Strange, but since I moved into my Apt, I've had several nights when I'd wake up in the middle of the night, struggling to breath, so I took off my CPap FF Mask, and went back to sleep.

I've noticed that whenever I am on CPAP, and not sleeping in a supine position, my breathing suffers. I'd have a dry throat, and mouth, and gagging for breath.

I've noticed that after I went back to sleep for a few hours WITHOUT the CPAP, I'd wake up feeling really good, like the kind of natural deep sleep that I used to have, the kind of Quality sleep I didn't find with CPAP.

CPAP for me, has been a mixed bag. Yeah, according to my Statistics that my Apap machine provides, I average <3 AHI, so I should be sleeping well. But honestly, it's a mixed bag. The Sleep with CPAP is never as good as Natural Sleep, or how I remembered it.

I'm almost tempted to try sleeping one night without the CPAP. But I know I have no way to measure how many Apnea events I will have without using CPAP. I'd need another Sleep Study to truly know for sure if my Sleep Apnea has improved.

Why do I think my Sleep Apnea has improved?

#1. I recently moved into a new Apt. The Old Apt I used to live in was very dusty, and hard to clean. And I don't think it's coincidental that during my stay there in the last two years, I developed Sleep Apnea. I never had Sleep Apnea before moving into that Apt.

#2. My new Apt is clean. I notice that dust doesn't accumulate nearly as quickly as it used to in my old Apt.

#3. My nasal passages are not shut or allergic like before in my old Apt. For the past several weeks, it's been pretty much open. Yeah, I did have to take an AntiBiotic the last two weeks, but I don't think that's a factor. Before I lived in my Dusty Old Apt, I'd have several days during a year when I had sinus problems, so it was relatively rare. In my Old Dusty Apt, I'd suffer sinus problems almost daily. So I do think it was environmental.


Could my Sleep Apnea therefore also be caused by the dusty Environment?


So I wonder, whether my CPAP machine actually is causing Apneas now, much like how APAP machines set off Apnea events to some people, because maybe now, I don't NEED CPAP as much as before due to the cleaner environment and less clogged sinuses?

I realize I need a Polysomonogram to really be sure my problems were environmental. At the time I took my Sleep Study, I was still living in my Old Dusty Apt. And maybe I was suffering Apnea due to the Environment. Now that my Living Environment is much improved, could my health also improve, and my Sleep Apnea improve?

Maybe in several months, I should take another PolySomongram to see if there has been any improvements.

Has anyone else experienced improvement with their Sleep Apnea after changing one's environment?


_________________
5'9 234lbs 37 years Old Male
Original Sleep Study: AHI = 30

Owner of Remstar Auto A Flex M series
ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask
Viewer 1.0 Software, Smartcard Reader
Integrated Heater/humidifier
Prescribed setting: 7-10 Cm

I guess I could have my GF stay up all night, and watch me sleep, and count the # of times I stop breathing.. But I doubt she'd do that.

Is there a homemade method to record one's breathing without the CPAP? Maybe put a microphone next to my mouth as I sleep? and record my breathing?


_________________
5'9 234lbs 37 years Old Male
Original Sleep Study: AHI = 30

Owner of Remstar Auto A Flex M series
ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask
Viewer 1.0 Software, Smartcard Reader
Integrated Heater/humidifier
Prescribed setting: 7-10 Cm

Hmm...I'm thinking it's possible to insert a Microphone inside my Full Face Mask, and record my Sleep on my PC.

I'd use the Full Face Mask without it attached to the CPAP. and just breath through the exhale vents.

Probably, the sound that my breathing makes through the vent would be loud enough to register in the Sound Recording.

Then when I wake up in the morning, I could analyze the Sound File and sort of look for long gaps when there is not a "Peak" data. This long gap would indicate an Apnea event has occurred, and I could precisely measure the duration.

Do you think that'd work?


_________________
5'9 234lbs 37 years Old Male
Original Sleep Study: AHI = 30

Owner of Remstar Auto A Flex M series
ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask
Viewer 1.0 Software, Smartcard Reader
Integrated Heater/humidifier
Prescribed setting: 7-10 Cm

Hmm some more. Sorry but I think this might really work. I could make a little program that records sound from the Audio. And depending on how loud the sound is, I could compare that with the ambient "no sound silence", and therefore, have the program automatically keep track of my breathing, and also record any events in which there is no "sound" for at least 10 seconds, and automatically record my Apneas. That way, I'd have a really strong evidence whether or not I still have Sleep Apnea.

This would probably be much more accurate than the CPAP data itself, and would be almost like a Polysomnograph, except I wouldn't have the Oxygen, or Heart data. But pretty much, my Breathing would be recorded!!


_________________
5'9 234lbs 37 years Old Male
Original Sleep Study: AHI = 30

Owner of Remstar Auto A Flex M series
ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask
Viewer 1.0 Software, Smartcard Reader
Integrated Heater/humidifier
Prescribed setting: 7-10 Cm

When my allergy symptoms get bad and irritate my sinuses, my AHIs go up.  So i think it has an impact.  I doubt our SA goes away, but you might be going from severe to moderate.  Was the sleep lab dusty too?


_________________
REMStar Pro M w/ c-flex and heated humidifier
ResMed Swift LT nasal pillow
Encore View Software
12 cm H20, 13 cm H20
CPAP start date: June 4, 2008

No, the sleep lab wasn't dusty but at the time, I was living in a very dusty apt. So my overall health was affected.

Today, I took a nap in the afternoon without CPAP, and I slept fine. It was one of those deep revitalizing naps.

For me, Natural Sleep (obviously wihtout Apneas) is superior to CPAP sleep even with a low AHI.

I haven't slept a whole night without CPAP yet, but maybe after I make my home-made polysomnogram device, I will and measure my sleep.


_________________
5'9 234lbs 37 years Old Male
Original Sleep Study: AHI = 30

Owner of Remstar Auto A Flex M series
ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask
Viewer 1.0 Software, Smartcard Reader
Integrated Heater/humidifier
Prescribed setting: 7-10 Cm

I live in an old dusty house and suffer allergies.  But I also sometimes sleep in our new 2 yr old house that has less dust and I do not notice a difference.
For me since I have OSA I cannot imagine it making a difference.  When I sleep the back of my tongue falls back and blocks off my throat dust or not dust.
But I did find this on the internet....Since the muscle tone of the body ordinarily relaxes during sleep, and since, at the level of the throat, the human airway is composed of walls of soft tissue, which can collapse, it is easy to understand how breathing can be obstructed during sleep. Although many individuals experience episodes of obstructive sleep apnea at some point in life, a much smaller percentage of people are afflicted with chronic, severe obstructive sleep apnea.  Many people experience episodes of obstructive sleep apnea for only a short period of time. This can be the result of an upper respiratory infection that causes nasal congestion, along with swelling of the throat, or tonsillitis that temporarily produces very enlarged tonsils.  So fred AKA SleepIsHell.... you might just be onto something!