Life with CPAP

[RPM1965]

Hi,

Im new to this board and also have been new to using my cpap machine. I started in May of this year. Using the cpap machine has been great however it took a while to get use to sleeping on my side, with a tube, mask etc... My question is, why cant I sleep without the cpap machine? I went to a friends home a few weeks ago and did not bring it thinking I could sleep without it for a night. I struggled with sleep and had to go to the bathroom every hour on the hour it seemed. I also was home visiting my mom and didn't use my cpap machine either. The same thing happened. I couldn't sleep. Is this normal?

RJ Martin

[Pugsy]

Welcome to the forum.

It's entirely normal to not be able to sleep well when you skip a night using the cpap.
It only works when you use it and there's no credit built up to allow you to draw off a bank of stored nights.
Just doesn't work that way.

You don't sleep well because the apnea events that the machine prevented from happening don't get prevented when you don't use the machine.

You can't fall asleep easily because the brain doesn't want to let you sleep because it knows that without cpap helping out that the body is going to go through all the stress associated with untreated apneas.
The brain is trying to protect the body from that stress.

[RPM1965]

Thank you very much.
I also have another question. I read that there is an alternative to using cpap which is a mouthpiece which dentists can provide. Is there any validity to using this as an alternative to using the cpap machine?

[ChicagoGranny]

Life with CPAP

Sounds like

Life without CPAP

.

Live and learn. Don't try to skip a night. Especially in light of:

Using the cpap machine has been great

A night without CPAP would be miserable for me.

[Pugsy]

Oral devices can work quite well for some people.
So yes, some validity there.
But there are some limitations as well like how much reduction in apnea events can be obtained. Typically the results are that the people who opt for an oral device might have a 50% reduction in apneas with the device.
Would probably work out well if someone had a mild to moderate OSA but not so great if they were in the severe category because 50% of a severe 30 AHI is still 15 AHI.

One would need a follow up sleep study using the device to confirm that it is/was working well enough to adequately treat the OSA.

[katebrownell86]

I am also a newbie. After spending countless sleepless nights I have started using CPAP mask. And now, without this mask, I can't even think for a night.

[Sheriff Buford]

Yes, you can sleep without the machine for a few nights. But afterwards, you wouldn't want to. You'll feel like a truck ran over you! I can only remember the only time I slept without the machine was when the electrical power went out during a hurricane. I felt terrible during the day!

Sheriff

[Miss Emerita]

RPM, on the subject of bathroom visits, this might interest you:

https://www.sleepapnea.org/learn/sleep- ... eep-apnea/

[D.H.]

I recommend taking it with you. If you're flying, it's exempt from the baggage limit and needs to be carried on.

[RPM1965]

RPM, on the subject of bathroom visits, this might interest you:

https://www.sleepapnea.org/learn/sleep- ... eep-apnea/

This was very interesting. Thanks for this