y08hci0299 wrote:Is my mask just not working for me, or do I just need more time to get used to it? So, I have the mirage quattro full face mask and the airfit p10 nasal pillows, and I have been on cpap for the past 3 weeks. I literally have not managed to get a full night's sleep on either one.
Well until you start sleeping all night, every night with the mask on, the CPAP therapy won't make much of a difference.
Of course the problem is figuring out how to increase the amount of time you're actually using the mask.
You write:
Either I manage to fall asleep and wake up 1 to 2 hours later and take it off, or I lay in bed for an hour and can't even fall asleep.
When you wake up 1-2 hours after falling asleep with the mask, why are you taking it off? Do you consciously do this and remember doing it? Or do you wake up several hours later with the mask off and no memory of taking it off?
Your answer is critically important: If you are consciously taking the mask off, then you are "rewarding" yourself for sleeping 1-2 hours with the CPAP by taking the mask off. That's actually counterproductive. You need to try to get to the point where you never
consciously take the mask off and go back to sleep without it on your nose.
As for lying in bed for an hour, not falling asleep, and then taking the mask off to go to sleep, the fix is pretty straightforward, but does require some self-discipline. If you are not feeling sleepy after what feels like 20-30 minutes after going to bed with the mask on, it's time to take the mask off,
get out of bed and
go into a different room. Do something fun or relaxing for a while. Do a crossword. Listen to some music. (But try to avoid web browsing or watching TV due to the blue light issue.) Once you start to feel
sleepy (as opposed to tired), go back to bed, put the mask back on and try once again to go to sleep.
Should I just find new masks or give it more time?
Unless you are having specific mask related issues, swapping the masks may not do much for you. But sometimes swapping the mask out may help. You can figure out if trying a new mask is worth while by writing a list of everything that really
bugs you about the two masks you are using. Also make sure you know how to properly adjust both masks---and make sure you take the time to properly adjust the masks. Finally if your machine records leak data, look at the leaks. If you always have serious leak issues with the nasal pillows mask, that may mean you really do need to use a full face mask. But if your leaks are ok with the nasal pillows mask and you like the way it feels better than the full face mask, then you probably don't need a full face mask and it's ok to just abandon trying to make it work.
How long will it take for me to get used to cpap, if ever?
If you consciously allow yourself to take the mask off and then go to sleep without the mask on, you may never "get used to CPAP". In order to get used to it, you have to use it. And that means never giving yourself a "reward" of taking the mask off because you slept for 1-2 hours with it on. And it means figuring out a way of dealing with the CPAP-induced insomnia that doesn't involve giving up at the beginning of the night when you have had trouble falling asleep with the mask on your face.