Anyone ever feel like this?

[NewToCPAP]

I am new to CPAP, well relatively new, I've been using a machine for about three months off and on (trials with sleep clinic, etc.) I am now on my own machine and the past two-three weeks I have just not been as compliant as I was on day 1. When I first started I would wear it religiously and sleep for as long as I could with it on. Now when I actually use it I'll wake up sometimes after having it on for 4-6 hours or so and just take it off.

I am not sure why this is happening but I can tell that it's really starting to mess with my mind and body. My anxiety (I already have an anxiety disorder) seems 10x worse, where I am anxious all day long and stay that way. The list goes on but the anxiety is considerably worse and I am assuming it's from lack of CPAP (I hope anyways)

The past couple nights I've been forcing myself to use it and get back in the habit as I know I can do it, I really can't figure out why I have been neglecting to use it. If I had to guess it would simply be because I miss sleeping without a mask on my face! I am a side sleeper and I just can't do that with my nasal mask, it just doesn't work.

So more than anything I am venting but also curious if anyone has gone through these little phases where they just say forget it and don't bother? I know how bad it is, believe me I do, and I can feel it.. I'll be making big efforts to use this nightly from now on. Time to get over how things were and focus on how things ARE.

[Tropiccafe]

I would say your problem is normal to a new user. There are various masks to choose from and all work differently for different people. Talk to your Doctor with the problems you are having and I am sure he can help in the selection of a mask for your type of sleeping. Every person has a different face and there is surely a good comfortable mask with your name on it.

[Scents]

Maybe your still in the denial stage of it? When you start connecting bad days to not using the machine, you'll be more apt to use it through the night I would think. Good luck and stick with it! And, yes, definetly try different mask until you find the one that's best. I can't wait to get my machine!

[kempo]

If you are a side sleeper and you can't sleep on your side with your current mask, guess what you need to do!

[massive]

Since you said you're already an anxious person, your increased anxiety might be mostly in your head. No offense meant. But if you know you're supposed to be wearing your CPAP all night and you know you're not doing it, well you could just be getting yourself worked up. I can understand that, we usually make things worse than they need to be by worrying about it.

As far as being a side sleeper, if you can't get a new mask yet try a different pillow. There are some kind of x shaped pillows especially for CPAP users that leave gaps for your mask. http://www.bestcpapprice.com/SleePAP-Pi ... p_264.html I haven't used one so I can't vouch for it though. I personally bought a memory foam pillow and have no trouble with my mask leaking.

[Wulfman]

Since you said you're already an anxious person, your increased anxiety might be mostly in your head. No offense meant. But if you know you're supposed to be wearing your CPAP all night and you know you're not doing it, well you could just be getting yourself worked up. I can understand that, we usually make things worse than they need to be by worrying about it.

As far as being a side sleeper, if you can't get a new mask yet try a different pillow. There are some kind of x shaped pillows especially for CPAP users that leave gaps for your mask. http://www.bestcpapprice.com/SleePAP-Pi ... p_264.html I haven't used one so I can't vouch for it though. I personally bought a memory foam pillow and have no trouble with my mask leaking.

That place doesn't have the lowest price. Here's a link to the place that has a better price and also provides this forum.

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-comfort-clean ... pillow.php

By the way, if this was a categorized and highly moderated forum (like the others you seem to prefer), you would not have been able to post that commercial link (or it would have been deleted immediately).

Here are links to the pillow I use. It's basically the same pillow with two names (depending on who sells it).

http://www.chiroflow.com/en/index.html

http://www.mediflow.com/


Den

[massive]

Fair enough. Have you used the SleePAP pillow? I'm interested in hearing how it is.

How is the Chiroflow? I haven't even heard of that one. Does it provide decent neck support? That's what caused me to buy a memory foam pillow.

[Wulfman]

Fair enough. Have you used the SleePAP pillow? I'm interested in hearing how it is.

How is the Chiroflow? I haven't even heard of that one. Does it provide decent neck support? That's what caused me to buy a memory foam pillow.

I had used the Chiroflow for a number of years before I started on CPAP therapy and it has worked very well WITH this therapy.
You can regulate the level (and firmness) of the pillow for comfort and head/neck/back alignment by adjusting the amount of water in it.
Your head won't sink into it like a "standard" pillow.....which is usually a source of why the mask gets pushed out of alignment and leaks.
If you Google both names, there are a number of sources from which to purchase them and probably a variety of prices.


Den

[Bearcat42]

I feel for those of you who have anxiety issues already and then use CPAP on top of it. I dont suffer from anxiety but I certainly remember being anxious when I first started my therapy. I am in no way a professional in such cases but for me it meant putting all my gear on, after finding what worked for me, and just laying there concentrating on my breathing until I felt relaxed and was ready to sleep.
I think one of the biggest things is finding what works for you. Once you can do that then half the battle is over. Since you are a side sleeper then maybe a PapPillow would be beneficial for you. Just a thought.

[brazospearl]

NewToCPAP, many people go through what you're experiencing, and you are certainly not alone. What we want and what we get aren't the same thing because we want to breathe normally, but we get to breathe with our machines. If your therapy isn't working you probably have the wrong machine, wrong mask, wrong settings, or need to tweak your other equipment like pillows and such. Find a mask that works or find a way to make the one you have work. Also, are you sure you have the correct settings on your machine? Maybe your pressure needs to be adjusted.

[jweeks]

I am new to CPAP, well relatively new, I've been using a machine for about three months off and on (trials with sleep clinic, etc.) I am now on my own machine and the past two-three weeks I have just not been as compliant as I was on day 1. When I first started I would wear it religiously and sleep for as long as I could with it on. Now when I actually use it I'll wake up sometimes after having it on for 4-6 hours or so and just take it off.

Hi,

I had a long adjustment period. I'd sleep well for about 2-1/2 hours, and then be done with sleep for a while. I decided that if I took the mask off, I'd have to get out of bed. I didn't want to risk sleeping without it. I found that I was up for maybe 90 minutes, and then I'd be tired enough to go back to bed and get another 4 or 5 hours of sleep. After a while, I'd have nights where I didn't get up, then I'd skip a few nights, and finally, after about 6 months, I never got up any more.

I think part of this is your body having to learn how to sleep all over again. In my case, my OSA was so bad that I essentially didn't get any sleep for about 18 months before going in for my study. I think my body was so thrilled with 2-1/2 hours of sleep that it thought it didn't need any more. At any rate, you are going through a lot here. A new way of life, new sleep patterns, and you are doing it all while you have a big sleep debt to pay back and your brain is still clearing from the OSA fogginess.

I am also a side sleeper. Due to positional apnea, I cannot sleep on my back. What helps me is a pillow that is triangle shaped. It supports my head and neck without getting close to my face. There are specific CPAP pillows out there that might work for you. Otherwise, you might want to try different kinds of masks. The smallest possible mask might be a benefit because it is less likely to get in the way. I do OK with my Swift LT. Some report that the Swift FX works great for side sleepers, but I couldn't get it to work for me. Others report that a mask called the Activa mask is very good for active sleepers.

-john-

[kteague]

If I had to change from being a side sleeper, I'd have had even more trouble adjusting to this stuff. There are ways to sleep on your side. Some take a knife to their foam pillow and make a cutout to accomodate the mask. Some just sleep close to the edge and let it hang off the edge. And some use an extra homemade strap to stabilize their mask, but if you do that, make very sure it cannot slip and block the exhaust.

[LoQ]

If I had to guess it would simply be because I miss sleeping without a mask on my face!

That is a thought you need to banish permanently. I've said this several times in this forum, that one of the reasons I'm so compliant is that I do not allow negative thoughts about therapy to make themselves at home in my mind. The thoughts occur, but they get kicked out IMMEDIATELY. Longing to sleep without a mask on your face is an example of a negative thought about therapy. Don't allow yourself to even think about that.

You can kill a desire if you work hard enough at it.

[massive]

Jweeks has a very good point. I remember after my first sleep study, where I only slept a few hours on the machine, I was up and energized for what must have been 24 hours straight before I even yawned. After going so long without good, restful sleep I didn't need a whole night to feel rested.

Now, it also took me a very long time to get used to it and to sleep through the entire night with the mask on. I would wake up and find my mask on the floor, on the bed, on the nightstand, or blowing in my face on the pillow next to me. Sometimes I would wear it for hours, sometimes I would pull it off soon after I fell asleep. It took a long time for that to stop.

Just remember that whatever sleep you get in with the machine is better than without it. Hang in there, at some point it will become so natural that putting your mask on at night cues your body to go to sleep and you fall asleep almost instantly. It becomes comforting.