[SOLVED: USER ERROR] CI3 sess_time_to_update and flashdata

I'm using FILES session and I'm working on an application where I'm using userdata and flashdata to keep the data stored in across page loads so that if the user navigates away from the app they lose their session.  Each page load with the app saves the flashdata for future use while the userdata is of course preserved.

Whats happening though is that if the user is interacting with the app and is doing everything that keeps the flashdata active their session gets refreshed by the sess_time_to_update and loses their session.  I've got it set to 300.  So after those 300 seconds a new session id is generated and the userdata and the flashdata is lost even though the user is still inside my app.

Should this be wiping out my userdata and flashdata or should it carry across the with the new session id creation?

below is my config setup

$config['sess_driver'] = 'files';
$config['sess_cookie_name'] = 'ci_session';
$config['sess_expiration'] = 1800;
$config['sess_save_path'] = 'sessions';
$config['sess_match_ip'] = FALSE;
$config['sess_time_to_update'] = 300;
$config['sess_regenerate_destroy'] = FALSE;