bed-time comfort?

[arthuranxious]

Blow nose as hard as possible... spray AYR gel one full spray, more than that seems to congest me, less doesn't do the trick, wipe the Swift with alcohol-free wipes, fiddle with it trying to ghet in just right, hope it doesn't leak too much, try to sleep, try the otehr side, back again... adjust the swift again... panicked listening for the sound of dreaded leaks... hope I won't wake up more than a few times during the night, and get out of bed, feeling as though I slept badly, but oddly enough without the morning headaches and sluggishness I used to have befoer diagnosis.
It may be difficult, but somehow or otehr I think its still better for me long term.

[Lyza]

Don't tell anybody, but I don't wash my face every night.

Kathy

while we are confessing..

well.... i never wash my face at night.... i wash my humidifier and mask maybe once a month if i remember.... and the hose?? just get a new one every 6 months.. headgear??? ummmmm haven't thought about that yet...

[Elle]

Glad to see I'm not the only one addicted to rituals. OT I always had sinus congestion until I started using cpap. I have a brother with sinus problems who doesn't have sleep apnea but I wanted to recommend that he get a cpap because I feel so 'clear' since using my equip. It is heaven. I don't use any nasal spray or even have to blow my nose but am breathing better than ever. I guess it is the heated humidifier. I love it.

Regarding cats. One of my rituals is to lint brush my pillows and blankets. It doesn't matter how much I clean my mask there is always cat fur in it. it floats around the room and seems to be magnetic or love the gel mask. arghhhh.

[Slinky]

Oh, yeah. Cat fur. That's why I "have" to clean my mask each day.

[Rachael]

Fun to see what others do.

"You should be able to lessen your rainout (the drops on your nose you spoke of). What have you tried thus far to get rid of it?"

I may have my own rain-out answer! I tried putting an old pair of cut up nylons on my hose, but that didn't work. Last night I used a polar fleece blanket and wrapped the hose and also put a pillow between the hose and the wall behind my sleeping pillows. I think the issue was the wall was cold and the hose ran along it behind my pillow. I also put the cpap on the floor so it's lower than the bed. I will sew a cover properly as soon as I can get to the fabric store.

The auto-on feature startled heck out of me the other night. I had always turned it on first, but for some reason I put the mask on. Weee.

Thanks for the great responses all.

[tater pie]

It's interesting to see the ritual others go through. Mine is not much different.
1. Put all 6 cats in the garage. I just can't sleep with them although I know they would love to sleep with me.
2. Put my hair back in a pony tail and take out my earrings.
3. Wash my face and put moisturizer on the dry areas.
4. Put Capzasin on my lower back.
5. Wash my hands thoroughly twice to make sure I don't have any Capzasin left on them. (I've found out the hard way that you don't want to wake up during the middle of the night and rub your eyes if you have even a little trace of Capzasin left on them).
6. Turn on both the ceiling fan and the counter top fan.
7. Check the water chamber on the cpap to make sure its full.
8. Turn on the alarm clock.
9. Tape my mouth shut.
10. Pull the covers back and turn out the lights.
11. Put my mask on in the dark and slide under the covers and I'm usually out in 10 or 15 minutes. I usually wake up about 2:30 a.m. for a bathroom break and then I'm out again until the alarm goes off at 6:45 a.m.

[LoriD]

1. Wash face, apply toner and water-based cream and let dry.

2. Put on my nightshirt.

3. Feed the cats and set up the coffee pot on auto-brew to start automatically the following morning at a specific time.

4. Check humidifier compartment and refill water if needed, and put desk fan on "low."

5. Use bathroom one final time, whether I need to or not.

6. Before getting into bed, put on the nasal mask and adjust for comfort, but make sure there are no leaks.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, auto

[Alisha]

I do everything I need to do for apap, filters, water chamber, and mask in the morning. Then in the evening, sometimes hours before bedtime, I brush teeth and wash face or shower. I get everything done before I start getting sleepy.

I watch a little TV or play a word or puzzle game on computer till I get sleepy. I then spray with Miracle of Aloe Moisturizing Nasal Spray if I feel stuffy and head for my last trip to the bathroom, turning off lights as I go.

When I get to the bed, I put on mask and play a little game trying to get mask fastened before the air starts blowing. I usually lose because my bottom straps have to be so tight that it takes a little time getting the strap fastened to the mask.

Then I tuck a 3x4 Triple layer non-stick pad under the edge of the lower strap on the left side of my face to try to prevent face marks. I tuck another pad beneath the strap to pad my ear which can hurt from sleeping on it. I sleep most or all of the night on my left side. The Pad-A-Cheeks are already on the headgear. I must be quite a sight!

Then I turn off the lamp and fall asleep. I sleep through the night except occasionally I wake up so congested that I can't get back to sleep.

Kathy and Lyza, I won't tell if you won't tell...if I should start getting sleepy before the face is washed, I skip washing it because I'm not doing anything that could stop the drowsiness..

So that's my routine, and anything that hinders it can make it difficult to fall asleep.

Alisha

[Rapunzel111]

My nightly ritual:
1.Wash Face
2.Clean Teeth
Wet and pull bangs back and secure with a clip barrette leave rest of long hair loose
4.Bathroom break.
5.Take contacts out
6.Grope around for mask-can't see it even with light on.
7.Put mask on backwards-wonder why exhaust is blowing toward face.
8.Put mask on right but doubt it anyway.Pull long hair through top of mask.
9.Tie pantyhose around head from under chin,cross on top.feed through sides of mask,pull down under chin and then wrap around where hose joins mask and tie tightly to keep mask on head.Allows for side/stomach sleeping.
10.Take a sip of drink on bedside table carefully.
11.Turn out light.Turn light back on.
12.Turn machine and heated humidifier on.
13.Turn out light.
14.Worry that alarm clock is not set-can't see it.
15.Grope for glasses in dark on bedside table.
16.Knock glasses on floor.
17.Curse.
18.Turn light back on.
19.Locate glasses on floor.
20.Put glasses on.
21.Realize clock is set.
22.Turn out light.
23.Turn machine off again.
24.Disconnect hose on mask.
25.Get up and go to bathroom again.
26.Stub toe in dark on furniture on the way back.
27.Curse.
28.Take off glasses and place in an estimated 'safer' spot.
29.Reconnect hose.
30.Grope for machine controls and turn machine and humidifier back on again.
31.Snuggle into covers exhausted.
32.Fall asleep instantly.
-Rapunzel 111

[neversleeps]

3. Roll out the CPAP hose so it is near the bed ( I'm using 14 foot of hose so the noise does not bother my wife)

Wow! Carl, did you adjust your pressure to compensate for that 14 foot long hose? By the time the air gets to your mask, you're no longer getting the pressure your machine is set for. Also, I don't know if you have your C-Flex enabled, but I'd think that length of hose would make it nearly impossible for the machine to detect your breathing correctly.

You might want to get (or make) a manometer to see what you're really getting.

I run my hose over the heat register and this seems to help with the rain out, waiting for my wife to sew me up a hose cover, material has to match the bedroom deco…

I don't know how hot your heat register gets, but I'm wondering if you might melt the hose doing this? Just a thought!

[arthuranxious]

Set the coffee maker to auto-brew!?!? I am shocked, since being on CPAP I don't feel the sluggish, sleepy feeling which made the morning cup of coffee so necessary. Now I don't worry about coffee, whenever I get my brew is fine as long as its a really good tasting cup!

[Miss Sandman]

Great topic. I love sharing shortcuts. I live in a cold winter climate and keep my bedroom coolish to sleep.
PM
1. Get changed for bed (clothes)
2. Do teeth/Wash up and moisturize face/other lady type tasks
3. Plug in heated hose.
4. Refill water in HH if needed. (Use funnel gal of distilled H2O)
5. Turn down covers, get mask ready, put out hair band on pillow.
6. Place stereo control under pillow. Turn on HH.
7. (winter) turn on heating pad and tuck down near foot of bed.
8. Sit in chair and read till drowsy. (20min 30 min)
9. Turn off all lights and grope into bed. Turn on HH again. Turn Lie still 1-2 minutes and let breathing slow.
10. Turn on Delta sleep cd with remote and put on (AURA/-box)mask. (set for auto shut off/on) Turn off heat pad.
11. Use hair band across front of aura to hold in place.
12. Plump cpap type pillow to face. Breathe slowly to activate unit.
EARLY AM
Yank off mask and leave on pillow while taking trip to bathroom. Leave going)Go back to sleep
AM WAKING
1. Turn off machine and unmask, Yoga in bed....side of bed.
1. Unplug HH (I plan on getting a timer as others have posted) Turn off H-pad? Usually turn it off before falling asleep.
2. Rinse nosepiece in bathroom and leave on pillow with towel to air dry.