Are you still waking up in night now you're on CPAP ?

JamesCPAP · Post by **JamesCPAP** » Mon May 01, 2006 3:27 am

I've been on CPAP for 3 weeks but I'm still awaking 2-4 times per night even though I'm on CPAP. Is this normal ?

I feel much better in myself and do not dose off once I'm on the sofa or in a recliner chair after 30 mins like I did pre CPAP.

However I still awake in the night (not for a bathroom trip though), although some of the time is because I've felt a leak on the mask and have to readjust the full face mask.

Just wondered when you all started on CPAP, whether you started sleeping all the way through the night or whether you still had tendencies to wake up ? And if you did continue to wake up, did your internal time clocks gradually adjust and let you sleep all through the night ?

beneyw · Post by **beneyw** » Mon May 01, 2006 4:23 am

Of course I still wake up mainly because of the damn irritation on the bridge of the nose which can be very painful. So far, I have to admit I am not impressed after about 3 weeks. I mention a new mask and all I am told by my tech is.."you will have to pay for it." FINE! The question is which nasal mask do I try next? I see the doc again next week and frankly expect some better advice as to how to 'get used to this nightly ordeal.'

Apparently my experience has been like so many others..the difficulty in getting the right mask and without professional assistance it seems to be a crap shoot. It might be the only way to go...keep buying masks until you find the right one. So, the waking up several times still occurs with me.

Is your mask comfortable? If it is, at least that is a big step. Perhaps, with that, getting used to the CPAP may happen quicker for you.

JamesCPAP · Post by **JamesCPAP** » Mon May 01, 2006 6:26 am

Thanks for the reply! It's good to know I'm not alone in still waking up. The mask (Mirage Full Face) is pretty comfortable but if I do move around on the pillow (and I do) then it does leak pressure.

I'm seriously looking at trying some other masks, but the downside like you say is it costs you per each mistake if the mask doesn't work for you.

I went with the full face mask because I have sinus trouble and although 8.10 nights I'm able to breath easily through both nostrels, the 2/10 I either have one nostrel blocked or both due to sinus problems further up. So for me the full face mask was the choice to start with but I think I can probably go with a nasal mask like the Comfort Gel most of the time and full back onto the full face mask if I really have to.

Ric · Post by **Ric** » Mon May 01, 2006 8:07 am

Before APAP, I used to wake up 5-6 times a night to make the trip, down the hall, to the right, hello porcelain.... No more. That was actually the biggest surprise of the whole CPAP experience, less ANH (atrial natriuretic hormone), less diuresis, more sleep. That by itself is almost worth doing CPAP. (The breathing part of course is really nice! and is not unrelated.) I now sleep 6.5-7hrs straight through, don't even wake up at all.

If the F&P mask is waking you up, maybe try something else that matches your face better. Maybe the F&P isn't sized right? Have you tried the "sizing page" on cpap.com? That will suggest a good fit. (Although I find it is completely useless for the ACTIVA, and have raised that issue more than once.) And LOTS of opinions on this forum as to which mask is the perfect mask. (Is there really one????) btw, the ACTIVA is the only mask so far that has seriously annoyed the bridge of my nose. But I'm not through adjusting all the adjustments. So don't give it a bad rap. Yet.

hope that helps.

pharmwoman · Post by **pharmwoman** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:15 am

I consider myself a successful cpap user but honestly, i still wake up several times a night--even with the interupted sleep i feel better though, so Ive sort of resigned myself to it--Ive had a few nites that i dont wake up but that is extremely rare.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:35 am

Waking up in the night is normal, it takes time to adjust to this new lifestyle. After 3 months I started to not wake up as often, now at 8 months I wake up about 4 times most nights. I turn from side to side, and wake up with the mask leaking some or the hose wrong, I don't even open my eyes, I just adjust what's wrong and go right back to sleep. You can't even count it as waking up really.

I used to be up 5 times nightly, now I never get out of the bed. Jim

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:43 am

In two weeks (May 14th) it will be one year since I started CPAP therapy. Before that, I usually got up once or twice in the night for a trip down the hall. I can't recall having to do that since being on CPAP (but probably have on a couple of occasions). I still wake up a few times during the night when turning over (side sleeper). Many times I'll wake up after several hours.....feeling rested and refreshed.....thinking it must be about time to get up.....only to notice that I still have several more hours to go. I never seem to have a problem getting back to sleep though.

Best wishes,

Den

JamesCPAP · Post by **JamesCPAP** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:58 am

Thanks all! I was a little concerned that although I feel the change in not dozing off when watching TV etc since starting CPAP therapy, I was still concerned that I was waking up aroudn the same amount of times per night compared with pre-CPAP therapy.

Like Den, I'm finding that being a side sleeper I may roll over or adjust my head on the pillow and find that it's at that point the mask will be minutely dislodged causing air leakage but I've already got used to not opening my eyes and just re-seating mask and going back to sleep.

The great thing is that if I awoke prior to CPAP therapy it would take me an hour to get back to sleep, now I'm out like a light in about 10 mins.

I'll see how I go over future months but I may try a nasal mask as it's probably less easier to dislodge due to the size of mask on face against pillow.

TerryB · Post by **TerryB** » Mon May 01, 2006 11:35 am

The thing to remember is that you have traded coming nearly awake maybe 100+ times a night for each apnea and low O2 staurations for coming awake enough to deal with the irritations and leaks 1/2 dozen times a night. It has to be better for you in the long run.

TerryB

beneyw · Post by **beneyw** » Mon May 01, 2006 11:57 am

One very important thing I forgot to mention....I am using 2 mg. Lunesta also to fall asleep..something I really do not want to use but advice of doc and I need whatever sleep I can get. Strictly an 'on the back sleeper' and even taking the Lunesta I wake several times so, like everything else we are all different. One thing I am certain of, the Lunesta will not become a long term habit no matter what...Anyone else have to use a sleeping aid until they 'get used to the CPAP?'

Anatha · Post by **Anatha** » Tue May 02, 2006 12:16 pm

I am having this problem also, only, before using CPAP and before diagnosis, I never actually woke up. I would sleep straight through the night, and never realize that I had really poor quality sleep. If I did get up to use the restroom, I would fall right back asleep.

Since i started CPAP 3 weeks ago, it takes me over an hour to fall asleep, and I wake up almost every single hour. Unless I am completely worn out, then I might sleep for 3 hours.
Occasionally I will fall right asleep, but rarely. This waking up thing is really really frustrating me and I end up taking the CPAP mask off.
I use an Activa and it really bugs me. I get kind of panicky. I have thought about seeing about a sleep aid to get me over the anxiety of using this new stuff.
I am looking into getting a Mirage Swift since that interface won't be quite all in my face.

Oh yeah, and I found lately that I am drooling. I haven't noticed my mouth open at all, but I seem to be drooling just out of the corner of my mouth...wierd.

Mile High Sleeper · Post by **Mile High Sleeper** » Tue May 02, 2006 1:01 pm

beneyw, maybe you can do this to try masks. Read up on them on cpaptalk.com and cpap.com. Make a list of the masks that might work for you.
If your DME is uncooperative, approach a hospital (or non hospital) sleep lab and ask if they will do mask trials for free or a small fee. My local hospital sleep lab will do free trials for former sleep lab patients, or for $50 an hour for nonpatients. See if the lab can get the masks you want to try. Try them on each side and your back while under pressure and while leaks are measured by the lab equipment.

If you can't do this, and you can't change DMEs, try to do as much as possible at your uncooperative DME. Go up the chain of command, to a regional manager if necessary, to get masks to try. Bring your pillow and lay on the floor while trying masks under pressure. The DME may think you strange, but you are educating them in the right way to do a mask trial.

Get the mask fitted as well as possible before you try it under pressure.

If I buy a mask from the hospital sleep lab and it doesn't work, I have 30 days to return it and get credit.

Hope this helps.

WindFlyer · Post by **WindFlyer** » Tue May 02, 2006 1:29 pm

Anatha:

One thing you might want to try if you're new to CPAP is strapping on the mask and switching on the machine while you're still awake in the evening watching TV or something. I found it really helped me adjust by doing this so that when I laid down to sleep at night the mask wasn't a suffocating monster anymore- but something I was used to and knew what to expect from.

Just my advice.

JamesCPAP · Post by **JamesCPAP** » Tue May 02, 2006 1:43 pm

Anatha, although I don't have any concerns in wearing the mask and I'm more than comfortable with the mask on at night, I only goto bed when I'm feeling really tired to the point I know if I stay 10 mins more in the chair I'll fall asleep on my own.

Perhaps you may want to try this, don't drink any coffee late at night either. Some people I've spoken to find a bit of alcohol (night cap) does wonders although a lot of CPAP documentation I've read suggests not taking alcohol after 6pm as this does have the tendency to close the airways more, but some people say it helps. In theory it shouldn't be a problem because CPAP is there to keep the airways are open. I don't know what others feel here regarding alcohol late at night ?

Bellcrest · Post by **Bellcrest** » Tue May 02, 2006 2:04 pm

I work evenings shifts and enjoy a glass of wine while reading my mail when I get home from work around 9:30-10:00.

When I first started on APAP I gave this up because I read that it wasn't good to drink and be on cpap. When I last saw sleep doc I mentioned that I missed my nightly glass of wine. He said no problem....it won't hurt, just don't over do the alcohol before bed.

Mask

Are you still waking up in night now you're on CPAP ?

Are you still waking up in night now you're on CPAP ?

Waking up ALOT also...

mask trials

alcohol