First night trying CPAP - failed

I could not sleep with this thing on, felt like I was suffocating. Seems my issue was exhaling through the nose while air is being forced in just was way uncomfortable and drove me nuts. I tried different size nose pillows ( I think that's what they are called). May call the office and order a mask as that was what I used in the sleep study. Took me a long time to go to sleep in the sleep study, but I finally did with the mask.

I will try again tonight, but totally frustrated and exhausted right now as I was up till 3:00 a.m. fighting the machine.

Complete your profile in the User Control Panel so we know what equipment and mask you're using and your pressure settings. Sometimes it takes a while to get accustomed to the change from CPAP, but eventually it seems to disappear. It will for you too, but patience is important. You can practice with the machine while awake, but really this is just a matter of time and getting comfortable.

1) if your set lower pressure is e.g. at 4 (vs e.g. 9) then inhaling will feel like you can't do it...

2) there should be a feature on your machine called either C-flex or EPR (Exhalation pressure relief) which you can set to a suitable level... look into that.

Hi- I am new to all of this too. (5 months in). There are lots of people on here who will help you.
It helped me by wearing the mask before actually trying to sleep in it. Sort of a practice run before bed time.
What also helped alot, there are items I have bought that greatly increase the comfort level of the mask and hose.
The first comfort thing I got was called a Snugglehose. (you can google it) There are also pads for the straps on the mask, and nosepads.
I found that anything I did to increase my comfort one little bit was a help in keeping me going.

Your first night was not failed. You learned you need to make adjustments. Keep trying. I'm on my 3rd different mask, and finally got one I like.

Hi, foradream:
It took me a solid month to acclimate but at that point I started to see great results. I echo the advice given: "practice" breathing with it while awake. Also, try some relaxation techniques (e.g. Meditation) with the mask and CPAP on so you don't associate the CPAP with anxiety. Prop yourself up in the beginning. It takes determination but will be worth it. After month four I feel like a new person. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Eve

foradream wrote:I could not sleep with this thing on, felt like I was suffocating. Seems my issue was exhaling through the nose while air is being forced in just was way uncomfortable and drove me nuts. I tried different size nose pillows ( I think that's what they are called). May call the office and order a mask as that was what I used in the sleep study. Took me a long time to go to sleep in the sleep study, but I finally did with the mask.

I will try again tonight, but totally frustrated and exhausted right now as I was up till 3:00 a.m. fighting the machine.

What you are feeling is VERY normal. I would suggest that you wear the mask, possibly in conjunction with the CPAP, while you are watching TV, reading, or listening to music before you go to bed. This will allow your mind and body to become accustomed to the feel and pressure.

Hang in there and give it some time.

I am about 70 days in and had the same troubles at first. It is getting better, but I still sometimes wake up feeling like I'm suffocating because I can't exhale. I've adjusted the a-flex on my machine to make it easier, but that caused my AHI to go up. I've tried setting it back to "2" and had more of the suffocating feeling, but not as much as I had at first.

You have gotten good suggestions here, but I'd like to add to persevere. I found the process of starting CPAP to be quite overwhelming and on top of that the exhaustion of lack of sleep made things so much harder. Just take it slow and do the very best you can. This board is fantastic with tips and ideas on how to adapt to the new sleep regime.

Good luck!

I know you've heard this before but.... "stick with it". It does get better.

I went from how you feel to now it feels like nothing most of the time. Try the advice others have mentioned above as well to get your CPAP tuned into what works best for you.

For me, the majority of the issues I experienced could be attributed to just needing to get used to it.

It took me a good 3 months before I saw a consistent turning point and there were times I wanted to give up.... big time.

It's been a little over 1 year for me now and (although I wish I didn't need CPAP) I'm glad I stuck with it. It may never feel like "normal" but it feel's very close to normal most of the time now.

This forum was a game changer for me. I highly recommend you take full advantage of the generous people willing to help. Very nice bunch here.

Sonya: if I were you I would set the flex back to three and raise the pressure 0.5 and see what happens for a few days. that might control the AHI and also give exhale relief.