Will i really get use to this?

copernicus wrote: also, although i have always been a mouth breather, i found that i am only breathing from my nose with the cpap on. is the nasal mask more comfortable? do i switch?

I find a nasal mask to be more comfortable (I use the Activa LT) and doesn't leak like a full face mask--you may find that with a goatee like yours that it also leaks a lot, which can also contribute to discomfort. I found that no full face masks I have tried work well with a beard/goatee. In addition, full face masks usually caused a sore on my nose bridge, which hasn't been an issue with the nasal mask, even though it sits there too. I don't mouth-breathe a lot when sleeping, but found that I still do sometimes and use a PapCap chin strap to make sure my mouth stays closed.

copernicus wrote:Thank you all for posting your replies.
NIght 2, was a bit better i think. took forever for me to fall asleep,and although the mask is still giving me trouble, i enjoy the air flow. am sure night 3 will be better still. the head gear on my mask is what is giving the most trouble, should i be looking into a full face mask with no head gear? are there any?
also, although i have always been a mouth breather, i found that i am only breathing from my nose with the cpap on. is the nasal mask more comfortable? do i switch?

Hey Copernicus

I'm a relative newbie too (6 weeks in) so can totally relate. The first 2 weeks were hell, felt worse than ever, massive migraines everyday (I assume from the change in my sleep patterns) and really sore nose & forehead from the mask.

I have facial hair too so tried everything from full face to nasal to pillows until I found the right one. For me it was pillows (the thing I thought I would like LEAST) and I think it's important at the beginning to try as many styles, shapes, sizes until you find the right fit. As my technician said, the right one will be the one that doesn't feel like it's on. And he was right. One thing I did wrong was adjust the mask too tight. If you have red marks on your face in the morning, it's too tight.

I guess it takes awhile to pay back those 20 odd years of sleep debt because at about week 3 I started to feel a little better. Then each day got even better. I spent the last 4 days without a machine while I returned the trial machine and bought my own - BOY WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Man did I feel horrible for those 4 days. My machine arrived yesterday so last night was 1st night back on the hose and I feel simply FANTASTIC!!

Stick with it buddy. It may take you a little while to get used to it and to notice any difference in how you feel but you have years of sleep debt to repay. As others have said, very soon the day will come that you can't handle going to bed without it.

Sweet dreams!
Donkey

Copernicus:

I'm not a newbie, I'm an 'oldbie'. I've been using a cpap machine for 13 years, since 1997. Those were the days when the machines were very large and sounded like a 747 landing all night long. The masks were lousy back then (poor seals) as well. Now, I'm using a Resmed Autoset S9 auto unit, with a Swift LT nasal pillow mask. The differences over the years are staggering. I LOVE the new technology and find everything works so much better.

Before my cpap, I would fall asleep anytime all day long. As a school teacher, I would even doze off sitting in front of my class giving a lecture! Only the laughing of my students would wake me up! I would drive and fall asleep at stoplights, etc. etc.

After being thoroughly checked, I was discovered to have 48 incidences/hour (moderate, I guess) and went immediately on a cpap. I found it took a couple months to really get used to the machine, each night maybe just a touch better than the previous night. It was a real pain, but was definitely WORTH IT. I no longer have sleep issues, I never fall asleep during the day, I am always more rested, and am so thankful that I worked as hard as I did to adapt to it.

I love the heated humidifier and my nasal pillow mask is much better than what I have used in the past. I found the face masks were tougher to seal correctly and I felt claustrophobic with them. All in all, I look forward to a good night's sleep every night with my cpap, I will never go without it, and love how much better I feel using it each night. As a newbie, you have to have lots of patience with your equipment and understand it will take time to adjust to your equipment. Remember, it is absolutely worth it!

Good luck!

Regards, Russ