Thankful for finding this websit:

[WHO ME]

I am a new user as of Monday, 3-15-10 and everyday since then I have logged in and found an anwser to my question and/or concern. At first I did not want to admit to having 'sleep apnea.' Why you ask; well I was a women (before I hadn't heard of many women admit to having it);thought my husband would not want to sleep in the same bed as me;did not want to omit to letting my health get so out of control--so finding this website made me realize that 'WHO ME or WHY ME' is not the question but why did I wait so long to go to the dr (my husband had notice several months go that I would stop breathing during the night).

I have to say last night was my first comfortable night with the mask but I was waken by being extremely sweaty ( had turned my humidifier up because I had been getting up in the mornings seeming dry). IAs anyone else every had this happen to them. As my husband if he was warm and he said a little.

Have noticed I do not drop off to sleep for no rest when watching TV or at the computer and I just feel better (about everything).

[Julie]

Hi and welcome. You do not mention what mask you have, but the waking up feeling dry is a clue that it's probably a 'nasal" mask, covering only your nose, rather than extending by 1-2" to also cover your mouth where you may well be losing lots of Cpap air overnight. The 'other' mask is called a 'full face' for some reason, but in any case, lots of us need to wear those, and feel a lot better being able to breathe naturally when we're asleep (mouth open) and not lose therapy because of it. Go to Cpap.com and search for some (popular ones are Quattro, Liberty, Ultra Mirage - the one I've used for years, and lots more. Cpap.com has the lowest prices anywhere at all, but I am just a customer, no personal agenda, but it's a good place to compare equipment.

[dave21]

Welcome! I would also suggest trying to read the stats on your machine. You should have AHI, AI and HI as well as the Leak rate L/Min. That will also provide a good reference as to whether you're mouth breathing whilst having the nasal mask on.

If you like the mask you have and you are mouth breathing, sometimes you can condition yourself to not breath through your mouth, e.g. clenching your teeth together when you try to go to sleep, or you can get something called a chin strap that will allow you to keep your mouth closed so you breath through your nose. Some people do go to extreme lengths like taping their mouth but I wouldn't personally recommend this, you want to feel at ease when you're sleeping, not feeling like someone's broken in and put masking tape on your mouth to stop you talking.

Some people are natural mouth breathers, some are nose breathers, some do both.

[WHO ME]

I am using the Swift LT for Her Nasal Passage Pillow (will add to my profile)

Thank you for the reponses!!

[DreamDiver]

Welcome WHO ME, and congratulations.
You'll find even more fantastic information on the wiki. (Yellow lightbulb up above.)

[jweeks]

Hi,

1) Being less sleepy during the day is good. And it is a good sign that the machine is helping.

2) I run at a high humidity level, and the warm air makes me get warm quickly. I found that I could counter-act that by running a fan on low speed to circulate the air in my bedroom, and by lowering the thermostat a bit. I run at about 68 degrees most of the time (even in summer), whereas I used to like it 71.

3) Having a sleep disorder is surprisingly common, especially as you age a bit. There is nothing wrong with that. Not treating it is deadly--it can (and does) cause heart problems, brain damage, and stoke. None of those are good. I really wish I didn't have to use the machine, but I am thankful that there is an easy treatment that really does work.

4) I think your husband will do just fine. If he loves you, he will want to see you protect your health and not be sleepy all day. If not, there are plenty of other fish.

-john-