So I finally have my APAP machine but...

[JonathanSQ]

I cannot fall asleep trying to re-learn to only breath through my nose. I have tried now for 3 nights and it is just... miserable. It feels like I am starving for air and then next thing I know I am opening my mouth to breath and it turns into a weird sensation. For clarity, the mask in question is the Swift FX nasal pillow.

My assumption is, with a nasal pillow, you need to breath through your nose since that is where the air pressure from the machine is-- right? A bit of background--
After my sleep study, I heard nothing back until Apria Healthcare called me saying my doctor had ordered a machine. Due to my insurance and large out of pocket cost, I ended up turning to the internet for help. After researching on this forum (and an initial post to make sure I was not missing anything), I ordered my System One and the Swift FX nasal pillow from CPAP.com. That being said, I feel like the "hands off" from my own sleep doctor and by not going through the DME has left me with the impression of "hey get a machine and learn to use it on your own! Good luck!". So if I am asking silly questions about how to use a mask, please forgive

So... a few things I have found on this forum, and tried:
1. I made sure the ramp feature is turned off
2. My prescription is for 5-15/cm; however, reading these forums it seems some people also feel "starved for air" with a 5/cm pressure and tried to adjust it slightly higher minimum to help out with that sensation. I tried 6/cm and 7/cm but at that point I had difficulty exhaling against the air pressure
3. I also tried different pillow sizes (I purchased the 'fitting kit' with small, medium and large) but that didn't seem to make a difference and it wasn't like I was experiencing any sort of leaking.

Should I try something else? Or skip straight to trying a different mask? I admit I feel frustrated and being relatively young (28), I don't know anyone personally with sleep apnea so other than my supportive girlfriend... there really isn't much in terms of local support. Also the sleep doctor I went through is my only option in the area with my HMO, so a different sleep doctor isn't an option.

[Pugsy]

Have you tried the AFlex exhale relief option? If you have tried it...at what setting did you try?
If you haven't tried AFlex...try it with the starting pressure of 6 (and 7 maybe) and set AFlex to 2 or 3 and see if that helps with the exhale problem at the slightly higher pressure.
Try it while awake and under no pressure to go to sleep. Just play with it to see if you can comfortably get enough air nose breathing and not have problems exhaling.

[LoBattery]

My machine was set up to start at 5 and go to 7 in 15 minutes. I couldn't stand it. I changed the machine to go from 6.4 to 7.6 in five minutes and that was better. They make it so you have to go back to the doc to change that, but that secret code only took three minutes to figure out. For the longest time (about 90 days) it felt claustrophobic, like I was under water breathing through a tube and every breath was my last. I found that seemed to actually put me to sleep like counting sheep except it was my last breath. At some point I would just stop, hold my breath, and try breathing very slowly. That and take two generic benidryhl (sp), cheap at a cent and a half. I have always had trouble getting to sleep and nuts as it seems, this was easier. Now after 4 months that is gone and it is harder to sleep like it used to be. I'm sure there are a lot of different stories. I use Philips Dreamwear. I could never use that other stuff as I am a side sleeper and that doesn't get in the way at all. They do have an elastic that goes around your head to keep the mouth closed.

[Holden4th]

You don't have to go back to the Doc to change your settings. Hold down the big button and the small button beside it simultaneously until you hear a beep. Then turn the big button clockwise until it goes into Settings (lower right hand side, two clicks) and press the top button. Voila, you are into cinical settings. It's very easy from here.

Try AFlex with a setting of two to start with.

[JonathanSQ]

Have you tried the AFlex exhale relief option? If you have tried it...at what setting did you try?
If you haven't tried AFlex...try it with the starting pressure of 6 (and 7 maybe) and set AFlex to 2 or 3 and see if that helps with the exhale problem at the slightly higher pressure.
Try it while awake and under no pressure to go to sleep. Just play with it to see if you can comfortably get enough air nose breathing and not have problems exhaling.

Hi Pugsy,

I do have AFlex turned on, to option #3 which from what I can tell in the manual offers the most exhale relief. I tried to use it for about 2 hours Friday night, before bed, while working on my Statistics 2 homework (worse than sleep apnea!) and even then, I just could not fall asleep once I laid down in bed. However, I was able to sleep a short catnap on Saturday while successfully using the machine. The way I felt after waking up was... nothing short of amazing. I continued again later last night, trying the machine for a few hours last night before bed to get more 'used' to the machine but ultimately again could not fall asleep with the machine, despite my earlier success during my brief nap

I've also tried with the ramp feature (going from 5 to 7/cm within 15 minutes) sicne my initial attempts were with the ramp feature turned off. At this point I am going to order a full face mask (thinking the Amara View?) to try in addition to trying to continue to get used to / get the Swift FX to work for me. Not sure if there is anything else I should be trying in the mean time?

On a side note, I have not yet installed Sleepyhead but using the DreamMapper app (which, from my initial research on these forums -- seems it is viewed as pretty useless) to review the data from my nap:
- 46 minutes usage
- 100% mask fit
- Still had an AHI of 13
- 2 clear apneas
- 5 obstruction apneas
- 3 hypoapneas

[Pugsy]

Try the setting of 2 for AFlex just to see if it feels any better or not. You never know but it might.
Flex exhale relief is as much about the timing of the drop in pressure as it is about the actual drop and you might find the setting of 2 more to your liking...or heck, even try the setting of 1 or even turn it off.

You will eventually get used to it...try to avoid taking a nap if you can help it. Makes it extra hard to fall asleep when we have had a nap earlier in the day.

[chunkyfrog]

Naps without the cpap are bad.
Take as many as you like WITH the cpap.
Sometimes the darkness adds to night time anxiety.
Feel free to use cpap while watching TV.
It will help you feel safe with it on, and you may be able to stop using Benadryl.

[tedtomato]

I have started CPAP very recently too (3 weeks), and falling asleep with a mask on is still very difficult.

It can take me very long to go to sleep, even if I feel tired while going to bed, and I have only managed to keep the mask on for about 3 hours at a time. However, even with only CPAP for a short proportion of my night sleep, I feel more refreshed the next day.

In your case, maybe a nasal pillow mask is not a good initial choice, and you should try a full mask (also covering the mouth) instead.

I started with a full face mask. I then bought a nasal mask, which I don't like too much because of the exhaust air and the tightness over the nose. I finally tried a nasal pillow mask, which I didn't get used to, so I am back to the full face mask for now (as I also have a congested nose currently).

[sleepychar]

I'm pretty new to CPAP also, just completed my 4th month. I started with the P10 nasal pillow and changed to a full face mask due to problems with very dry mouth. How I resisted changing to the full face mask! It was my first visit for dental cleaning after starting CPAP that convinced me I needed to make a change to the full face mask. There was so much tartar buildup on my teeth from the dry mouth, and in just a couple of months, after usually getting A+ reports from the dentist when I went in for the cleaning. But I'm so glad I did switch because I am actually finding it more comfortable than the nasal pillow mask. In a way, breathing seems easier with the full face mask. I can't explain why that is, but for me that is my subjective experience. At least that's the stage I'm in now. I first switched to the Quattro Air full face mask and that was pretty much ok. Right now, though, I am using the Amara View mask which I like quite a bit better. It's just a thought that you might want to try a full face mask. I'm a side sleeper also and the full face mask is working out fine. It did take quite a bit of patience with both full face masks to get them fitted so they wouldn't leak. In the first few days I felt like giving up but I finally got it figured out. Patience is a necessity in this CPAP process. Don't give up... There is alot of support from the people in this forum.