new user-couldn't fall asleep

I'm also a new user even though I've had my machine for the past 2 years. When I first got it, I just couldn't get used to the hose, the feeling of the mask forcing air into me, or I would even roll over and the hose would wrap around my neck, or pull the whole unit off the end table. So I stopped using it.

After about 2 years of not using it, I started getting dizzy spells during the day, or would wake up in the middle of the night disoriented, dizzy, nasious, cold sweats, and in a panic. I went to the Emergency room twice thinking I was about to die! When I saw my doc, she basically told me "Dummy...start wearing your mask again!"

So I started out in a chair with an airline pillow wrapped around my neck. It helped but was getting about 2 hours of sleep a night. At first I thought I was going to be doomed to sleep in the chair, but the folks on here stressed for me to hit the bed! So I did, and had the same results, 2 to 3 hours a night.

Even on just 2 to 3 hours a night I noticed a dramatic drop in the dizzy spells and haven't woken up once in the middle of the night feeling immeniate doom. Im more alert during the day, and have more energy longer as the day goes on. Each night I would get a little more and more sleep.

I made my own hose rack that keeps the hose elevated above my pillow and out of the way and I still use the airline pillow wrapped in a pillowcase. Im a side sleeper and found that while sleeping my head will stay in the hole of the airline pillow, but my mask can hang of either side without losing the seal. I put a speaker in there too so that I can hear the music, but I dont have to have another set of wires attached to my head. Instead of concentrating on my breathing, I concentrate on the music...which helps alot, and since its in the pillow it doesn't disturb the wife.

I also had the doc check the pressures, I was getting too much and was waking up fighting for air, or the mask.

Last night I made it through the whole night without fighting it, and it took about 30 days to get there.
Stay with it, find what works for you or what helps, but don't give up on it. Even if for the first couple of days, weeks or even months your not feeling any different from NOT using it, it will catch up to you in the long run. I met an old timer yesterday that has a CPAP, refused to wear it for years and ended up in the hospital with sever cardio problems as a result.

If you have any questions ask the folks on this forum! The people here helped guide me in the right direction.

GG - It's possible you were inadvertently covering the CO2 vent holes with bedding, which led to your symptoms... it's happened to me and others, and would not necessarily be related to BP at all... something to look out for in future.

I'm one of those people that obsesses about things. I knew from being with myself for a long time now that if I just started using the CPAP machine, mask and all, that I'd never get to sleep until I was so tired that I couldn't help it (like when I was driving or something). So I planned to take Ambien for the first week, and that got me through the acquaintance phase, where my body pretty much got used to the whole routine...been fine since then. But only about 9 months now *smile*, still a newbie compared to a lot of the people around here.

My current thing is that I'm having trouble getting back to sleep in the morning when I wake up after about 6 hours of sleep. I need more sleep to feel good through the day, so I'm working on that one. I think that this is stress due to retiring, and that once I'm done with it, my sleep should get better again. Just too much on my mind, hard to keep from thinking about stuff when I wake up at this point. Change has always been stressful for me, I like to have a basic rhythm/routine to my life, and then I can treasure the spontaneous things that happen *smile*.

Anyways, yes, some people find it hard to get used to CPAP, some people find it easy, and there's lots of ground in between...but, as I said, Ambien for a short period really helped me get over the hump with it.

Snori,

I'll echo what the other posters have said. Don't sleep on your back if that's not comfortable for you. There's absolutely no reason you should. They ask you to do that in sleep studies because it makes some people's apnea worse and that's what they want for the study. I was one of the ducks who took to cpap right away but I'd never have managed to get to sleep at all if I hadn't been sleeping on my side. Try sleeping in your normal position and see if that doesn't make it easier to adjust to the cpap.

One thing that did help me which is a little counterintuitive is that I focused on the feeling of the air instead of trying to ignore it.

The one suggestion I've seen here that I don't agree with is trying a full face mask (one that covers your mouth and nose). At least not in a hurry. And that's because it's probably the hardest kind of mask to sleep on your stomach or side with. There's more of it to catch on the pillow.

midnightowl

ps. Registering here is optional. There will still be plenty of people willing and able to help you if you decide, for whatever reason, that you don't want to do it.

Snori

I just switched to a Pilario Nasal Mask and am loving it. It is really light weight and I have had no problems with it. In fact I managed to sleep 7 1/2 hours last night which is a miracle because normally it is 6. Sleep your normal way and see if that helps.

Deb