Multiple Wake Ups... Can it be fixed? Any Experiences?

[tdus1]

Hi, all. I have been lurking here for a couple months. I have been rocking the S9 for a couple weeks. I use a nasal mask and setting of 13. I was diagnosed with 60 episodes per minute. Before CPAP therepy, I would wake up after 2.5-3 hrs of falling to sleep and then about every 45 mins.to an hour for the next 5 hours. I am 44 and had been sleeping like this for the past couple years. I was excited about starting on CPAP but also nervous that it would not work and I would have nowhere else to turn for rest. Unfortunately, this schedule has not changed with CPAP thus far. I have three months to hit compliance or the machine goes back. So far, I don't see a reason to keep it.

I was hoping to hear from folks that have been successful with treating the multiple wake-ups that I experience. Feel free to link me to posts that address this which I may have missed. I appreciate your time and this forum.

[greatunclebill]

if your pressure is 13, you will need to use it til death do you part. if you stop using it that date may come sooner than you expect it. maybe waking up is not cpap related.

[Julie]

Hi - You should ask your doctor about the results again ... did anyone see something called either Restless Legs syndrome or PLMD (very similar, possibly the same thing - controversial) where you rhythmically extend and retract your legs all night - it's not uncommon with apnea and can certainly tire you out... As well, if you're a mouth breather once asleep, and you're using only a nasal mask vs a full face one, you could be losing all the good air that way and not being 'treated' at all - something else you need to verify, if not through the doctor, at least either by your sig. other, and/or an overnight webcam.

[avi123]

It took me two years to get my treatment on CPAP optimized. I had sleep fragmentation when I started like you have now.

Taking 10 mg of Zolpidem ( generic Ambien) helped me a lot with my fragmented sleep for years, long before starting CPAP for OSA. When I started CPAPing, I took half a tablet (5 mg) as soon as I mounted the mask at around 11:30 p.m. which let me sleep for 3 hours. Then after going to the BR I took another half a tablet which gave me 3 more hours of sleep. For the hangover the next morning I took two tablets of Tylenol and for the ingested air I took Pepto Bismol.

Enter in above search box: sleep fragmentation.

[BlackSpinner]

Hi, all. I have been lurking here for a couple months. I have been rocking the S9 for a couple weeks. I use a nasal mask and setting of 13. I was diagnosed with 60 episodes per minute. Before CPAP therepy, I would wake up after 2.5-3 hrs of falling to sleep and then about every 45 mins.to an hour for the next 5 hours. I am 44 and had been sleeping like this for the past couple years. I was excited about starting on CPAP but also nervous that it would not work and I would have nowhere else to turn for rest. Unfortunately, this schedule has not changed with CPAP thus far. I have three months to hit compliance or the machine goes back. So far, I don't see a reason to keep it.

I was hoping to hear from folks that have been successful with treating the multiple wake-ups that I experience. Feel free to link me to posts that address this which I may have missed. I appreciate your time and this forum.

Which kind of S9? an Escape or an Elite? If you have an Elite then start checking your data to see what happens before you wake up. If you have an Escape you are SOL.

The fact that you are still waking up doesn't mean cpap isn't working for you. It IS preventing 60 apneas per hour which were causing major damage to your body. The bad sleeping schedule is the least of your worries.
A few weeks is not long to unlearn a habit of years.

[tdus1]

Thanks, all. I appreciate the encouragement to keep on and sharing your experiences. I have an elite and will start diving into the process of learning how to read the data. No RLS was noted.

@AVI123: Ambian, eh? Are you off of it now? Are you sleeping longer than three hours at a time now?

[Bons]

The sleep fragmentation may have nothing to do with sleep apnea. You said you've had that sleep pattern long before starting cpap, so the fact that you are still waking up should NOT be a reason for discontinuing therapy.

Hang in there!

[avi123]

Thanks, all. I appreciate the encouragement to keep on and sharing your experiences. I have an elite and will start diving into the process of learning how to read the data. No RLS was noted.

@AVI123: Ambian, eh? Are you off of it now? Are you sleeping longer than three hours at a time now?

tdus, I got off it after a few months by tapering. Recently, I have started to take for sleep 0.5 mg Alprazolam ER (generic Xanax) and 150 mg Gabapentin (generic Neurontin). I sleep for 7 hours with one or two breaks to go to the BR to urinate. My APAP treatment is good. But I take an hour nap in the morning after breakfast. I can do it b/c I am retired. O' yes, even now when I can't fall asleep within 30 min I take half a tablet (=5 mg) of Zolpidem. But not higher dose!

[Grand-PAP]

I don't see a reason to keep it.

Hi tuds1,

Welcome to the forum and hopefully successful therapy! As you can tell, there are a lot of knowledgeable/concerned people on the forum.

I wasn't going to be as blunt as greatunclebill . . .

if your pressure is 13, you will need to use it til death do you part. if you stop using it that date may come sooner than you expect it.

Well, maybe I was, because I was gonna' say, "at least you're still waking up!"

. . . start checking your data to see what happens before you wake up . . . The fact that you are still waking up doesn't mean cpap isn't working for you. It IS preventing 60 apneas per hour which were causing major damage to your body.

Huge ditto to BlackSpinner. Additionally, we "think" in terms of apneas being 10 seconds. But that is the MIINIMUM time. When you monitor your data, pay attention to the LENGTH of the apneas. With straight CPAP I was having about 10 apneas per hour, with about 6 - 7 of them being CAs, but my greatest concern was some of them were lasting 45 - 60 seconds!! So believe BlackSpinner regarding the potential impact upon your heath!

Seems like you did a trial baloon to gain support for stopping therapy. Well, you got support, but to NOT stop therapy.

Hang in there! There's lots of knowledge and support here! Keep coming back with feedback and questions!

Best of luck with your therapy!

[Tino2You]

Hi tdus,

Welcome to the forum and out of the lurking shadows.

You mentioned that you have had fragmented sleep for a while. Could it be because of environmental factors? I know that caffeine in any form after lunchtime wrecks havoc with my sleep. Coffee, tea, chocolate all have caffeine. Could be sounds are waking you up? I guess what I am trying (and not very well at that) to say is look for other factors that could be causing your sleep to be disturbed.

-tino

[lazer]

I have started to take for sleep 0.5 mg Alprazolam ER (generic Xanax) and 150 mg Gabapentin (generic Neurontin). I sleep for 7 hours with one or two breaks to go to the BR to urinate. My APAP treatment is good. But I take an hour nap in the morning after breakfast. I can do it b/c I am retired.

Comment:

Our night-time medications are very similiar

1mg (generic Xanax) & 300mg (Gabapentin) here.

[tdus1]

Hi folks. I hope everyone is enjoying their fall. I have only been able to tolerate the machine for a meaningful length of time when I take 5-10 mgs of Zolpidem (generic Ambian). When I don't take the meds it takes 60-90 minutes to fall asleep. I wake up in about 60 minutes without and five hours with the Zolpidem. I have gone from a nasal mask and am currently trying pillows.

I believe my issue is that I feel like I am suffocating with the mask on. I feel like I'm struggling to get enough oxygen (even though I'm probably just fine). Has anyone struggled with this? Would a full mask help?

I'm sure some will say 'just give it a try' but this endeavor has turned into a money pit for me....'trying' things seem to cost me over $100 and I already have over $1K into, what seems to be, a personal treatment failure. I have another $1K to hand over in 2013 if I keep this unit.

Thanks for the support, all.

[TiredMominCanada]

I'm relatively new to this as well and I am struggling with waking up quite a few times during the night as I did before I started CPAP.

I wonder if our bodies are just so used to the cycle of waking up that we need to relearn how to sleep. My AHI was 60 before too - we were waiting up once a minute before - even when we didn't know it. I've managed to get my AHI down to about 6 (still work to do!) but I figure 6 times per hour is better than 60.

I'm working on patience, a positive attitude and trying to find a mask that works well.
Good luck!

[xenablue]

I was thinking the same as you, TiredMominCanada - it's tough to break habits you've been used to for years, even if you don't want them.

Using your CPAP means you're still getting your therapy and therefore treating your episodes of not breathing - that's important.

Once you can see your data, you'll find that despite waking up several times per night, as long as your mask stays on and the machine as well, then your machine will still record that as time using it - the machine knows not whether you're asleep or awake.

Relax - and hang out here - you'll learn much.

Cheers,
xena

[ughwhatname]

I felt like I was suffocating as well. My start pressure was 4, which was too low. I changed it to 5 and I don't have that feeling any longer.

I believe my issue is that I feel like I am suffocating with the mask on. I feel like I'm struggling to get enough oxygen (even though I'm probably just fine). Has anyone struggled with this? Would a full mask help?

I'm sure some will say 'just give it a try' but this endeavor has turned into a money pit for me....'trying' things seem to cost me over $100 and I already have over $1K into, what seems to be, a personal treatment failure. I have another $1K to hand over in 2013 if I keep this unit.

Thanks for the support, all.