Newbie with questions

I apologize in advance for my newbie questions, I’m sure you get them all the time.

My most pressing question: how long did it take to feel better after you started your cpap?

In my sleep study I was having 91 episodes an hour with zero minutes of n3 or REM sleep. They put me on a cpap for the second part of the night and the episodes reduced to 12 and I still had zero n3 sleep but got 35 minutes of REM. At least I felt like I had some validation for being exhausted all the time.

I got my CPAP last night. They have it set at a pressure of 12. According to the app, I only had .3 episodes per hour. However, I woke up at 3am with an excruciating back ache. I’m wondering if I slept so hard I didn’t move or something.

At any rate, I felt a little better rested this morning and I almost felt like I had good coloring in my skin....but my energy wasn't drastically improved (not that I was expecting it to be). I’m just curious how long it took for your energy level to increase.

Ncgoaliemom30 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 15, 2018 7:05 pm

My most pressing question: how long did it take to feel better after you started your cpap?

You will get answers ranging from "one night" to "don't feel better after five years". None of these answers are good for you. This is about the quality of your therapy not anyone else's.

CPAP helps you breathe at night. Along with maintaining a low AHI and low leak level, CPAP users should do other things that help them sleep and feel better. This includes things like good sleep hygiene, good diet, moderate exercise and so on.

If you don't feel better after a few nights, fill out your equipment profile ( https://www.cpaptalk.com/ucp.php?i=prof ... pment_info ) and give us an update in this thread.

Ncgoaliemom30 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 15, 2018 7:05 pm

However, I woke up at 3am with an excruciating back ache. I’m wondering if I slept so hard I didn’t move or something.

Maybe you slept in an uncomfortable position trying not to interfere with the mask and hose? This sometimes happens in the learning stage of CPAP.

Ncgoaliemom30 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 15, 2018 7:05 pm

In my sleep study I was having 91 episodes an hour .............

According to the app, I only had .3 episodes per hour.

That's an excellent first night!

Hello and welcome to the forum Ncgoaliemom30,

Many of us have really abused our bodies with the effects of sleep deprivation for years, and it takes time to reverse those changes, so don't worry if things don't happen quickly. My sleep specialist, who is also a Neurologist, schedules his first follow-up appointment 3 months after starting treatment, as he doesn't expect to see any improvement before then. But ChicagoGranny is right, it all depends upon the quality of your therapy.

In my case, I am very fortunate to have my pressures dialed in pretty well, and a mask that fits, and I noticed little results after the first week. First a little less tired. Then as time progressed, I wasn't worried about falling asleep at traffic lights. Now I have more energy. It's working for me and I'm thrilled.

This forum is a wealth of information; I've learned so much and folks are genuinely interested in helping you. So please do hang around and ask questions as they arise. And be patient. It's a journey and it can be frustrating at times. But you are worth it.

All the best,
MrsRinPDX