How to be able to fall asleep wearing the damn thing?!?

[Harryo]

Hi . New guy here. Ive had my cpap for a year and a half but Ive used it only sporadically due to difficulties getting to sleep with it on.
Recenrly Ive been more determined to use it as I'm taking my health more seriously but im frustrated because I still find it often impossible to sleep with it on ( even when I can get to sleep with it on I ofter pull it off while asleep, or wake and cant get back to sleep with it on, or my sinuses are congested and cant breathe through my nose enough with it on).I dont have a support team and my doctor etc cant offer any solutions. Ive tried wearing it while awake to get more used to it (im going to do that more regularily) or setting an alarm to gently wake me an hour or two after I go to sleep so Ill put it on, but I no longer put it on then and I dont really remember waking up so I dont know why.
pLEASE, ANY SUGGESTION, RESOURCES, tips, tricks, hints or other useful knowledge PLEASE.
Thank you folks!

[LSAT]

Have you tried a nasal rinse for your nose? Has your doctor prescribed a sleep medication? Have you tried changing masks? What mask are you using?

[Pugsy]

Exactly which model mask are you using and what is the humidity setting on your machine?

[Janknitz]

Nobody said this was going to be easy.

Start with wearing your CPAP while awake and doing something quiet like watching TV, reading a book, listening to music, or <gasp> trying some relaxation exercises. The idea here is just to increase your comfort with wearing it.

Meanwhile, give us the information Pugsy requested and we'll have suggestions to help you tackle the issues you're having, one by one.

It may take some time and effort, but worth it in the end.

Hang in there.

[David1447]

Try a full face mask. Changed my therapy entirely, and not to sound dramatic, but my life as a result of that are a lot different than if I had given up on therapy.

[prodigyplace]

Try a full face mask. Changed my therapy entirely, and not to sound dramatic, but my life as a result of that are a lot different than if I had given up on therapy.

That advice needs a BIG YMMV. I cannot get a full face mask to not leak but am fine with P10 nasal pillow mask.

There are some people that like to minimize what is on their face. I understand that the Bleep nasal pillow mask is coming soon for those people.

[kteague]

Once you give us your equipment specifics we'll be able to better target our tips. The problems you describe can often be resolved with a bit of troubleshooting. It's a ruling out process of things like: Are my pressure settings giving me optimal therapy, making it easier to use the treatment? Too low of pressure can make it difficult to relax and fall asleep. How are my sinuses affected by less or more humidification? Is my mask style best suited for me?

Taking the mask off during sleep is not uncommon. It may be simply because your brain has not yet accepted it as normal. Or maybe the mask gets uncomfortable. Or maybe it springs a leak. Or maybe your settings are too low and you feel the need to take it off to breathe. Early on I found it helpful to place a piece of medical tape or a bandaid style strip across the headgear straps on my cheeks so that the pain of removal would wake me enough to stop the unwanted behavior.

I know it won't help you tonight, but hopefully soon you will be able to work through the issues and get to consistent effective treatment. Good for you for revisiting this and reaching out to find help making this work.

[Janknitz]

Driveby?

[LinkC]

Try sex before putting on your mask. Always does the trick for me.

[chunkyfrog]

"Sporadically"--- that COULD be the problem.
The idea is to wear it as if your life depended on it.
---because it DOES!
Accept the mask as a life-saving friend.
Get familiar with it. Love it.
Every night, all night--as if you were married to it.

[zonker]

Driveby?

maybe the OP finally fell asleep??

[ChicagoGranny]

Try sex before putting on your mask.

Driveby?

maybe the OP finally fell asleep??

He's still trying sex.

[chunkyfrog]

That says it is really good sex--or really bad.

[Janknitz]

Even if he wasn't a driveby, all this sex talk could be scaring him off.

[prodigyplace]

You dirty old ladies ( & frog) are much worse than any "dirty old man"