Waking up, can't get back to sleep

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this. For the last two nights, I've been waking up and not been able to get back to sleep. Each night, I took the mask off for a while, dozed, and put it back on when I aroused the next time. After that I've been wide awake -- for an hour and a half the first night and an hour the second. I just can't get back to sleep until I take the mask off.

My first week and a half had gone so well. I kept mask on between six and seven hours a night. This week it's more like five hours.

I suppose it could be something other than the mask, although I haven't had any menopause-related things going on this week that I'm aware of.

If you've experienced this, how did you overcome it?

Thanks again.

Had same problem, I just kept useing the machine and now am use to it, I fall back to sleep quick uless I have already been asleep for 8-10 Hrs.

I read or heard somwhere (info overload this week) that this sometimes happens at first because your body has gotten more sleep that it's used to so it thinks "Okay, I'm good to go now". I was told to just keep working at it.

I have to admit, my first night I took some tylenol PM because I wasn't sure how I'd do.

I am constantly waking up during the night because I cannot tolerate the higher pressure when the APAP revs up. I feel like I am driving in a car with my head out the window and I cannot breathe. Can anyone give me any suggestions as how to tolerate higher pressure? Thanks,Gail

Some of the insomnia experts say that if you awaken are are awake more than 15-20 minutes, you should get out of bed and go into another room. Then listen to music or do something else relaxing (no TV or computer -- that just wakes you more). Once you are drowsy, go back to bed.

When I have done the above, I generally can go back to bed, put my mask on and go to sleep. If I don't get up, but stay in bed, I am more likely to fall asleep again at some point without my mask.

How to keep from awakening in the first place is one of life's great mysteries. I do recommend good sleep hygiene habits to help combat insomnia. If you are not familiar with that, google sleep hygiene.

Good luck.

In the first year of treatment, once I woke up it was over with the mask. Could not tolerate it on while awake long enough to fall back asleep. My sleep had been erratic so many years it took a long time to smooth out. But at some point I got to where I usually can wake up and not feel irritated by the mask and soon fall back asleep. But I still have those times when nothing works but taking it off and doing something for a while then starting over. But now it's the exception, not the norm.

that is where that Auto:Ramp feature comes in handy, you have it set up with a lower pressure and about 30 minutes, when you wake up like that, you hit the Ramp button it drops and allows you to get back to sleep.

Make sure any Maximum pressure set is high enough for the machine to increase if needed to address those frank apnea during REM.

[quote="gailandartie"]I am constantly waking up during the night because I cannot tolerate the higher pressure when the APAP revs up. I feel like I am driving in a car with my head out the window and I cannot breathe. Can anyone give me any suggestions as how to tolerate higher pressure? Thanks,Gail

Having only been on my Auto CPAP for about 10 days I am experiencing the same issues - almost impossible to fall back to sleep with the mask on, particularly if I am woken up by the machine jumping to a high pressure value.

I remembered to hit the "ramp" button yesterday morning when I woke up at 5:00am (just like the snooze button on the alarm clock... and I was able to fall back to sleep with the mask on

gailandartie wrote:I am constantly waking up during the night because I cannot tolerate the higher pressure when the APAP revs up. I feel like I am driving in a car with my head out the window and I cannot breathe. Can anyone give me any suggestions as how to tolerate higher pressure? Thanks,Gail

the only time i have a problem like that is when my mask leaks. usually now because i've been rolling over to my stomach for some reason.

I readjust my mask, hit the ramp button and go back to sleep.

CorgiGirl wrote:I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this. For the last two nights, I've been waking up and not been able to get back to sleep. Each night, I took the mask off for a while, dozed, and put it back on when I aroused the next time. After that I've been wide awake -- for an hour and a half the first night and an hour the second. I just can't get back to sleep until I take the mask off.

My first week and a half had gone so well. I kept mask on between six and seven hours a night. This week it's more like five hours.

I suppose it could be something other than the mask, although I haven't had any menopause-related things going on this week that I'm aware of.

If you've experienced this, how did you overcome it?

Thanks again.

Having something on your head, and air pressure flowing is an experience one just has to get use to, and in time you do. In the beginning of this treatment I was so concerned about low ahi numbers, leakage and wanting to make things perfect I found myself awakening after three hours of sleep, and being aware of all the things involved in the fit, listening for air leakage etc., I finally said it is what it is I will figure it out in the morning, not at two or three am. I have worked out most problems, and rely on the saying, it is what it is, fix it in the morning.
Ed

I have been on my CPAP for about a month or so and I had the same problem after a week where I would wake up after 4 hours and could not go back to sleep because I wasn't tired. I guess I was so used to getting so little sleep before my CPAP that 4 hours was enough. I now enjoy a regular night of 7 hours.

CorgiGirl wrote:I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this. For the last two nights, I've been waking up and not been able to get back to sleep. Each night, I took the mask off for a while, dozed, and put it back on when I aroused the next time. After that I've been wide awake -- for an hour and a half the first night and an hour the second. I just can't get back to sleep until I take the mask off.

My first week and a half had gone so well. I kept mask on between six and seven hours a night. This week it's more like five hours.

I suppose it could be something other than the mask, although I haven't had any menopause-related things going on this week that I'm aware of.

If you've experienced this, how did you overcome it?

Thanks again.

I don't know if this will help you, but for me, if I give myself permission to take the mask off I might also be tempted to not get back to sleep on those nights when this happens. Since I know I will not under any circumstances take it off and then sleep, I'm more resolved to just go back to sleep. This is especially true when the weather is really hot and my face sweats.