The Sleepyhead program is quite intense. It is the work of a hacker in Australia. I have been told that the reports generated by SleepyHead are more in-depth than what is generated by some manufacturer’s software, some people say it is too detailed and hard to decipher.
I haven’t used Sleepyhead since I started using my CPAP again. Its time I take another look at it.
You can say that again! I’ve figured out how to move around and see different things, but I have no idea what I’m looking at. But it’s good to know that I can get at it should I ever feel the need.
LOL, When you have it figured out please explain it to me.
One thing I do find interesting is looking at the pressure graph. I don’t understand how exactly it decides to go up and down, but mine goes up and down all night, except for periods I know I’m awake (such as the first few hours of last night, where it’s flat). So clearly it’s making some sort of decisions. It’ll be nice when my insulin pump is able to control insulin doses all night like that!
I just have to say, I think last night is the best night’s sleep I have had so far. A few nights ago I switched to a larger cushion on my mask, and it doesn’t whistle when I exhale, which makes sleeping much easier.
I’ve had trouble falling asleep recently, but last night I fell asleep quickly even without a fan. (I did turn the fan on halfway through the night, but that was more about being hot than wanting the white noise.)
I woke up this morning and realized that I’d had NO interruptions from diabetes or sleep apnea or anything else! No pump or CGM alarms, no CPAP mask leaks or dislodging the mask, even when I turned over in bed.
Looked at my CGM and my blood sugar had been flat at around 6.0 mmol/L all night. Looked at my CPAP and my events per hour were at a super low 0.2. Can’t get much better than that!
And then I thought, “Wow, this is how normal people sleep EVERY night! How amazing that must be! No wonder I feel so tired sometimes with the way I get interrupted.” 
I’ve been hearing all about the CPAP stuff lately because everyone is getting, it seems. My peoples have CPAP on the brain. I have been emailed the following information this week (may not be relevant to you, but they think its pretty interesting). People also say that they love it. Someone told me that being at high altitude can all of a sudden trigger a need for CPAP. Pretty strange.
Response from a friend to article: “yeah the insurance company wont cover the bill unless you use it, and its effective. If they rent it for you on a monthly basis, they require that evidence. Also, doctor wants to ensure its working.”
Interesting article. I find it so funny when these types of articles describe medical devices like this as “popular” or “convenient” (recently saw an article describe insulin pumps that way). Clearly the authors of these articles do not use these devices…I wouldn’t describe CPAP or the pump as popular or convenient. Sure, I like them both, but that’s because the CPAP lets me sleep without waking up feeling like I’m dying because I’m unable to breathe, and the pump lets me control my blood sugar better so I’m not having constant hypo- and hyperglycaemia. And hopefully both will contribute to me living well into old age.
My experience so far has been different from what that article describes and different form a lot of stories I’ve read online. I’m not sure if it’s just a difference between Canada and the US…I think that article illustrates how messed-up the US healthcare system is! The line about “the insurance companies can let doctors know what ttreatments are best” just seems so backwards to me.
My experience has been that I had a sleep study (free, but probably covered by the government), got a CPAP machine on loan for a month (free, though I had to make a $250 deposit, which will be used towards the final cost of the machine), five follow-up appointments to fine-tune settings (all free, though again, probably covered by the government), and a follow-up oximetry test (again free, but probably covered by the gvernemnt). I’ll have at least one more follow-up appointment and possibly more after that as needed.
The government does not cover the cost of the machine, but my insurance does. As far as I know, they are purchasing the machine outright and it will be mine to keep. The machine I’ve had on loan has a cellular connection that sends data to the specialists who have been fine-tuning my settings (for the purpose of being able to fine-tune the settings), but I’m not sure if this data is sent to my insurance company. I will ask the next time I see them.
Thank you @mohe0001 or this article, I have been aware of the issues described.
I have had a contentious relationship with my sleep center over the monitoring issue. I have had hollow threats made to me by a NP at the sleep center concerning CDL license that I do not have. I was so upset that I swore I would never set foot inside the center again, eventually I stopped treatment that I truly need.
I have recently, having been inspired by @Jen , restarted treatment, and have even made an appointment with the sleep center, this time requesting a different NP.
I have decided that I will not allow anyone to intrude into my bedroom as I sleep, I have removed the modem from my CPAP and I have physical control of the SD card that records all my sleep vitals.
I have decided that I will self fund the supplies that I need, the cost online are no higher than what I paid thru insurance. There seems to be a racket going in the supply business. Supplies are not always sent because they are needed but rather because they became available for reimbursement by insurance.
I am so glad things are coming together for you.
Hehehe, CPAP machines dont look too convenient. I first time I saw one when I was sleeping overnight in the University of Washington ICU. I’d been crashing there some days with an elderly couple who were looking after a friend. None of us had been sleeping much and everyone was hanging by an emotional thread. So, the sweet elderly couple thought that I would wake up terrified if I saw them using their CPAP machines. They warned me because they thought that I would think there was some kinda alien autopsy going on. Or, that our sleeping area was being taken over by the ICU patients.
We all made lots of CPAP jokes, but they each said that CPAP was the best thing that ever happened to either of them - better than meeting one another, better than the birth of their children…the BEST thing. They loved their CPAPs.
Now, everyone my age is using them, too. I tease all of them, but they all say the same thing - its the best thing that they ever got.
So, maybe the aliens are using CPAP to perform living autopsy on us all and they need the data retrieved by the insurance company. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y
Wow, how old are you? I thought you were around my age. I know a couple others who use them, but they are all in their late 50s/early 60s. I am definitely the only thirtysomething I know using one. I had never seen a CPAP machine until I got one. The only reason I knew about them is that several years ago I slept over at my parents’ place for the holidays and my aunt said I sounded terrible all night and stopped breathing and that I needed “one of those sleep apnea machines.” So at that point I googled about them.
Mine has greatly inproved my quality of life in just the month I’ve had it.
I’m your age, Jen. My younger brother is trying to get CPAP, even. He went hiking at altitude and it triggered some kinda issue (the Doc said). He did a sleep study and told me he hasn’t had a good nights sleep in five years since he went into the mountains. I also got really bad altitude sickness when I skied there. Neither one of us has been back there in years, but yesterday I got pills for altitude sickness because he wants to ski it. I said that I would go with, but I am a little nervous, frankly. I may soon be the proud new owner of CPAP if I have issues.
Interesting. So is the altitude thing not related to sleep apnea? Or is it’s one sort of mild sleep apnea? My insurance doesn’t even cover CPAP machines for mild apnea, which is why I was diagnosed but used nothing for three years until I was upgraded to moderate. But I’m at sea level and haven’t skied in years (though I do fly all the time), so know nothing about the effects of altitude on all this.
Ahhh, yes. He said that he’s having trouble with insurance. Yes, traveling to altitude can trigger sleep apnea, which I didn’t know. Strange. He says he has had terrible sleep apnea ever since, just from having altitude sickness.
Just thought I would update this thread once again. I went for more than a month without an appointment at the CPAP clinic. During that time I got to the point where I sleep through the entire night without waking up at all (if my CGM doesn’t alarm). It’s so great.
The only issue I had during that time was that some nights my allergies act up and I end up only able to partially breathe through one nostril. Those nights were terrible. I’d take four hours to get to sleep. But aside from that, I went to my parents’ place over the holidays and on two work trips, and all went well. I’m looking for several travel items, including a two-litre reusable container I could use for distilled water (I’m scared bottled water will trigger asthma, though maybe I should give it another try) and a medium-sized camera bag that would fit the CPAP machine and accessories. The bag it comes with, though quite nice, is ginormous when I already have to take medical supplies and food on every trip.
Yesterday I had an appointment to pick up my own machine. My insurance covered 100% of the cost of the machine, mask, and heated tubing. I told the person (I’m still not entirely sure what their professional title is) about my allergy issues and asked if I could purchase a full face mask so that I’d have an alternative to the nasal canula mask on those nights. She had no problem with that. So we tried one out, she showed me how to switch mask types on the machine, and I bought that mask as well as hypoallergenic filters for the CPAP machine that she suggested I try. The total cost of the full face mask plus two filters, which I paid out of pocket for since there’s no way insurance would cover a second mask, was about $185, so not bad at all in my opinion.
I will call my insurance company tomorrow to see how often they will cover replacement equipment. I also have a seven-day period in which I can exchange the full face mask. I tried it last night and really like it. I thought it would be a transition all over again, but I slept really well. After using it for one night, I will call on Monday and exchange it for a size larger, as I think that would fit more comfortably. I’m glad I have both so I can decide which to use on any given night, though I’ll be using the full face mask for the full seven days I have to try it, since I want to make totally sure I test it and make any exchanges I need before that period is up.
Yesterday they said that from now on I will have appointments every six months to download the machine’s data, change settings if necessary, and they will also clean the machine. I asked who I should follow up with if my AHI number starts going above five, them or my doctor, and she said I’d give them a call.
I am so impressed with this entire system and follow-up. I’m not sure if this is just the clinic I’m dealing with or if this is the norm in Canada. Either way, this has been a great process and I can’t think of any way that things could have gone more smoothly.
Like on crocodile Dundee 2?
Excellent Jen I’m glad you are getting along well. There is nothing more valuable than a good night sleep.
Apparently you are much more committed than I am, If I’m not asleep after half an hour the mask comes off and I’m out of bed. I will return to it after a while but being in bed not sleeping for a long period is something I find hard to do. My Hat is off to you.
I’ve forced myself to wear the mask all night from the very start (the first night I didn’t sleep at all) because I know from experience with things like head gear (braces) and wrist/foot braces that if I allow myself to remove it in the middle of the night, I’ll develop the ability to remove it in my sleep, and then retraining myself to wear it all night long is nearly impossible. So with the CPAP, I just have never allowed myself to take the mask off. If I’m in bed, even just to read, I’m wearing it.
I did take the mask off one night at about 3:00 AM when I had to get up at 6:00 and I just could not sleep with it on while breathing through half a nostril. I woke up three hours later feeling exactly like I used to feel every morning: exhausted, headache, super congested, and aching all over. That’s the only time I’ve taken the mask off. I told the lady yesterday that one reason I’m so motivated to use it is because it seriously helps my allergies. I used to wake up every morning and spend the first five minutes getting gunk out of my lungs and nose (sorry if TMI, but it’s true!) because I was so congested. Mind you, allergy season hasn’t hit yet, but I haven’t had to do that since I started CPAP, and with the full face mask as an option now I’m hoping it’ll forever be a thing of the past.
My only remaining sleep issue now is that I’m often too hot yet when I blow a fan on myself, it creates water in the tubing and/or mask even with the heated tubing and humidifier set to auto (manual is much worse). So I’d like to find a solution to keeping my sleeping environment below 20 degrees so I don’t need a fan.
My brother just got his. But, he got sick with a cold and had the one nostril problem. Said he felt like he was suffocating. I haven’t inquired on how he likes it now that hes better, but people always like the CPAP. As the older sister, I believe my responsibilities are mainly just to make fun of him and his CPAP. If I go over to his apartment, sometimes hes just sitting there, wearing it, for my amusement. It is a ridiculous looking piece of equipment, but I know its super helpful. Glad your insurance worked out so well.
Exactly
@mohe0001 I am very glad you take your sisterly responsibilities so seriously, lol.
Making fun of siblings as an art form can be very rewarding to both parties.