Air movement keeps me awake

I'm beginning a new topic here, since my question-du-jour does not really apply to my last topic.

I have my ResMed AutoSet 2 apap machine, and this is the first xpap machine I've ever had. My initial pressure range is from 5-10. I've tried the settling feature (same as ramp) and tried it with the settling feature turned off. I'm using the ResMed full face mask with nasal pillows, and the machine shows I have an "excellent" mask fit. But I'm having two issues.

1. Air movement keeps me awake. (Maybe I'm high maintenance, but I even have a thing against ceiling fans blowing right over me. We used to have one over our bed, but I could not sleep when it was on.) But when I put my mask on, turn on the machine and go to bed, I feel like I'm all hyped up. It's like my body feels like it just wants to go into a shallow breathing mode to go to sleep, but then air is shooting at it, saying, "Breathe this! Breathe this!" It's like my body doesn't want air being fed to it. I will just lay awake for a couple hours with the machine just going, going. Once I take off my mask and turn it off, I fall asleep within a minute. Does/did anyone else feel this way? Will this feeling lessen?

2. I have a bedtime habit of laying in a certain position for awhile--partially on my stomach and side--until I'm almost asleep, and then I flop over to the other side before I conk out. I can't get into my pre-sleep position with the mask on, because it gets in the way. So I think that's another reason why I can't fall asleep, my whole routine is messed up.

When I went to the sleep clinic originally and tried on a couple masks, the sleep tech thought I'd be best with a full-face due to sinus issues, etc. It was really hard for me to breathe out of my nose, especially with continual air pressure. But he did not try me on a nasal only mask with apap and exhalation pressure relief. I'm wondering that even if a nasal-only mask would be difficult to use with continual pressure for a person with sinus/small nasal passage issues, would it perhaps work if said person were not trying to breathe against the air flow, i.e. using A-Flex/C-Flex or EPR?

Help, I'm sleepy...

Thanks,
All in Knots

allinknots wrote:I'm beginning a new topic here, since my question-du-jour does not really apply to my last topic.

I have my ResMed AutoSet 2 apap machine, and this is the first xpap machine I've ever had. My initial pressure range is from 5-10. I've tried the settling feature (same as ramp) and tried it with the settling feature turned off. I'm using the ResMed full face mask with nasal pillows, and the machine shows I have an "excellent" mask fit. But I'm having two issues.

1. Air movement keeps me awake. (Maybe I'm high maintenance, but I even have a thing against ceiling fans blowing right over me. We used to have one over our bed, but I could not sleep when it was on.) But when I put my mask on, turn on the machine and go to bed, I feel like I'm all hyped up. It's like my body feels like it just wants to go into a shallow breathing mode to go to sleep, but then air is shooting at it, saying, "Breathe this! Breathe this!" It's like my body doesn't want air being fed to it. I will just lay awake for a couple hours with the machine just going, going. Once I take off my mask and turn it off, I fall asleep within a minute. Does/did anyone else feel this way? Will this feeling lessen?

It will lessen. There is a whole bunch of strange sensory experiences zooming at you when you start CPAP - and they certainly kept me awake in the beginning. My solution was to tell myself - over and over: "This is the way things are. Don't wait for the noise or sensation to go away, because it won't." Take a look at pur-sleep too.

2. I have a bedtime habit of laying in a certain position for awhile--partially on my stomach and side--until I'm almost asleep, and then I flop over to the other side before I conk out. I can't get into my pre-sleep position with the mask on, because it gets in the way. So I think that's another reason why I can't fall asleep, my whole routine is messed up

.
Yeas ago I used to be a side sleeper. OSA must have made me a tummy sleeper - and when I started CPAP I couldn't imagine how in the world I would manage both mask and tummy sleeping. It turned out that once I knew (subconciously) that I breathe better - I reverted to side sleeping. Try to lull yourself to sleep in the position the mask lets you adopt. Tell yourself the mask - and air are there to help you, to take care of you, etc.

When I went to the sleep clinic originally and tried on a couple masks, the sleep tech thought I'd be best with a full-face due to sinus issues, etc. It was really hard for me to breathe out of my nose, especially with continual air pressure. But he did not try me on a nasal only mask with apap and exhalation pressure relief. I'm wondering that even if a nasal-only mask would be difficult to use with continual pressure for a person with sinus/small nasal passage issues, would it perhaps work if said person were not trying to breathe against the air flow, i.e. using A-Flex/C-Flex or EPR?

Nasal congestion disturbs cpap therapy. It can be helped with nasal rinse system like Neilmed's. I don't think A-Flex or C-Flex or EPR can do much to help if your exhale problem is caused by nasal congestion. Nasal rinsing on the other hand does marvels for some of us.

O.

No doubt we could all tell you stories about our first night, our first week, on and on. About 10 minutes into my first night I was pretty sure (with a high level of confidence) that this cpap thing wasn't for me. At about the same time, my wife assured me that there was no way she was going to sleep in the same room as this unbelievably noisy machine.

Some time later that same night, long after we both fell asleep, for whatever reason the machine shut off. I couldn't figure out how to get it going again in my hazy state of mind, so I yanked the mask off and turned over to be greeted by my wife, wide awake, "it's too quiet in here, I can't sleep. Somethings wrong. Figure out how to turn it back on so I can get back to sleep."

Trust me, I didn't get back to sleep that night. I got the machine running, but I couldn't keep the mask from leaking. I couldn't stand the air rushing past my mouth and nose; I hated this thing.

My usage was intermittent for the first week or month or so. Now, I sleep like a log, my wife has a noise maker to satisfy her when I'm traveling or otherwise away from home, and I feel great. I'm getting healthy again. I have energy.

Whatever you do, be patient. We've all been in your situation. We've all had that "first night."

gb

I don't think about my machine being on and air blowing into my airway any more but when I first started I did. When I got my new machine in February, I was again a little aware of the difference because it has exhalation relief

When I would be "bothered" about it I would try to really NOT think about it but instead, think of something else - like a movie I had watched on TV or an incident from a book I was reading anything but the fact that I was hooked to a machine with a mask over my nose. That helps me to get to sleep quickly.

Try wearing the mask with the machine on during the day. Watch TV or read to help take your mind off the air flow. This might help you get used to it quicker.

Brenda