The release of the Mule and Miner as an alternative dual radio device using the WiFi SD card has been, without a doubt, particularly beneficial for so many CPAPers trying to know more about their therapy.
But WiFi SD cards, fantastic devices as they are, were not meant to be working in sleep conditions. Many, many machines do not like them at all, and the ones that bear them sometimes punish them with brownouts, card errors and other rude actions. They are also in really high demand, so finding one is sometimes costly, and probably not worth the hassle of finding a genuine device.
Sleep Bridge Cloud gives you real-time CPAP data without replacing your SD card, relying on a WiFi SD adapter, or interfering with the machine's normal writes.
Sleep Bridge Cloud cuts out the middle man by connecting itself to the CPAP, and it also brings its own power to the party. So it doesn't rely on the machine's power moods or on a WiFi SD card link. It also decided not to interrupt the chit chat between the mighty ventilator and the SD card, so it eliminates all the issues the WiFi SD card brings up. The Bridge just sits there, on the side, and hears the conversation. Then it takes that hearsay and sends it straight to your CpapDash profile.
And it listens the whole time it is powered. Every little breath, every respiratory event, machine setting or summary your CPAP is writing, Sleep Bridge brings it in and CpapDash processes it. This takes the "real" and the "time" wording that started with the Mule and Miner to a whole new dimension, with your profile picking up everything that happens in the machine just a few seconds after it is written to the SD card.
From there, using your Automations, you could be notified right away if you are having leaks (instead of waiting until the next morning) or if your night's index of events is going poorly, so you can do something about it. And don't get me started on using the mask on and mask off events for room comfort, or having your cup of joe ready if your smart brewer plays along.
Yes, being such a small and affordable streamer has its cons: it does not bring SpO2 like the Miner does, or self-heal your data if it was powered off when you started therapy. The Mule and Miner is still the clear winner there, at least until this other device comes along (wait what?).
Setting it up
And onboarding the Sleep Bridge is as easy as it gets.
- Power it over USB-C, without connecting it to the machine just yet.
- On your phone, join the CpapDash-XXXX WiFi network it creates. The setup page opens by itself.
- Choose your home WiFi, type your password, and watch it come to life in the app.
- If for some reason you still don't have a CpapDash account, sign up. Then go to Devices (web or app) and claim your device with the serial and pairing code on the card that came in the envelope (the setup page shows them too).
- Then plug it into the CPAP.
As long as it is powered, you don't have to touch that little guy anymore. Simple.
What comes next
My plan for Sleep Bridge Cloud: slowly bring it to brands other than ResMed, so people on other machines can get the same zero-effort access to their sleep data.
The goal is bigger than one machine or one brand: make therapy data available as it happens, then let CpapDash use it alongside the rest of your sleep environment.
Hopefully this has been enlightening enough.
See you in the next chapter.