Waking up with headaches after a nap?

[CPAPSteve]

Thanks PR for sharing that link. Will be interesting bedtime reading.

[Righteous]

I definitely get nap headaches, and have for a long time. Never understood why I’d get them napping, but not after sleeping at night. Since starting cpap, I’ve napped with and without masking up. Not surprisingly napping with cpap I feel great... without and the headaches are back.

So now I mask up anytime I sleep for any length. I’m sure my brain and heart thank me.

[Arlene1963]

I only very, very rarely nap during the day, and haven't since I started CPAP, but if I ever do I will mask up.

As for waking up in the AM, taking my mask off and then going back to sleep without it on for an hour or so, I don't allow myself to do this and really fight the temptation.

According to my original in lab sleep study I had back to back apneas during the last 3/4 of an hour or so of my sleep, 80% of my events occurred during that time frame, and I was shocked to see just how bad it was during that last part of my sleep when I wasn't even in REM, just light stage 1 and stage 2 sleep.

I've read that many people have worse apnea as the night progresses and so I've just not allowed myself to get into the habit of taking my mask off in the early hours and sleeping without it when most of my events occur.

[CreativeChris]

I have tried to nap without my mask and it's horrible. Not used to choking myself anymore I guess. Now I just take the extra minute it takes to fill up the water and put on the mask. Sure as sh*t beats waking up choking and with a headache for the minute it takes to set up.

[CPAPSteve]

Proof is in the pudding. I have been busting my chops working my brains out these past three days and going to bed a bit late and waking early (as per usual morning routine) only to fall back asleep an hour later. The difference however, is this time I didn’t unmask and I just laid in bed awake with the machine still running but as I stared at the ceiling I’d fall back asleep for a couple of hours and when I woke...guess what? No headaches or grogginess.

I guess I answered my own question by just using the machine and paying closer attention to how I felt when I woke.