Newbie - trouble falling asleep

Hello everyone,

I've been using my APAP machine for five nights and I am having a very hard time falling asleep. It is taking me about two hours.
When I first put on the mask and turn the machine on it is really hard to breathe. It feels like I am not getting any air in and it's hard to breathe out.
The machine is set for 4 - 20 pressure and is set for Auto ramp. I'm thinking about turning off the ramp or at least shortening the duration a bunch.
Thoughts?

TIA!
UMTerp

A starting pressure of 4 cm can make a lot of people uncomfortable and feel like they are having trouble breathing. Sort of like they are suffocating which they aren't but it sure feels like it.
Also...the ramp is normally set to start at 4 cm so with the auto ramp thing it always goes back to the potentially suffocating feeling of the 4 cm when it thinks you wake up.
So with your 4 to 20 settings the ramp is really not doing anything because you are starting out so low anyway.

Are you using EPR? It won't kick in until the pressure is above 4 cm because the machine can't go lower than 4 cm anyway.

My suggestion would be to play with the machine while awake with some setting changes to see if you can breathe easier/better and hopefully then get more comfortable so sleep comes easier.
Something like set your minimum pressure to 6 with EPR set to 2 and also set the ramp to start at 6 if you want to use ramp but at 6 cm with EPR at 2 you shouldn't really even need ramp.
Don't know how to change the settings?
See page 14 in the manual.
https://sleep.tnet.com/home/files/resme ... -guide.pdf
Try it while awake so you won't feel under the gun to get right to sleep...see how it feels.

Thank you so much pugsy!

I never thought of trying to change those settings while awake. Don't know why - sleep-deprived brain fog I guess
I will try some adjustments before I go to bed tonight! Fingers crossed!

Thanks,

UMTerp

As part of what Pugsy suggested, you can wear the CPAP for a while (an hour or so) before you want to go to sleep. While you're watching tv, reading, in general relaxing. You'll be getting used to the feel of the appliance on your face and the air moving, without the expectation of falling asleep. It helped me a great deal when I got started.

We have to be comfortable to be able to fall asleep. If we are feeling like we are being suffocated then it sure isn't comfortable. Now I know in my brain that I won't suffocate at 4 cm pressure but darn it sure feels like I am.... so I don't care what my brain thinks it knows because I am uncomfortable with it the way it is. So I want to make myself more comfortable.
Now some people think that 4 cm feels like hurricane force winds at play but most people find that something around 6 or 7 greatly lessens that "I can't breathe" feeling. If you add in just a little EPR to that 6 or 7 starting point the breathing feels much more "natural" and natural will usually mean more comfortable.

With EPR the pressure is reduced during exhale and it's this reduction that makes the breathing feel more "natural". Not everyone needs EPR or even likes it but it's there to at least try when starting out this therapy and trying to make something that is unnatural (having the alien plastered on your face blowing air up your nose) feel less unnatural.

Thank you so much! I made adjustments in both the min pressure and the EPR and fell asleep much faster!

UMTerp