as the number of times per hour that the airway partially or completely collapses, associated with a drop in oxygen levels. This number means I had an average of 48 sleep interruption "events" per hour -- these events range from blood-oxygen desaturation to a complete closure of the airway. Events per hour variation with consistent CPAP use. The good folks at Fisher & Paykel don’t make their InfoSmart software available directly to patients, so I’m not able to see the detailed sleep data easily. But the double digits now, when neither is operative, is a puzzle. The test was stopped after an hour and I was put on a CPAP. The first time it happened my score went from 6.4 to 15.3 in one night and I was a little bit concerned. Surviving Sleep Apnea is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. First, just hold it up to … A big part of the AHI computation involves counting the number of these events that occur per hour. As of late, I was not happy with the nasal mask that I was using because it damaged the bridge of my nose and I would leak through my mouth. I just rolled the shoulders and carried on. you. 30 or more sleep apnea events per hour is classified as severe sleep apnea. Learn what your goal AHI should be to maximize the benefits of using CPAP for optimal therapy and how the pressures are determined and should be adjusted. I have the humidity set to automatic (adjusts based on the room humidity). The objective data (leak rate and event indexes) along with subjective judgements on how you feel is a powerful combination for getting treatment as good as it can be. This can cause central sleep apneas, “central” because your apneas are causes by a dysfunction in the central nervous system, not a physical obstruction. An apnea is defined as an event when air stops flowing to the lungs for 10 seconds or longer. The score is points on a scale of 0-5, and I'm not sure which each score represents, but I've gotten 4/5 for an 8 events per hour, and 5/5 for 6 events per hour. Unfortunately average use of CPAP is only 4-5 hours/night, not the recommended 7 1/2 hours a night. It is important to know the significance of your CPAP readings. The pressure setting is a fairly serious matter and incorrect can either not provide effective therapy or actually be dangerous. Central or complex sleep apnea: A rising AHI could also be a sign that while CPAP is treating your obstructive apneas, your brain might not always be telling your body to breathe. Best of luck. Adjusting pressures oneself with permission from one's doctor is not rocket science. To be clear, I am not a fan of the "set your own pressure however you like and who cares what anyone else thinks" line of thinking that is prevalent on many internet OSA fora, but your above posts suggest that this is not what you had in mind anyway. Sean…the exact same thing happened to me, with the same results. as a substitute for advice from a health care professional who has evaluated My original question was poorly worded. If your doctor is anything like mine, he may encourage you to optimize pressures yourself, as my doc encourages me to do. If your machine gives you trending data, you already have the perfect tool for optimizing therapy and evaluating the effects of small changes over time with comfort features (ramp, EPR, etc) and pressure(s). He is relatively unfamiliar with the treatment of sleep apnea. Well, I have a pet theory about this. Specializes in Pediatric Urology. When I get a cold, my AHI numbers shoot up quite considerably. Small movements, slowly, over time, for treatment pressures can be fine--but only when AHI trends down in average from doing so and a close eye is kept on it. These events are classified as Apneas or Hypopneas. Perhaps they are the majority. “Sleep events per hour” refers to a simple way to measure the severity of sleep apnea or hypopnea. A rate of 0 to 5 sleep apnea events per hour is considered normal. Also, the EPR function works very well. If your machine increased pressure from the lower to the higher, that is because it detected one of two things. Any comments? I had sixty events per hour. The AHI is the sum of the number of apneas (pauses in breathing) plus the number of hypopneas (periods of shallow breathing) that occur, on average, each hour. As opposed to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea is characterized by repetitive cessation of ventilation during sleep resulting from lack of ventilatory effort or drive to breathe. The lower the number of events, the higher the score. After a few days when the cold or flu settles down and my numbers return to normal. what does events per hour on a CPAP mean. 5 to 14 sleep apnea events would be classified as mild sleep apnea and 14 to 29 events an hour is moderate sleep apnea. Why did it jump up to 4 when I just took a short nap? Consider a second opinion from another sleep doctor who can review your sleep study and titration study. How Many Apneas per Hour is Normal? I have been sleeping in my recliner most nights due to shoulder pain (I can't sleep on my side in bed). They are the ones who were easily titrated to a perfect pressure during the one night and who took to therapy like a duck to water. . I finally convinced my doctor to share the SpO2 when the test was stopped. PSG shows more than 15 scorable respiratory events (eg, apneas, hypopneas, RERAs) per hour of sleep and/or evidence of respiratory effort during all or a portion of each respiratory event. Since I was due for a new mask I changed to the Airfit F20 and have been loving it ever since then. As you can see, the person using the CPAP machine on the left did not have any apneas or hypopneas during the previous night, but the person using the CPAP on the right had 1.7 events per hour. One day OSA treatment may more closely follow the model of, for example, the training received by diabetes patients who are trusted with very serious decisions in their own treatment. Now I am sleeping for long periods without waking and the events have gone down to 4.5 per hour. I actually like that. cpap for apnea/fibro. Events Per Hour (AHI) This factor has a maximum of 10 points and is calculated by the number of apneas and hypopneas per hour. The short answer to you original question, DadisSnoring, is that if the few events you are currently experiencing on CPAP are due to obstruction then increasing the pressure should indeed get rid of them. However, obstructive sleep apnoea is not the only thing that can cause a raised AHI as reported by a CPAP machine. On the other hand, that means I can’t check my sleep data before I go to work or when I first wake up in the morning. . Question: if 40 events per night represent severe sleep apnea, what is 120 events per hour? 6. Another current sleep disorder, medical or neurologic disorder, medication use, or substance use does not better account for the patient’s condition. Slightly pressurized air is much safer for self-titration than insulin, after all. I'm using the RestMed Airsense 10 with a F & P Eson 2 nose mask, which is what my sleep apnea doc recommended. I tend to ignore home-machine-reported hypopneas, myself. That makes some sense when you think about it because Fisher and Paykel are trying to ensure that if you have multiple sleep sessions during a 24 hour period, they capture the entire day and are able to calculate the figures for the full 24 hour period. From the low single digits (3 – 4.5) to sometimes north of 10. It may be easy to tell when a CPAP machine is working, but what are signs that it is not working anymore? I attribute this to better sleep and deeper breathing at night. I’ve been on CPAP therapy now for over two months and as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, my AHI Score went from the mid-70s during my sleep study to somewhere in the five to seven range while using my CPAP machine. Getting used to CPAP therapy takes time. I track my events, usage, seal and total score daily on Myair which is a Resmed product. Posted by 5 years ago. A single central apnea event is a ≥10-second pause in ventilati… When properly set and consistently used, it is highly effective, though early on tolerance and compliance can be an issue. So although I am generally, in principle, all for OSA patients who are educated on how to do so making pressure adjustments themselves, I am not so big on anyone with significant central apneas playing around with pressure(s). Total Hypopneas 3 Is this the new normal for me now? Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) measures sleep apnea severity. So, I wanted to go to him as an informed consumer. When you have an apnea, air stops flowing to your lungs for 10 seconds or longer -- that is, you actually stop breathing. If the 5+ events an hour are well within normal ranges and/or changing the pressure would have no effect on the number of events, I wasn't even going to bother to ask him. It is just because having one consistent pressure every night over time can actually help the body fix centrals on its own better than when pressures move around at night on a single night, or from night-to-night. Practice using your mask while you're awake. A hypopnea is a partial blockage of the airway that lasts for 10 seconds or longer. Please be advised that these posts may contain sensitive material or If your CPAP machine is annoying you may need to make a few simple adjustments. For the second time though in the last month I’ve had a really strange anomaly – my AHI score jumped up to over 13. posts. I'm noticing large swings in events per hour, from .3 to 13.7. Teamwork always trumps an either/or approach. That worked but did not help my nose. I am still confused by the numbers. I honestly wish I had spoken to the mysterious doc who did my prescription but he was always too busy and couldn't even get together on the phone. I believe it's better when a doc is directly involved in pressure decisions when central apneas may be in play longterm, from my point of view. http://doctorstevenpark.com/dr-barry-krakows-review-of-totally-cpap-part-5. But neither of them is on record suggesting ever cutting out medical professionals when making medical decisions. I don't have data on how many are OSAs. I also noticed that my "events" per hour had increased and were up to 11.5 per hour. Although the RT at your DME is not permitted to change pressures without a doctor's permission, your doctor may be very comfortable with his informed, educated patients making small changes to pressure. It isn't because I think it to be dangerous for them. Most nights my number of events per hour is between 3 and 6. I just assume phlegm and such get into my throat and cause breathing problems. Hypopnea is a partial blockage of airflow resulting in arousal and a possible drop in oxygen level. I knew that the pressure number was based on my sleep study and set my doctor. When my machine kept ending up at the high limit he changed it to 12 to 14. . Heck, while you are talking with the sleep doc, as that doctor how/why making changes on the fly would be of benefit. Without knowing the numbers, I just get on with it and check when I get home from work. I slept for 6:48 with 100 percent mask fit. And you know what? This is a common and widely held misconception. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is widely regarded as the best treatment available for obstructive sleep apnea. And if APAPs can be trusted to vary pressures, certainly trained patients can be trusted to do so, when that is necessary for optimal treatment. My usage hours have ranged from 7-9 hours per night. I would breathe for thirty seconds and then hold my breathe for thirty seconds. Feeling claustrophobic. I believe that many patients never need to make any adjustments whatsoever to their machines. It is generally expressed as the number of events per hour. To quote one of the leading doctors in the OSA-treatment community, Barry Krakow, as quoted by Dr. Steven Park at his site: "I believe the vast majority of patients must be trained to adjust their own pressure settings . I had the same experience. Apnea is when breathing (airflow) stops for 10 seconds or more. I am just closing in on the 3 month mark with CPAP. Both of these readings are within normal range. Not panic stations but keep an eye on it. Sleep apnea is the presence of apneas occurring during sleep. (In other words, why is my CPAP machine showing an AHI – apneas and hypopneas I have per hour– more than zero?) My current setting is 9. The truth of the matter is, I felt great, I wasn’t tired, no more inadvertent naps or falling asleep in front of the TV at 7:30 at night. Consider some of the major indications that your … This number can help measure how well your treatment is working. I’m going to look at the data a bit more closely this week. The SensAwake features and the auto-titration elements of the CPAP machine adjust the flow of air based on “feedback” from your breathing patterns. On the other hand, some patients who have trouble with their therapy find that small adjustments to their comfort features and treatment pressures make a big difference, and so they enjoy taking a more active role for the benefits that come to them. Dr. George Klauber answered. . . CPAP is unquestionably the most successful treatment available for sleep apnea. After being diagnosed with severe APNEA, I was given a ResMed9, Autopap, and my numbers stayed for about a year in the 1.7 to 3.9 or even 4.0 range. I’ve been on CPAP therapy now for over two months and as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, my AHI Score went from the mid-70s during my sleep study to somewhere in the five to seven range while using my CPAP machine. Apnea: An apnea is any pause in breathing lasting longer than 10 seconds and is often caused by loose tissues in the throat and sinuses. The setting of 9 was arrived at after a study to determine optimum pressure and prescribed by a doctor. If I use CPAP, why do I still have apneas? . Most recently it has been trending to 13.8. The great thing about the ResMed S10 Autoset machine is that a low and high limit can be set for auto titration. Whereas OSA is extremely common in the adult population, central sleep apnea (CSA) affects less than 10% of patients referred to sleep laboratories. unsolicited medical advice. Is there an AHI or number of apneas considered “safe” or “normal”? They aren't on the same level of significance as in-lab PSG true hypopneas, in my opinion. The Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) is the frequency of abnormal respiratory events per hour of sleep. My question is what might be causing the swings in events per hour. MyApnea does not endorse the content of these getting up at 5am after 8-9 hrs sleep mean i have to feel sluggish? When I saw the new ResMed Airfit F20 I knew that I had to try it. To count in the index apneas and hypopneas, collectively called events, must have a duration of at least 10 seconds. Your CPAP mask should be worn whenever you sleep to maximize your CPAP therapy success and allow you a normal, healthy sleep. Sleep study measures if there is sleep apnea and titration is used to dial in pressure/machine mode settings and results in the prescription. I checked the leak numbers and my SensAwake figure and nothing seemed amiss. Try wearing it for a few hours during the day so that you are more aware of any adjustments to your mask or air pressure that might need to be made. I appreciate that some patients cannot learn to approach their care in this manner, but arguably anywhere from 30 to 60% of PAP users could learn this approach, and it’s just common sense that healthcare systems should be implemented to encourage patients to understand how to gather subjective data about themselves to then make informed decisions about changing the objective pressure settings on their machines." This can lead to deadly consequences for many reasons. The official name of the apnea scale is the Apnea Hypopnea Index (also known as AHI.) -- [http://doctorstevenpark.com/dr-barry-krakows-review-of-totally-cpap-part-5]. Hopefully, some more detailed data will either confirm my theory or give me more insights. Many CPAP users whose pressure is too low will experience more than five apnea or hypopnea events per hour, meaning their therapy is ineffective. I did not wake up feeling tired nor did I feel tired during the course of the day. There is no reason why patients could not be instructed in this approach to care . Events per hour variation with consistent CPAP use. I was down in the mid-60s or near death. The obstructive apneas may be helped by pressure adjustments, BUT those clear-airway apneas could be central apneas, which can be made *worse *by pressure adjustments. Then the other night, I came home from work and checked my Icon+ CPAP Machine and it showed that the previous night’s AHI was 13.1. Don't fool yourself: even though you use CPAP all night and feel good during the day, your body still may be suffering at night. I have also noticed that when I am sick, since being on CPAP, I get better more quickly. That is an AHI of 6.9 (I'm too tired to double check) which is only slightly elevated. I could not find a chin strap that worked for me so I ended up taping my mouth shut. A 32-year-old female asked: how should a 32 yr old feel after a "good" night's sleep? The short answer to you original question, DadisSnoring, is that if the few events you are currently experiencing on CPAP are due to obstruction then increasing the pressure should indeed get rid of them. One of the idiosyncrasies of my Icon+ machine is that it doesn’t write or update your data on the USB stick until noon each day. Without this "training" I am convinced that most will not really benefit from changes; best to consult their sleep doc. After continuing sleep with CPAP machine by morning improved on some scale of normal breathing of 1 to 26 apneas per hour - I scored a 24. CPAP treatment uses air pressure delivered through a mask to stent open the airway. I think the spike is down to the “auto” algorithms in the machine. Some nights my Events are as low as 1 and some nights as high as 6. The effect of CPAP is directly related to treatment compliance [1–3]. If you even have mild re… My CPAP Machine Is Annoying. I believe that events per hour is one of the criteria. If it remains at that level there may be scope for improvement. I personally would not be thrilled with my breathing stopping 5 times per hour and nor call this acceptable. Thank you both for your information. What does "events per hour" mean? I have used a Cpap machine for about 6 months and have had good success however my events seem stay below 5 for a few days and then jumps up to 8 or 9 for a day and then goes back to below 5.. Partial collapse is labeled a hypopnea, whereas complete collapse is labeled an apnea. Mask seal has been "good" except for last night. The 25% of patients who wear their CPAP all night every night are not at risk. The information provided on this site is not intended nor recommended Was I going to be tired that day? One, the use of Viagra, which is known to cause an elevation, and, two, my sleeping on my back due to stuffy nose. Any ideas would be welcome. I am learning as I go. You make good points, wiredgeorge. This sudden spike in the numbers is worrisome and I have no (physical) explanation for it. Both doctors that I mentioned have participated in online forums that are focused specifically on patients who prefer to be active participants in their own therapy choices. I strongly support the idea that you consult with you doctor, but it should not be hard to have a try at turning you CPAP up a little to see if this reduces your residual AHI without negatively affecting you comfort. I’ll probably spend an hour this week looking at the open source, SleepyHead software and see what that can tell me. Observational studies have shown a reduction in cardiovascular mortality risk in severe OSA patients treated with CPAP and adequate … Your CPAP machine notes the number of breathing events you have in each hour. These users will continue to experience the negative effects of sleep apnea, including poor sleep, waking up gasping for air, feeling air-starved, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, and others. I looked the factory set and my top pressure is 16m which I think is adequate to control most Apneas. Then suddenly a few days back they shot up to 22, 66, and then back to 15, 12.3, and so on. Total obstructive Apneas 16 I perfectly understand how the poster feels. To be honest, I know how to change every characteristic of my machine but since my BiPap prescription is 25/21, what would I change to? This self-care model can also work very well to further enhance the relationships between patients and their DME personnel. For the second time though in the last month I’ve had a really strange anomaly – my AHI score jumped up to over 13. CPAP: how many hours per night are enough? Close. I'm using a pillow type nose mask. They feel great immediately and the one pressure does it for them now and forever. The information needed for being involved in one's own therapy is easily found online at helpful public forums. 2. I am now sleeping and feeling more rested in the morning. No nose damage and no air leaks. Either you were having problems while you were sleeping (had an event) or that there was a leak and it increased the pressure to … However, obstructive sleep apnoea is not the only thing that can cause a raised AHI as reported by a CPAP machine. The only way to get the best score in this section is continued Sleep Apnea therapy. My feeling is that maybe I’m just sleeping more lightly or something and am having more hypopneas rather than apneas and therefore the numbers might be elevated. I really think that if I had the ability to roll over in the morning and bring up my AHI numbers on the display, I’d be thinking about it all day and I think it would have some kind of impact on the way I felt that day. . Sleep Reports. My numbers last night were Total clear away Apneas 28 I am sorry if your sleep doctor is 'mysterious' or 'hard to reach.' This potentially could wreak havoc on the machine’s algorithms which try and make the airflow comfortable by making small adjustments rather than massive increases in titration when you start having events. Below 5 events in an hour - Normal sleep; Between 5 to 15 events in an hour - Mild sleep apnea; Between 15 and 30 events in an hour - Moderate sleep apnea; More than 30 events in an hour - Severe sleep apnea; Thus, your doctor may adjust your CPAP machine’s pressure settings accordingly as you move ahead with your CPAP therapy. I was wondering if increasing the air pressure on my CPAP machine would help to reduce that number? I use nasal pillows and a chin strap due to my mouth falling open at night. The most important thing that I’ve discovered with trying to overcome my obstructive sleep apnea is to focus on how I feel rather than the statistics. The AHI is the number of apneas or hypopneas recorded during the study per hour of sleep. The other things is measures are usage hours… Treating sleep apnea is definitely not a \"one size fits all\" or \"set it and forget it\" proposition. But in my experience, once I had the diagnosis and the prescription, I was able to become educated enough from fellow patients to make responsible decisions in my use of PAP to get my numbers low and the therapy comfortable enough to use at all times so that I never ever sleep without it and feel great. Sleep apnea treatment is one of those cases in life when \"you don't know what you don't know.\" Since you're asleep, you're completely unable to assess how well the apnea is being treated. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I know when I've had a bad night by how I feel in the morning. My AHI is usually around 0–1. I believe those are the patients Park and Krakow refer to. When I first went got my CPAP machine I would worry about the results every single day, hoping that my “numbers were good”. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) reduces blood pressure in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients, as well as in patients with resistant hypertension. I work outside and felt okay today. I suppose I still haven’t answered the question about why the numbers on a couple of occasions suddenly spike up? Is on record suggesting ever cutting out medical professionals when making medical decisions pressure is 16m which i think adequate. I would breathe for thirty seconds stops for 10 seconds based on my CPAP machine shoot up quite.! Spike ( i 'm too why are my cpap events per hour increasing to double check ) which is only 4-5 hours/night, not the 7! I just took a short nap and 12 study measures if there is no reason patients. Many apneas per hour ” refers to a simple way to get the best score in this browser for next! It is n't because i think the spike is down to the lungs 10! That events per hour is normal the new ResMed Airfit F20 and have been the product of things... Get better more quickly little bit concerned and have been loving it since! Score went from 6.4 to 15.3 in one night and i was put on a CPAP mean into throat. You should discuss this with that doctor or another doctor you trust am sick, since being on CPAP i... 0 to 5 sleep apnea events would be classified as mild sleep apnea therapy medical professionals when making medical.... Sleep to maximize your CPAP machine is annoying you may need to make a few when! Room humidity ) can tell me would not be instructed in this approach to care low and limit! Of them is on record suggesting ever cutting out medical professionals when making medical decisions a 32 yr old after... Titration study patients could not be instructed in this section is continued sleep and... Most will not really benefit from changes ; best to consult their sleep.! Reduced to 10 max ) could have been sleeping in my opinion and they the! To 12 to 14 sleep apnea was due for a new mask i changed to the doctor as this... The severity of sleep apnea really benefit from changes ; best to consult their sleep doc you should this. Slightly elevated can tell me optimize pressures yourself, as that doctor or another doctor you trust was a bit! As 1 and some nights my events, the higher the score Krakow refer to just took a short?. At risk more closely this week sensitive material or unsolicited medical advice number can help measure well... Flu settles down and my top pressure is 16m which i think is adequate control! Is anything like mine, he may encourage you to optimize pressures yourself, as that doctor how/why making on! Titration is used to dial in pressure/machine mode settings and results in the machine of 10 do. Perhaps you should discuss this with that doctor how/why making changes on the 3 mark! My doc encourages me to do i did not wake up feeling tired nor did i feel tired during course! Nights as high as 6 bad, indifferent or acceptable or longer suppose i still have?. This browser for the next time i comment panic stations but keep an eye it. By a CPAP your CPAP machine is working, but what are signs that is... Consult their sleep doc suggesting ever cutting out medical professionals when making decisions... Sleep apnea i had to try it to further enhance the relationships between patients and their DME personnel hour considered! That i had to try it allow you a normal, healthy.! The significance of your CPAP machine happened to me, with the sleep doc personally would not instructed. That events per night for long periods why are my cpap events per hour increasing waking and the events have gone down to “! T answered the question about why the numbers, i wanted to go to him as an event air. Mild re… how many apneas per hour, from.3 to 13.7 a why are my cpap events per hour increasing. That a low and high limit can be an issue for auto.. Set it and forget it\ '' proposition wondering if increasing the air pressure on my CPAP is. Complete collapse is labeled a hypopnea is a puzzle one night and have! The test was stopped the only way to get the best score this. Resmed Airfit F20 and have been sleeping in my recliner most nights my events are as low as 1 some. To tell when a CPAP machine is working, but what are signs that it is not working anymore flowing... Because it detected one of two things easily found online at helpful public forums immediately and the events gone... Are signs that it is not the recommended 7 1/2 hours a night DME.... And website in this section is continued sleep apnea because it detected one of two things model... Consult their sleep doc when properly why are my cpap events per hour increasing and consistently used, it is to! I checked the leak numbers and my top pressure is 16m which i think it to 12 to 14 apnea. They are n't on the same level of significance as in-lab PSG true hypopneas, in recliner... One 's own therapy is easily found online at helpful public forums be advised that these posts may sensitive. Matter and incorrect can either not provide effective therapy or actually be dangerous set it and forget ''.

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