Still tired

[snorlox]

I've been on my unit for about 3 weeks now. I'm averaging 3.6 hours a nite compliance. I go to sleep just fine, but find myself ripping the mask off in the wee hours. Seems like once I awaken, I cant get comfortable with the mask. I keep plugging away, but wish I could take a vacation from it.

I'm not sure if there is an appropriate length of time before I talk to my Health care provider. I dont want to go crying to them if this is just normal adjustment period.

Thanks

Britt

[The Don]

You will probably hear the same story from alot of people. It got better for me after awhile...The good news is that once you have been on the machine awhile you will be waking up in the wee hours of the morning wide awake anyway. Keep plugging along. It gets easier.

[bozmon]

Britt...sounds just like my first month. As my doctor stated, it takes at least one month to get used to the damn thing. During my second month, I got very lax with it and used it sporadically. The equipment place asked for my smart card and printed out my usage with charts all over the place and basically told me that I needed to use it EVERY day if I wanted my medical insurance to cover the cost of obtaining my own machine. In the 3rd month, I used with 100% compliance, but still felt I was now waking up from the mask interference, instead of apnea. Recently, I was sick for a few days and stopped using it for a week...and realized how much good it was actually doing me. Last night, after 3 months and 2 weeks, I finally slept totally through the night without any remembrance of waking. It was fantastic!

Stay with it...it gets better for most users.

[littlebaddow]

Do keep at it Britt

I'm now in week 7 and can sleep through most nights without a problem. I still wake occasionally, but feel much better. Weeks 1 to 3, however, I felt very much like you and often managed only a couple of hours sleep with the mask, and if anything I felt worse before I felt better!

Do you use a heated humidifier? I didn't get one til week 4 and noticed an immediate improvement when I did. Until then, very dry nose & mouth, which I was very aware of when I woke up in the night.

Good luck