Sleepy after using CPAP the first couple nights?

Hi, I'm new to CPAP talk and CPAP. I've used it in a sleep study and one night now at home. Both times I feel refreshed in the morning and a little bit calmer than normal. Then, as the day goes by I feel sleepy. Not exhausted like usual, but just kind of satiated and like content-like sleeping, if that makes sense? I don't feel drowsy in the same sense as when I haven't used CPAP...but was just wondering if anyone else experiences this sort of contradictory thing?

Thanks,

Katie

Ivan101 wrote:Hi, I'm new to CPAP talk and CPAP. I've used it in a sleep study and one night now at home. Both times I feel refreshed in the morning and a little bit calmer than normal. Then, as the day goes by I feel sleepy. Not exhausted like usual, but just kind of satiated and like content-like sleeping, if that makes sense? I don't feel drowsy in the same sense as when I haven't used CPAP...but was just wondering if anyone else experiences this sort of contradictory thing?

Thanks,

Katie

If you search 'sleep debt' you'll probably find quite a bit on the subject. The theory is that your body has a lot of sleep to catch up on, and once it feels what a good night sleep is, it wants more of it. I don't know how true that all is about sleep debt, but regardless, it is quite common to feel exactly like you described and I've felt the same. I think it's a good thing, as long as you feel that 'content' kind of sleepy and not the kind of exhaustion you did pre-cpap.

After years of bad sleep your body now craves it to heal. It is sometimes called "Sleep debt" It will go away in a while.

I slept like a log 9-10 hours without moving the first few weeks, now I get by nicely on 7 - 7.5 hours.

You know, I'm down to about 8 hours a night myself. Strange how you don't really notice these things till someone else mentions it.

I was exhausted the first few nights as I fought the mask. Then it slowly started getting better.

This is very interesting, I thought it was my imagination. My first night on CPAP I slept 6 hours and woke up feeling as refreshed as if I'd slept 10 hours. But since then I've been wanting to sleep longer - as if my body has finally figured out what it's supposed to be doing in bed. I think I feel "sleepy" as opposed to feeling "tired"

Interesting to see other people's experience. Just had my first night at home with "PAPpy." Slept for about 7 hours and got up at 7:30 am, an unheard of early time for me. I felt OK (as opposed to trashed, my usual morning mood). But, I hit the wall at 1 pm. My eyes got red & itchy, I couldn't concentrate, and wondered how I would keep working. Now it's 8 pm, and I'm wide awake with red, itchy eyes. Frankly, I look forward to paying off my sleep debt.
Do any other newbies have similar experiences?

ThirdOutOfFive wrote:Interesting to see other people's experience. Just had my first night at home with "PAPpy." Slept for about 7 hours and got up at 7:30 am, an unheard of early time for me. I felt OK (as opposed to trashed, my usual morning mood). But, I hit the wall at 1 pm. My eyes got red & itchy, I couldn't concentrate, and wondered how I would keep working. Now it's 8 pm, and I'm wide awake with red, itchy eyes. Frankly, I look forward to paying off my sleep debt.
Do any other newbies have similar experiences?

Red itchy eyes means you are probably leaking into your eyes. This can be from a badly fitting mask OR it could be coming UP your tear ducts. Pick up some eye drops (tears) and keep on top of it. Some people will use a sleep mask to handle it.