Not adjusting

[MarcieCPAPsux]

Not sure I'm doing this right, but giving it a try. Hoping I followed the instructions correctly.

I've been struggling (mostly mentally) for over a month now trying to get accustomed to this life-altering therapy. I am wondering if the "flow limitation" 2.42 last night might be why it seems like I'm still tight-chested even though I know I'm clearly getting enough air. (Likely, it's still anxiety, but just want to make sure things aren't wonky with my equipment.

Do you think I will ever get to a point where I will simply fall asleep moments after laying down for bed again like I did before? I can be EXHAUSTED and ready for bed, but as soon as I put on the gear and lay down, I'm wide awake (even with Atavan) and lay there for at least an hour. I wear headphones to listen to relaxing instrumental music, have a satin stress ball to hold...not to mention I've upped my therapy to two sessions a week. I am trying everything I can to make this work, but it doesn't seem to be getting better. Obviously my AHI is moderately okay (compared to the 25+ during a home study with oral appliance), but I want to get back (or forward) to some sense of normalcy and definitely some uninterrupted nights' sleep.

Thank you so much for any wisdom you may have! - Marcie

[zoocrewphoto]

Welcome!

You will get more responses soon. But, just a quick glance at your graphs shows that your machie wants to go higher than 12, and it can't. Also, since it starts at 6, it takes awhile to get up to 12 (or higher), so it can't do as well as it could.

Also, you may feel more comfortable starting at a little higher pressure anyway. Most people have trouble with 4 and 5. Not sure where it starts to be comfortable for most. But 6 seems a bit low. Mine starts at 11, so I don't know what 6 feels like.

I would bump the minimum to 8. It will probably need to go higher, but you can do that slowly as you see results. I would also set the max to 20 and see where the machine wants to go. Ideally, you want the minimum to prevent most things during the night, and only have it go up when you need more (usually when sleeping on your back or in a REM cycle). Also, once you get the ahi below 2 AND sleeping most of the night with minimal interuptions, you should start feeling better.

[Julie]

What a smart cat!

[babydinosnoreless]

I found wearing it watching tv or reading helped me to get used to it and relax so that I could sleep with it at night.

[kteague]

First step to getting used to treatment is optimizing settings, as has already been mentioned. After that it's comfort and familiarity. Everyone is different, but I found that neither classical, nor instrumental of any genre, nor nature sounds helped my mind go to sleep. They simply left too much space for my mind to eagerly fill with thoughts. I found that smooth listening oldies at a volume loud enough to make out the words but not loud enough to force me to listen worked best. Finding this balance gave my brain a little something to process but since the lyrics are familiar, I don't need to pay attention. Wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Also, it helped me when I reframed my view of the machine. I began to see it like a security blanket, relaxing in the knowledge I would not wake up choking, heart racing, trying to catch my breath. I began to welcome it rather than resent it. New sensations can be a terrible deterrent to sleep, and even more so for those with highly sensitive nervous systems or with anxiety. Do the things you can to make it a more pleasant experience, whether that might be a soft mask liner, mask straps, a luxurious pillowcase that gets used only with CPAP... you get the idea. I love using pleasant essential oils on a cotton pad placed behind the air intake on the back of the machine. Find some combination of pleasantries that makes the experience more desired than dreaded.

[MarcieCPAPsux]

Thank you so much zoocrewphoto, babydinosnoreless, and kteague! I'll get there eventually. It helps to hear from people who've been through this and have such great ideas/advice.