Impossible to get used to

[BrianC]

Diagnosed with a very mild case of Sleep Apnea.

Decided to give the machine a try.

I’m a stomach sleeper.

It’s absolutely impossible to get used to...

Resmed machine and nasal pillow mask...it’s going to be returned by the end of the week

[zoocrewphoto]

Diagnosed with a very mild case of Sleep Apnea.

Decided to give the machine a try.

I’m a stomach sleeper.

It’s absolutely impossible to get used to...

Resmed machine and nasal pillow mask...it’s going to be returned by the end of the week

Were you hoping for help? Approval? Just venting?

Not sure what we can do for you since we are a cpap forum, and it sounds like you have already given up. If you want help, ask questions. We can help you make it work. There are many people here who are stomach sleepers. And people can help you with this mask or find a better mask for you.

Keep in mind that most non-cpap treatments are lucky if you get a 50% reduction in events. Even at a mild level, you can still have too many events to feel good. And if they happen to be longer events, it can cause serious problems. Also, sleep apnea tends to get worse as we age. In a few years, you will likely be moderate or severe. At some point, you will really be suffering if you don't get treatment.

[Sheriff Buford]

YOU control your body..... not a machine.

Sheriff

[wm_hess]

Diagnosed with a very mild case of Sleep Apnea.

Decided to give the machine a try.

I’m a stomach sleeper.

It’s absolutely impossible to get used to...

Resmed machine and nasal pillow mask...it’s going to be returned by the end of the week

If you've chosen to give up, then all I can say is good luck to you. Be aware though that Sleep Apnea can lead to strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a lot of other illnesses.

If you want to try and make it work, check out the Falcon sleeping position. http://www.uarsrelief.com/sleeppositions.html which is a form of stomach sleeping.

-Bill

[kteague]

How long have you been trying? Without a reasonable period of persistence and consistency the brain cannot learn to accept the new sensations as the new normal and be able to relax enough to sleep well. Sending the equipment back has such a note of finality. I wouldn't advise taking that step unless your efforts truly have been extensive.

If you are interested in continuing to try to make it work, tell us in what ways you are having difficulty. Maybe we can help. Are you unable to fall asleep or stay asleep? Is the mask dislodging or leaking? Just remembering my early times on this treatment - would have sworn I was never going to be ok with it. Besides it being necessary for my health even though my diagnosis was mild, the only reason I was able to persist is the people here believed I could do it, and I accepted their voices of experience. They nearly hand-held me for the first few weeks. Wasn't an easy adjustment but was so worth it. It's been a non-issue for well over 10 years now.

Are you familiar with the Falcon Position? I've seen others on here discuss it on here as way of stomach sleeping that accomodates sleeping with a mask. Where there's a will there's usually a way. I hope you find a way to make it work - for the sake of whatever symptoms caused you to pursue this in the first place. Good luck.

[D.H.]

You need to try a different mask. Probably a different style of mask.

Obviously, "severe" Sleep Apnea is worse than moderate and moderate is worse than mild. However, that doesn't make it safe to ignore "mild!" The measures of severity are arbitrary; even the method of measuring is!

[Freerider]

I was a stomach sleeper also and hated the adjustment, now I cant sleep on my front or without the machine !

Stick with it, its really worth the initiation period. As already suggested try different masks, pillows and positions. You will adapt and feel better overtime.

[LoneStar]

Getting used to CPAP was THE. ABSOLUTE. HARDEST. THING. I. HAVE. EVER. DONE!!!

But I did it. Took me three weeks, during which I contemplated throwing the machine out the window about 82 times. I also wanted to stomp the mask into smithereens several times a night.

I no longer can sleep in my favorite position, but I do sleep. My health is better.

How did I do it? I decided that I had to and that I wasn't giving up. The people here at CPAPTalk.com helped me, too.

Lisa

[gv280z]

Diagnosed with a very mild case of Sleep Apnea.

Decided to give the machine a try.

I’m a stomach sleeper.

It’s absolutely impossible to get used to...

Resmed machine and nasal pillow mask...it’s going to be returned by the end of the week

Hi Brian, I'm a back and side sleeper and have been using a full face mask for two years. Have found my forever mask in the Resmed F30. For an experiment, before writing this post, I just attached my mask and hooked up pressure and tried lying down in bed on my stomach, with my head turned to the side, kinda at the edge of the pillow and it seemed to me like it could totally work, no leaks from the mask being pushed aside or anything.

I just recently tried using a Dreamwear nasal mask just for the experience, and I'm ashamed to say, I couldn't even last two nights with that setup. It drove me crazy, I couldn't abide the pressure going up my nose, and the overall weirdness of when I accidentally tried to breathe through my mouth, the mask would snort and balk or whatever. Upon switching back to my trusted F30, the air pressure experience is MUCH more relaxed, ambient, allowing you to draw breathe assisted by the machine through your mouth or nose, and for me is just an altogether calm experience...maybe you should check it out.

There are two main types of full face mask: A. Over the bridge of the nose type i.e. Resmed Airfit, Airtouch F20, F&P Simplus, just to name a couple.

B. Under the nostrils type i.e. Resmed Airfit F30, Amara View, and Dreamwear (modular can be converted to either nasal or full face)

I prefer option B. I have tried all the masks mentioned above except for the F&P Simplus and for me the F30 wins every time. I can't tell you how glad I was to go running back to that one after my experience with the nasal! I say all this as to try to sympathize with where you're at today, and I urge you to please reconsider quitting therapy.

[palerider]

Diagnosed with a very mild case of Sleep Apnea.

Decided to give the machine a try.

I’m a stomach sleeper.

It’s absolutely impossible to get used to...

Resmed machine and nasal pillow mask...it’s going to be returned by the end of the week

Were you hoping for help? Approval? Just venting?

That's what I wonder, what sort of person goes to the trouble of making an account on a forum just to say "I'm a quitter"?

[rsi]

Obviously he's venting, frustrated, probably not feeling well and is severely disappointed. Some of you need to be a little kinder. It took as much or more effort for you to reply in a snotty manner than it took him to post.

As an aside, and this is the second time I've posted this in a few days. Good posts with value in them provide a benefit to other people that read them as they are scrolling through the forum looking for answers to questions they may have. It's not ALL about the OP. When gv280z posted their reply, my eyebrows went up as I've had some issues they describe and now I'm going to look into the F30 mask. I got value out of the thread.

Some of the rest of you, get off your high horse.

[ChicagoGranny]

You need to try a different mask. Probably a different style of mask.

You don't know that. Nasal pillows work well for many stomach sleepers.

I’m a stomach sleeper.

Please do not overlook this excellent resource ---->

If you want to try and make it work, check out the Falcon sleeping position. http://www.uarsrelief.com/sleeppositions.html which is a form of stomach sleeping.

BrianC, If you decide not to return your equipment, please keep posting in this thread so that helpful members can easily follow your history.

[Dog Slobber]

Some of the rest of you, get off your high horse.

Pot_Kettle.jpg

[palerider]

Obviously he's venting, frustrated, probably not feeling well and is severely disappointed. Some of you need to be a little kinder. It took as much or more effort for you to reply in a snotty manner than it took him to post.

Nah, we don't.

OP didn't ask for help, op went to the trouble of making an account for the express purpose of whining.

Now, if they actually come back and ask for help, they'll get it.

And you're wrong about the second bit too, since none of us had to search out the forum and make an account to reply.

Some of the rest of you, get off your high horse.

Says the holier than thou person looking down on others from YOUR "high horse".

Get over yourself.

[Wulfman...]

Diagnosed with a very mild case of Sleep Apnea.

Consider yourself lucky! They probably caught it before it became "SEVERE". At some point, it WILL cause big problems with your organs and lead to other serious medical issues.

Decided to give the machine a try.

How long have you been "trying"?

TRY these sayings on for size:

"Do or Do Not-There Is No Try"-"Yoda"

"We are what we repeatedly do, so excellence is not an act but a habit"-"Aristotle"

"Just do it! "Nike logo:


I’m a stomach sleeper.

Big deal! Many people are and have easily adapted to this therapy.

It’s absolutely impossible to get used to...

NO, it's not! Many MILLIONS of people got used to it and use it on a nightly basis.
Use it like your life depends on it.......AND IT DOES!!!
Try to put things into perspective. If you had lost a limb or other part of your body, would you just say "It's impossible to get used to wearing a prosthetic" ???
I can use that example because I personally know of a situation (in Wisconsin) where a grandmother was out mowing her yard and her grandson was running behind the mower........he fell down as the grandmother backed up with the mower and it chewed up one of his lower legs. Many surgeries later and trying to save the leg, they finally had to amputate the lower part.......and he's now trying some various prosthetics to see which one works best. HE DIDN'T GIVE UP!!! He's a good trooper and trying to live his life the best he can.

Resmed machine and nasal pillow mask...it’s going to be returned by the end of the week

Specifically.......which machine and which mask? There are many makes and models of both.
Also, what are all of the settings in your machine? Pressure? Exhale relief? Ramp? Humidity setting?

Learn as much as you can about your equipment and your therapy.
Only YOU can make it work for YOU!

Den

.