My first night with CPAP is tonight

[mperkel]

Went to the sleep class and they gave us test machines for 2 weeks. Apparently it will collect data. Then I will get 1/2 hour with a sleep specialists.

So - soon I will try it out for the first night. Looking forward to going to sleep.

[JZ]

Excellent. Welcome and good luck. As soon as you have information on what machine and mask you have, I recommend you enter that into your profile (click on User Control Panel near the top of the forum page). That way, if you post questions, forum members will be better able to assist you. I hope you are one of those CPAP users who gets a great night's sleep their first night and never look back. Do not be discouraged, however, if that is not the case. Any problems or issues you encounter -- post them here and people will be happy to provide any suggestions they have from their own experience.

Happy dreams!

[mperkel]

This is a temporary machine. I'll have to buy my own after 2 weeks. What I have now is a Remstar Auto M series. Fits over the nose.

[GumbyCT]

I'd be interested in hearing what they taught at "sleep class"? Not a bad idea, really, the learning curve is pretty steep and does take time (AND effort).

Good Luck,
GumbyCT

[2girlsmom]

Good luck, don't give up and keep posting when you have questions or need help.

[Robadob]

Sleep well.

And bring your questions here. These guys are super helpful.

[mperkel]

This is going to take some getting used to. I did not sleep well Breathing was different though. Could feel the pressure in my lungs and that it was more work to exhale. I think my mind didn't want to give up and trust it so it's took a long time to get to sleep. So I'm going to have to keep at it.

[RipVW]

Hello & Welcome, mperkel! Glad you found this forum--SO much useful info and SO many helpful people here!

Hang in there--getting our CPAP therapy just right takes some time. Good luck!

"You are getting sleepy . . ."

[deJan]

Hi!!!!

If you have trouble exhaling, then get a machine with either:

A ramp setting that will increase the pressure from a low setting up to your normal setting

or

a machine with c-flex (respironics) or EPR ( expiratory pressure relief, Resmed).

The latter monitor the breathing patterns and deliver air but in a very confortable way.

I have a Resmed elite S8 with epr setting at 2. It works beautifully!!!!!!!!11

Good luck

[turbosnore]

I used to experience the same. I felt like my breathe was between lungs full and lungs stretched.
Now I don't even notice the difference. You probably get used to the pressure quite soon, maybe
within a week.

[mperkel]

I set cflex to 1 and going to try it again.

[goose]

If you still have that sensation on exhale try setting the C-Flex or A-Flex (if you're set in APAP mode) to 3...
I used to have my A-Flex at 2 and it seemed like the machine was doing its turnaround before I was done so as I was finishing my exhale, it would start pressing the other direction making exhale a bit more difficult. That sensation went away after setting it to 3, though it seems to happen on occasion but either I adapt or the machine adapts......

Keep at it!!!! You'll get it -- the most important part is the mask, so be sure to pay close attention to that and if it's not working the way you want or if it's the wrong size, let the DME/School know and see if you can get another......

A sleep class??? What's that??? What a GREAT idea!!! It would probably help many many people with their adjustment.....Should be made mandatory (fat chance!!!)

Good luck
cheers
goose

[mperkel]

What do the c-flex setting mean?

[goose]

C-Flex or A-Flex is a function of the machine (Respironics) to relieve some of the pressure on exhale so that you don't exhale against the full input pressure. I'm not sure how much it actually goes down, but say it goes down 4cm on a setting of 3 -- if your pressure is 12cm the relieve pressure, or Flex pressure, would be 8cm. It is enabled to make exhaling easier.
Some folks don't use it at all, and others, like me, use it at its maximum setting of 3. It has 4 selections -- off, 1,2,or 3.......with three being the most relief.

In a Resmed machine it's called EPR but it works essentially the same.
Hope this helps
cheers
goose

[mperkel]

So the higher the setting the easier it is to exhale?