We at SleepGuide will always stand up for the Sleep Apnea population first and foremost, without regard for what's best for the manufacturers, insurance companies, DMEs, doctors and others whose interests may not always be perfectly aligned with our own. This Sleep Apnea population includes anyone with Sleep Apnea, whether using dental devices, CPAP, surgery, or other means to treat themselves.

Today, we'd like to announce our preliminary standards for one of our sub-populations, CPAPers. As always, we invite your feedback and comments, whether supportive or not.

These initial standards are as follows:

• Users should use their machines at least 5 hours a night, almost every night
• Users should use data-capable machines whenever possible
• Users’ AHIs should be <5.
• Users’ leak rates should be within manufacturers’ established ranges for the masks they are using
• Users’ masks should be comfortable for them
• Users should try an auto-adjusting machine or a machine that provides some comfort feature, such as exhalation relief, if they are having a hard time using a machine without these features
• Once users have data-capable machines, they should have their data closely analyzed at least every week, and a clinician should intervene if the standards are not being met, and work with the user on a mutually agreeable solution