Is it OK to go from a 6 ft. hose to an 8 ft-10 ft. or does my machine have to be readjusted? I just need more room to move around when I sleep. Thanks!
The length of the hose does affect the air pressure at the mask, no different than the changing the type or brands of masks as they all have a different air volume area.
Your machine is calibrated to deliver a given pressure in the selected mask and a 6-foot hose. The majority of machines I have seen have a selection in the clinicians level allowing for the selection of a 10 ft hose. Selecting this setting increases the output pressure of the unit.
Keep in mind; currently the change in hose length lowers your desired pressure, thus decreasing the effectiveness of your therapy ultimately affecting your health.
Because it is adjusting the pressure for actual need, an autoPAP should be able to compensate for the pressure loss for a 12 foot hose, assuming that you are not exceeding the capacity of the machine. Some machines sense the pressure at the hose end of the mask, which will compensate for the pressure drop - my auto Puritan Bennett has it -- and the hoses are quite expensive.