As you probably can tell by my other blog entries, I love CPAP. Since using it, I've felt energized when I wake up in the morning, with a zest for being active during the day instead of bumming around and wanting to sleep in. But even I hit speed bumps from time to time, and the other night was one of them. Around 4:30 a.m., I felt as if I were choking, unable to breathe. I ripped the mask off, and realized I was feeling two things: congestion in my nose and a really sharp headache. I slept the rest of the night without the machine. I suppose my congestion blocked the air from my nasal mask from getting into my airway, cutting off the oxygen to my system, which probably led to the headache.

So this morning I read the data off my smart card, and this is what I got:

It looks pretty normal to me -- excellent AHI, borderline leak, pressures within range. But if I were gasping for air for long enough to give me a headache, I am at a loss to explain the absence of apnea/hypopnea events leading up to the time when I ripped the mask off. I'll follow up with my physician when I see him again next month to find out. Until then, if anyone has any thoughts, please feel free to comment. I would like to prevent this from happening again.