Newbie here, cannot fall asleep with mask on

[xenablue]

I had the same issue - and I'm sure most people have a struggle at first - it's just not normal to sleep with a mask strapped to your face, right????

IMHO, attitude is the biggest path to success - and you seem to be working on that just fine.

After almost 18-months on CPAP, it's still very difficult for me to mask up and lay down right away to go to sleep. I find the best way for me is to sit up in bed, with a mindless, half hour tv show (Jeopardy is my choice) and while watching tv, put on my mask, mess with it a bit so it feels snug but comfy. By the time the show ends, I'm falling asleep, and it hardly feels like I'm wearing a mask at all. Much of the time, it takes me 2 nights to watch one show because I'm dozing off - this was unheard of pre-CPAP - it would take me almost an hour to fall asleep.

It's important to force yourself to keep the mask on all night - the more you allow yourself to remove the mask and sleep without it, the harder it will be to keep it on at all.

Hang in there - it gets easier, just not always right away.

cheers,
xena

[codinqueen]

Try some herbal Sleepytime Tea as you get ready for bed. After you can sleep for awhile with the Sleepytime Tea and the mask, so that you can get to sleeping with the mask, you will eventually probably be able to sleep without the the tea, but if not, the tea is not dangerous. I am a side sleeper too, and I lay my head on the very edge of my pillow (a memory foam with the little valley for my head in the middle) and I can sleep so soundly all night that I wake up in exactly the same position the next morning, because I am so comfortable and the mask is not moving off my face.
You will get it, just keep on putting your mask on every time you sleep.

[AuroraProject]

The first few nights, I lay down pretending I was a space explorer;
setting out for places unknown --(in a galaxy far, far away, as it were)
The scenario was that I had to be in stasis, because the journey would take many years;
but I would awaken to an amazing adventure.
I meant to feed my dreams, (and have amazing ones) but I slept so well, I remembered none.

Lol! I'll have to try this!

For the last 3 days I have tried a few different things. I have completely eliminated caffeine, and have been eating a 100% plant based raw food diet (I want to get my weight under control too). So far I'm much more tired at bed time, I have been able to fall asleep with the mask on, but I only seem to make it 4 hours or so. Still, that's better than it was so I'm making progress. Thanks for all the pointers.

[robysue]

For the last 3 days I have tried a few different things. I have completely eliminated caffeine, and have been eating a 100% plant based raw food diet (I want to get my weight under control too). So far I'm much more tired at bed time, I have been able to fall asleep with the mask on, but I only seem to make it 4 hours or so.

What do you do when you wake up after 4 hours of sleeping with mask?

And how do you feel when you wake up at that four hour mark?

[david-carolina]

Have you considered:

--adding 02

---making sure the air is really cold your breathing in?

Dont forget, the humidifiers heat the air up, and it gives the feeling of smothering.

Im not a fan of the ramp. I believe in getting right to it.

What i do sometimes is pull the mask off my face, breathe normally for awhile, and then re set the mask.

Repeat as needed.

Remember, its a process making the adjustment, but I have the feeling that if you add a couple blankets to the bed and get the air really
cold youre breathing in, it will make a huge difference. Cold air gives the impression of comfort and increased 02.

[AuroraProject]

For the last 3 days I have tried a few different things. I have completely eliminated caffeine, and have been eating a 100% plant based raw food diet (I want to get my weight under control too). So far I'm much more tired at bed time, I have been able to fall asleep with the mask on, but I only seem to make it 4 hours or so.

What do you do when you wake up after 4 hours of sleeping with mask?

And how do you feel when you wake up at that four hour mark?

When I wake up at the 4 hour mark I feel wide awake, so I get up. I have felt great after just 4 hours sleep with the mask on! I want to feel like that every day, but some nights I'm still struggling with it. I'm being patient, it's getting a little easier every night.

[vshears64]

Hey Newbie!

I'm a newbie too!! I'm also finding it a little difficult tl sleep with my mask on. I find my self pulling on it, I have
the one that fits just on my nose and to top it off I have hot flashes, sweating every 30 mins of so! It's kinda fustrating
I also work nights and have to sleep in the day time. I try to lay it down at least by 2pm. If I don't I seem to stay awake
well into the evening and by the time I do gety sleepy it's time to get up!! I know it will just take some getting use to,
and I have to keep trying for my health. I thank everyone for the advice, I will be gettung a pillow because I like
to sleep on my side. But anyway, hang in there we are all in this together

[MKA]

This is day 9 on CPAP for me...second and third nights were the worst, but I am doing very well with it now. I actually feel GOOD. You do have to JUST DO IT. I, like someone else here, spent the last 10 + years or so suffering from declining health. Started at age 27 with pre-eclampia with first baby. Stroke leve HBP by age 30. At 36, had first round of CHF after birth third - pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes as well. One year later, trip to ER with angina and second round of CHF. Those were the major issues...but the insomnia, GERD, nocturia, moodiness, fatique, forgetfulness, morning headaches, 'startled' awakenings at night, decreased libido...all consistently there but I thought minor in comparison.
In 2009, I had my first sleep studies after a new doctor had the presence of mind to ask me if I snored !?! Severe OSA
>70 AHI. Got mouthpiece which just really didn't work in the end but I used it faithfully. The last straw...I passed out in mall in February...EMT treating for heart attack...my teenaged daughters watching. I turned gray...they thought I was going to die. I am 42 years old, 5'7", a little over weight but otherwise pretty normal looking. I firmly believe that everything that has happened to me medically is related to sleep apnea. I can't remember the last time I felt like I slept well. After release from hospital, I went back and BEGGED Dr. for CPAP. I FEEL GOOD now. My BP is dropping already even with the meds I am already on so those will be adjusted. I am doing this for me because I have a family that I want to see grow up and I have a life that I want to live. Not everyone has this kind of drama, thankfully, but I wanted to stress to you what could happen if you DON'T put that mask on. I'll be wearing it for the rest of what I hope is a very very long life. Good luck and God bless. You can do this. For you. Play around with settings and find what works.

[bbnurse]

For me there are several things that help me sleep. One of the biggest is listening to audiobooks. It bothers my husband so I have a pillow speaker so I can hear it but he can't. There is something about listening to books that makes your brain pay attention to the book and it keeps your mind from wandering and worrying. It doesn't make any sense I know, but it works! Lately, I've been listening to an audioBible, but another favorite is the audio version of Harry Potter books. Second help for me is to take benadryl and/or melatonin tablets. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is the ingredient in Tylenol sleep, and Advil Sleep that actually helps you sleep. It's very cheap, and unlike Ambien or other "sleep" drugs it continues to work without needing more and more, and I believe it's quite safe -any med can have problems with some people, but benadryl is one of the safest ones- in my opinion anyway. Melatonin works fantastic. I've given this to many patients and while I'm not a big fan of a lot of health food products this one really works. Melatonin is found in milk, but is more concentrated when sold as supplements, if you don't want to take any pills try the old warm milk methoed. The secret with the CPAP is to find a mask that works. I actually use a very old type mask- REspiraonics-Profile Lite. I smoosh my face into the pillow and every other mask I've tried leaves marks on my face because I do this, the front sticks out way too much usually. I have one nasal pillow thing and it works fine, but the headgear always leaves marks on my face. The mask from the profile lite sometimes leaves lines on my face and I wish I could find the ideal solution. (hence my searching on here today). I do agree with everyone that if you get it in your head that you must wear the mask or you will suffer from high BP and your brain will not get enough oxygen during the night ( for me I really can't lose any brain function) it will help. I am too scared to not use my cpap- when I go on vacation- it goes with me. Believe it or not, eventually you will get to the point where you will have a hard time trying to sleep with the cpap. Best wishes

[beddersleeper]

I am certainly not an expert. Tonight is night 3 with me using the CPAP machine and mask. When I got the diagnosis of severe sleep apnea, I was so happy. Happy because now there was a reason for my struggling with everything, being so tired my bones ached, being so b**chy I was mad at myself for being so mean to husband. So I see the using of this machine as a solution not as a new problem. I "freaked" out the first few minutes the first time the mask went on (claustrophobic). But that was it. I love the feeling of air on me. So I have told myself that this is my own personal "air machine". One of the posters mentioned that they get very warm/hot flashes. My suggestion is to buy several of the large flat ice packs. Here is one site that sells them: http://www.massagewarehouse.com/product ... old-packs/ You can put one on your back and one on your head. That will surely help to cool you down. I would also suggest what another poster did. Wear the mask around the house. Start with a short amount of time and work your way up to a longer time. I believe it is important to "take care of business" before it is time to go to sleep. I've done this for a long time and it really helps to fall asleep. Take care of your nighttime business before it is time to go to sleep. Don't wait till you go to sleep to set up the machine, wash the equipment, brush teeth etc. Make your bedroom your haven. The feelings that you got when things that bothered you before (ex. blanket too tight and pushes down on toes) may be multiplied many times now. Do some positive self talk. Say to yourself, "I know the mask bothers me but that is O.K. I'm sure it will bother me a little less in a couple of nights." Instead of "fighting" the fact that you can't fall asleep, you may want to say to yourself, "I know I can't fall asleep right now, but I do know that I can just relax here with my eyes closed." Hope this helps.