Just got a machine, uncomfortable & hate it

[nosleeptonight]

I got my machine last Friday. I was only able to use it twice with the nasal pad mask. Slept only an hour each time and kept breathing thru my mouth. Monday I exchanged the nasal pad mask for a full face mask. I used it Monday and Tuesday and woke up both times after two hours. The 2nd time I panicked in getting the mask off. I skipped last night to give myself a night off.

I find that I can't get into a position to be comfortable sleeping in all night (trying on my side). Tubing gets in the way and I feel like I am in a twilight sleep the whole time I have it on - not really sleeping.

I have had energy problems for 3-4 years and finally a doctor suggested a sleep study (after I had been thru many other "diagnosis"/suggestions). Not sure if this is really the cause of the energy problem.

I know it takes some folks time to get used to it.

Is the twilight sleep normal? It's like I am aware of wearing the mask but sort of asleep.

Need suggestions and encouragement.

Things have not gone so well so far.

Thank you.

[Dive Apnea]

Hang in there, if you keep at it, you will eventually get to the point that you can't sleep without CPAP!

[LSAT]

If hose control is one of your problems...it is easily resolved with this or something home made.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/flexib ... -lift.html

[KenH]

Yep. Hang in there. Don't force yourself to wear it. Take it slow. I had the Swift FX nasal pillows I could not stand covering my face.

[Stormynights]

I have been watching your thread hoping someone smarter than me would come along and offer some real help. I don't know what you mean by twilight sleep. Just dozing maybe? The hose hanger is a good idea. You really need to post your equipment and pressure settings. There are a lot of people here that are able and willing to help you. I really would like to answer your question but I just don't know the answer.

[Pugsy]

I think I know what you mean. You don't feel like you actually get to sleep...just sort of half awake and/or half dreaming.

What pressure are you using? Are you using the ramp feature?
Have you tried just sitting in front of the TV wearing the mask and having the machine on so that you can gradually get used to having the mask on your face. Right now your brain is sort of hyper vigilant because it thinks the mask is something not normal to be on the face. For some people it takes a while for the brain to come to like this thing stuck on its face.

So maybe try wearing the mask with and without the machine being on.

There are some other things that can be don to help with the brain learning to accept the mask but we need to know your machine type/model as well as pressure settings you are trying to use and are you using ramp now..if you are what is the ramp starting pressure.
If you don't have a clue what I am talking about then tell us exactly which model machine you are using and we will point you to where you can get the manual so you can find out the pressures.

[KylaManhattan]

I feel your pain and frustration. Been there, done that, have the t-shirt.

You'll meet some folks around here who took to CPAP like ducks to water, but I'm guessing they are the exceptions, not the rule. I've read many more posts about difficult early days/nights than I have about adapting instantly.

My first few nights were pretty much like what yours were, and the improvements after that were so incremental that I was pretty much exhausted by the end of my first month. But a year later, I can honestly say it's become so much a part of my daily routine that I don't think about it at all. Some mornings, when I wake up, I have to put my hand up in front of the vent to make sure the mask is still on and the unit still operating.

I still don't feel as though I understand the mechanics well enough to offer you advice about pressure or ramping up or reading your reports and such, but I know there are other folks around here who can and will. But I can echo positively the advice you got above about wearing the mask (with the unit on) while you're doing other stuff, like watching TV or reading; it made a big difference for me in adjusting to the admittedly odd sensation of having this contraption on your face blowing air into your head.

I also started doing a progressive relaxation exercise after I got into bed -- you know, the kind of thing where you relax your body one part at a time (first your right foot, then your left foot, then your right calf, etc.). I would also concentrate on slowing my breathing (I had a tendency to breathe too deeply and intensely in the beginning). Listening to music or the radio once the lights are out may also help you to relax more; just don't choose anything that's too stimulating.

It's not easy for many -- maybe most -- of us when we first begin, but the chances are very good that if you stick with it, it will become easier for you, too. You will get used to the odd sensations, and as you start to feel better, that will make adjustment easier still. You may never love the machine, but you don't have to love it; you just have to use it.

Good luck, sweet dreams, and please let us know how you're doing.

[gomer]

Most people have problems at first, I did.

That said, it takes time to ADAPT, tweek & adjust, but after a few months I really began to see the benefits of my APAP and well worth the effort and patience.

[caffeinatedcfo]

Ditto to Pugsy's post above. Give us a little more info on your equipment and pressure settings and we will guide you through this. You'll be on your way to a better life in no time. Definately try masking up before bed time to train your subconscious that the mask is your friend and not an alien.

[Tino2You]

hI nosleeptonight,

I believe I know what you are talking about when you say "twilight sleep". You are asleep but still aware of the hose and the noise of the vented air, and even the feel of the air out of the vent. I remember having dreams about that! You've already have taken the first largest step but finding this forum. Many folks here have been were you are (some are still there and too bashful to write about it but read the posts all the same). You will get encouragement and advice to get your through the OMG stage you are in right now.

It's all normal and as Pugsy said, part of the learning process we all had to go through. That said, some of the "training exercises" already mentioned (wearing mask while watching TV, or reading) will help you train your brain to adapt to the mask. The hose is another beast. I find it best for me to lay it across my chest when I begin my pre-sleep routine (yes I have one). I usually start on my back with my machine and mask on and read for a few minutes. I try to slow my breathing down. I put my iPad away, and flip over on my side (right side first) for a few minutes, then over to the left side (oh just a little bit of OCD here ) I often let the hose cradle between my thumb and index finger so I can move it when I move. The important thing is to try and get your breathing slowed down as if you were asleep. With time, patience and practice even the mask and hose will begin to feel like second nature to you. I cannot go to sleep anymore unless my mask and air is on.

Two other things, while you are looking for which model machine and mask you are using be careful not to turn over the machine with the humidifier tank full of water. Water in the blower section is not a good thing. And finally, most newbies (me included) over tighten our masks in the beginning. Thinking that "if I tighten the mask up it won't leak". Most often the reverse is true. The silicon seals act like air cushions, when they fill up with air, they make the seal. When the mask is over tightened, the cushions can't fill up and the mask leaks.

-tino

[quietmorning]

My mask was uber uncomfortable too until I found out how to properly wear it. . .and found out that it was WAY too tight. It should feel like it is floating on your skin, not scrunched into your skin. You'll have less leaks that way, too.

Did you ever twilight sleep before CPAP? I ask because I did for most of my life - and then with CPAP, it's gotten a lot better with time. I don't think I'm aware of myself when I sleep, any longer. I think my brain has actually decided that it's ok to sleep, now. It doesn't have to fight for oxygen any more - all night. Your brain just got a huge shock of life introduced to it - it will take a minute for it to adjust, but it will. Don't give up. It's so worth 'getting there'.

[ellen1159]

Oh, I am in the same boat with you! I got my machine Monday night, and so far I have used it for a maximum of one hour each night, sitting or reclining on the couch in front of the tv, well before bedtime. I put on Turner Classic Movies so it doesn't matter if I doze off.

I am claustrophobic and I need to use a full face mask because I have frequent nasal congestion and often breathe through my mouth. It's going to take me a while to get used to having this thing blowing gale-force winds (well, nearly, my highest setting is 25/15) directly into my face; my inclination is to hold my breath and feel like I'm suffocating. I needed help from the sleep doc's staff to learn how to put my mask on correctly (it forms a seal so the air must be blowing before I clap in on my face).

So far I am not able to get past the end of the 45 ramp up from 4 to 25. My breathing gets off track and I feel like I'm gulping air, or I get a tickle in my throat and need to cough, and that disturbs the rhythm. It's possible that my high setting is just too high and needs to be lowered.

In my case, I was dx'd with severe sleep apnea. This machine is what stands between me and death, so I'm going to do my damnedest to make it work. My ex husband, on the other hand, slept like a baby his first night home with the machine, and he had the same diagnosis. We're all different, the insides of our noses and throats are different, we different levels of tolerance for air blasting in our faces.

Don't give up yet, there is plenty of support and advice here.

[John from Brookston]

Been at this for 3 months and it's still not second nature to me. Some nights I go right to sleep, and some nights I'm laying there thinking "Get this thing OFF my face!".
It'll happen, some take to it like ducks to water and some take to it like cats to water... It will be worth it the first time you drive someplace and realize you didn't try to go to sleep at the stoplights.
If your present mask isn't working fopr you, get another one. And another one, etc. Some on-line dealers will let you return masks if you buy their "mask insurance". If you have a klunker, sure, it'll cost you $15-$40 to try it, but that's better than being out $200 for a chunk of plastic you have no use for.

Good luck, it'll get better and you're among friends here. I haven't experienced anything yet that at least 10 other people went through themselves.

[Madalot]

So many of us have been there. I consider myself one of the "duck to water" people, but those first 3-5 nights -- Oh boy. NOT fun....

Pugsy's suggestion about wearing the mask while reading or watching TV is what I did and believe me, it helped a lot. The other suggestion about making sure the mask fits properly is another biggie. If the mask is too tight or doesn't fit quite right, it makes it more difficult to adjust.

I know you won't believe it now, but at this point, I frequently have to reach up to make sure my mask is on because I don't feel it.

I'm using a Full Face Mask, too.

Hang in there. It takes some adjustment to sleep with that thing on your face.

[SusieG]

I know this is going to sound impossible but, try to sleep like you do without the mask on, in your usual sleeping positions. I tend to sleep on my side with my face mashed into the pillow and have found that the masks are pretty resiliant and do not have to be treated with kid gloves. Just remember to keep the vents clear!