Just finished my second night on CPAP. I have recorded 15.5 hours of time on the machine so far and have some questions.
Both mornings I have woken up feeling a little tired. This morning I was more tired than the first morning. I assumed I would be waking up refreshed like I did after my sleep study. What should my expectations be?
My wife says I have quit snoring completely, which is amazing, but she thought I might have stopped breathing some (she was listening to the rythym of the machine). Is this normal?
How would I know if my mask was leaking? It seems to blow alot of air near where the tube connects. Is this by design?
How would I diagnose leaks around my face? I dont think I have any but who knows once I go to sleep?
Thanks.
Two nights on CPAP
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1
-
Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
Elli
It's important first to know what type of mask you're using. Different masks have their exhaust ports in different spots. You can usually feel a leak by feeling the air escape from the seal physically. The best way I know of to be sure is to have software monitoring your usage. But if you don't, the best you can do it see if you move the mask, if that feeling of leaking air stops. If it happens while you're sleeping and you just suspect it, I can't think of anything else you could do. But I am curious to know what it is you're wearing (as far as a mask goes-I'm no pervert ).
Now, about feeling tired, don't be surprised that you are tired. It is so common when you start treatment. I think sometimes you expect miracles to occur, especially if you had a great study night. But, as I'm sure you've heard it said before on this site, you were so sleep-deprived for so long that you have a "sleep debt" to make up for. When members told me that when I started, I thought they were wrong but they weren't. Your body really needs to make up for the lack of quality sleep you've been deprived of and that can take a little time. You may not notice right away more energy, but look for things like less fatigue, no feeling like you need to nap during the day, or maybe a bit more mental alertness. Changes can come very subtly at first. Some people never really have that epiphany of "WOW, look how great I feel" as it sneaks up on you so gradually, and others wake up one morning and really can feel the difference. Either way, if you stay compliant, it will work for you.
It's only been two nights. Give yourself a chance to get used to being on the therapy and for it to start to make enough of a change for you to realize. It took me just over a week to really notice the difference. One person told me to try to differentiate, am I feeling exhausted or just enjoying the sleep so much that I want to get more of it; hence, the still feeling tired feeling.
Please write back in a week and then we'll get a better idea of all the changes you've noticed. Not to say you shouldn't keep posting any thoughts or questions you may have until then, but I think it will be interesting to see how you're feeling in a week's time. Keep positive, be compliant and you will do great. We're all here backing you up. Best of luck.
It's important first to know what type of mask you're using. Different masks have their exhaust ports in different spots. You can usually feel a leak by feeling the air escape from the seal physically. The best way I know of to be sure is to have software monitoring your usage. But if you don't, the best you can do it see if you move the mask, if that feeling of leaking air stops. If it happens while you're sleeping and you just suspect it, I can't think of anything else you could do. But I am curious to know what it is you're wearing (as far as a mask goes-I'm no pervert ).
Now, about feeling tired, don't be surprised that you are tired. It is so common when you start treatment. I think sometimes you expect miracles to occur, especially if you had a great study night. But, as I'm sure you've heard it said before on this site, you were so sleep-deprived for so long that you have a "sleep debt" to make up for. When members told me that when I started, I thought they were wrong but they weren't. Your body really needs to make up for the lack of quality sleep you've been deprived of and that can take a little time. You may not notice right away more energy, but look for things like less fatigue, no feeling like you need to nap during the day, or maybe a bit more mental alertness. Changes can come very subtly at first. Some people never really have that epiphany of "WOW, look how great I feel" as it sneaks up on you so gradually, and others wake up one morning and really can feel the difference. Either way, if you stay compliant, it will work for you.
It's only been two nights. Give yourself a chance to get used to being on the therapy and for it to start to make enough of a change for you to realize. It took me just over a week to really notice the difference. One person told me to try to differentiate, am I feeling exhausted or just enjoying the sleep so much that I want to get more of it; hence, the still feeling tired feeling.
Please write back in a week and then we'll get a better idea of all the changes you've noticed. Not to say you shouldn't keep posting any thoughts or questions you may have until then, but I think it will be interesting to see how you're feeling in a week's time. Keep positive, be compliant and you will do great. We're all here backing you up. Best of luck.
L o R i
-
Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
Elli,
Here are two links, one to the PDF literature about your mask and another for the Respironics info for the mask, too. Hope it helps answer some of your questions.
http://www.respironics.com/download/dow ... 0Aid%2Epdf
http://www.respironics.com/product_libr ... od=display
Here are two links, one to the PDF literature about your mask and another for the Respironics info for the mask, too. Hope it helps answer some of your questions.
http://www.respironics.com/download/dow ... 0Aid%2Epdf
http://www.respironics.com/product_libr ... od=display
L o R i
The APAP I have (Autoset Respond) only gives me leak data.
But in response to your question (which, as always, has been better answered by Sleepless..) is check for air blowing on your face around the mask edge. One tip is to actually create a leak while you are awake and see how it feel. Just pull the mask away from your face on one edge, tug on the straps, etc. This should give some idea of what a smaller leak will feel like.
This is another good point for APAP I think. Even though mine does not give session data, it tries to compensate for leaks by cranking up the pressure. So as I falling asleep if I hear the machine start ramping up like mad, I know I've got a leak somewhere.
And I recommend giving the therapy a good long time. Heck, I've just fininished my 111th day and I'm not sure if I'm more awake or not. I think I might be, but it is hard to be objective about my own wakefulness. (Heisenberg and all that).
But apnea CAN kill you. And that's no BS. It's enough motivation to keep me going with it. After a while it really does become at most a minor annoyance. The thing to realize is it's not a magic bullet. If you are overweight and sedentary, CPAP therapy is not going to magically make you thin and healthy. It may give you more energy to accomplish that though.
And my wife can sleep without earplugs now, which makes her very happy.
But in response to your question (which, as always, has been better answered by Sleepless..) is check for air blowing on your face around the mask edge. One tip is to actually create a leak while you are awake and see how it feel. Just pull the mask away from your face on one edge, tug on the straps, etc. This should give some idea of what a smaller leak will feel like.
This is another good point for APAP I think. Even though mine does not give session data, it tries to compensate for leaks by cranking up the pressure. So as I falling asleep if I hear the machine start ramping up like mad, I know I've got a leak somewhere.
And I recommend giving the therapy a good long time. Heck, I've just fininished my 111th day and I'm not sure if I'm more awake or not. I think I might be, but it is hard to be objective about my own wakefulness. (Heisenberg and all that).
But apnea CAN kill you. And that's no BS. It's enough motivation to keep me going with it. After a while it really does become at most a minor annoyance. The thing to realize is it's not a magic bullet. If you are overweight and sedentary, CPAP therapy is not going to magically make you thin and healthy. It may give you more energy to accomplish that though.
And my wife can sleep without earplugs now, which makes her very happy.
-
Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
-
ProfessorSleep
- Posts: 338
- Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2005 7:42 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
I don't know if I have a lot to add (not that it will stop me -grin) But I will admit to having the exact same question as the original post. A coworker asked me when I thought I'd be back to "normal" (with the sleep, that is). It occurred to me that I have no idea what would be "normal" for me. I can only guage things on a daily basis and, fortunately, can tell there is a big improvement. There are good days and not so good days, just like non-cpapers have, which apparently is "normal." Is a not so good day because the pressure is wrong? The mask leaked? Too dry/too humid? Maybe none of the above. It's just normal to have that. It still takes some effort to focus on how I feel and to relax about it all and deal with alertness and whatever sleepiness exists on a day to day basis.
-
Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
A few weeks ago, after almost three months of being on therapy at that time, I learned that you can't always expect to feel energetic once you get your level back even if you're 100% compliant. I found that there will be days that outside factors will influence how you're feeling, just like Professor said, like it was, too, before we went on therapy.
Today I am fighting the urge to sleep, take a nap. I haven't felt this tired in weeks. I know there are a lot of variables that are causing me to feel this way, so I won't sweat it. I had a very low AHI last night so the therapy aspect has nothing to do with how I'm feeling. But that's okay. I know I will start to feel better either tomorrow or the next day or even next week.
If we're in this for the long haul, which I know I am, we have to expect our energy levels to be just like everything else in our lives, ever-changing. I know nothing in my life ever stays the same for very long, so why should I expect everything therapy-related to? I feel that would be unrealistic. And now that I've come to this realization, I don't get panicky anymore if a bad day rears its head. It's going to happen every now and then.
Today I am fighting the urge to sleep, take a nap. I haven't felt this tired in weeks. I know there are a lot of variables that are causing me to feel this way, so I won't sweat it. I had a very low AHI last night so the therapy aspect has nothing to do with how I'm feeling. But that's okay. I know I will start to feel better either tomorrow or the next day or even next week.
If we're in this for the long haul, which I know I am, we have to expect our energy levels to be just like everything else in our lives, ever-changing. I know nothing in my life ever stays the same for very long, so why should I expect everything therapy-related to? I feel that would be unrealistic. And now that I've come to this realization, I don't get panicky anymore if a bad day rears its head. It's going to happen every now and then.
L o R i
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1