brock5ga wrote:Typically I just find myself on the couch nodding off. Hard to plan for that type of situation. Thinking about it i guess you are right. It makes sense that the oxygen deprivation would happen when you stop breathing, not an increase in oxygen on the machine.
I have been there (on the couch) and done that (fell asleep not really intentionally) and I have paid for it if the nap is more than a few minutes. Wake myself up snoring and give myself a headache from lack of O2.
It would be kinda nice if a good 8 hours on the machine at night would give us some "freebie" minutes for a nap on the couch but it doesn't work that way.
What I do is make sure that I don't get into the reclining position on the couch. I stay sitting up. That way should I get really drowsy and nod off...I am more or less upright and hopefully minimize the collapse of the airway. Also...this position makes it nearly impossible to have any lengthy nap but I do sometimes get a 15 minute power nap this way.
Some people do nap without their machine. Some will take a nap in the recliner more or less upright. They may or may not do it intentionally. Some people are really good and never ever nap without their machine. I admit that I sometimes have "cheated" but it really wasn't on purpose. Like you I just sometimes nod off and don't really plan to. My OSA happens to be much worse in REM sleep and barely diagnostic in non REM sleep so in non REM sleep my events are minimal. In theory...if I can stay out of REM sleep the chance of damage is minimal. A 15 to 30 minute nap does seem to rejuvenate me a bit but if I get close to an hour nap....I feel the bad effects and I really try to avoid that.
While I don't think it is the end of the world if someone grabs a 30 minute nap without the machine...I just can't in good conscious advocate napping without the machine as something that is "okay" to do.
I know that when we are given an inch we will take a foot and it is real easy to get into the mind set that it is "okay'" to go without the machine for a brief nap...then it turns into a longer nap....then longer and then into "I don't want to mask up tonight" "just this once"...and so on.
Bad habits are easy to make and very hard to break so I really try to limit the times that I am tempted to "cheat" because I don't even want to go down that road even just for a little ways.
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.
If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.