Newbie just venting my frustrations!

[jway24]

Hello everyone!
I am brand new to this forum and to the wonderful world of CPAP. Just got my machine set up last week and I am currently going on my 6th night of using it. So far, I have had zero luck. I have yet to successfully fall asleep with it on. On a positive note, I understand that the problem is not with the mask fit, or being uncomfortable, too much pressure or anything like that. I currently have the machine set on a 30 minute ramp period that seems to be very comfortable. But I find that after 30 minutes, I am still not asleep and the increased pressure that follows only makes it harder to fall asleep. I end up turning the unit off and back on to reset the ramp period only to lay in bed for another 30 minutes until I finally give up for the night. After turning the machine off, I usually fall asleep within 15 minutes. I think I have found a few reasons for why I can't fall asleep. A couple of them have nothing to do with the machine or mask at all. First, I have an 8 week old daughter sleeping in our room right now that wakes up every two hours. Even if she doesn't wake up, any sound she makes wakes me up. Second, I am a firefighter and I take my machine with me to the fire station when I am on shift. The two nights I have used it there, we received emergency calls just as I'm trying to go to sleep. When I get back to the station, its hard to go back to sleep after having that extra adrenaline running through me. Third, (what I feel is the biggest problem) I find that any rhythmic sound will keep me awake all night long. Anything from a ticking clock, another person snoring, water dripping, or anything with a steady rhythm. I have found that my machine is suprisingly quiet. But (while very faint) I can hear my own breathing pattern as I inhale and I can't ignore it. I can also feel (also faint) the slight pressure increase and i can feel the positive pressure moving through the mask when I inhale. It is not unconfortable. I am used to wearing masks as a firefighter. Buy the rhythmic nature of it is not allowing me to fall asleep. Has anyone else ever dealt with this. Maybe its all a mental game.I know I am a mouth breather so I don't think I have much of an option when it comes to different styles of masks. And like I said before, its not a matter of fit or comfort. Hopefully I will be able to clear my mind and fall asleep with it on soon. If anyone has experienced something similar or have any advice, it will be gladly welcomed. Thanks for listening!

[sleepy711]

Hi,

I am a Respiratory Therapist / Sleep technician and have a couple of things to note for you.

Everyone with sleep apnea is a mouth breather. Suffocating in your sleep will cause you to gasp / open your mouth. However, most people can sleep with a nasal mask or nasal pillows and never open their mouths. The nasal pillows mask can actually be louder than a nasal mask. The Eson nasal mask and Wisp are both widely popular with good results and both are very quiet. All are more quiet than a full face mask.

Secondly, your circadian rhythm is shot due to being hyper alert for your child and in anticipation for a fire alarm. Perhaps you will settle a little more after you are completely exhausted.

Third, try watching TV with the mask on. (Desensitization) It sounds like your Cortisol levels are going up when you put the mask on causing more alertness. Also, you can check in with a Naturopath and get "Cortisol Management" pills which offset that problem.

Fourth, you are noticing every tiny little detail and that is your curse. Thus, the solution is a very ugly one indeed. you have to not think about your breathing or all the little nuances you are noticing. Perhaps go to a quiet little happy place kind of like meditating.

There is a book called "My Little CPAP Book" available now on iTunes and should be available in 2-3 days with Kindle and Nook. It's cheap ($2.99) and has tons of information. You sound very "analytical" and may want more details anyway as you are going along such as how to know if it is working effectively, how does insurance work, what about pets, traveling, product codes and more.

Hope this helps.

[skram]

Hi Jway24,

I'm a newbie too. I had an opposite reaction to hearing the breathing pattern. I find that when I concentrate on my breathing and getting it rhythmic and hearing it, it consumes my thoughts and pushes out all my concerns and worries about other things. This may come from the fact that, before CPAP, whenever I was stressed and those worries would keep me up, the only thing that would clear my mind was to focus on my breathing. I guess that coping method has proved to be a help for falling asleep on CPAP.

The only thing about it that now makes me stay awake, is that I've been trying different masks and if I'm using one that I think seems loud, then this 'good' focus on my breathing becomes a bad one as I get concerned that it might be bothering my wife and keeping her from sleeping.

The only thing worse than my not getting any sleep, is her not getting any sleep.

[herefishy]

You might try some kind of soothing music.

[Badnvsleep]

Welcome Jway24,

Wow, you have a lot going on all at once.... So first congrats on your little one, they are a lot of fun but grow up fast. I too would wake up to every little sound my kids made when the were young, they're a lot older now... That you will get use to and grow into not reacting to every little sound. Being a firefighter makes it a little harder, that's what we do, take care of others.

Let me ask a questions, what is your routine at the station before going to bed? (Read, watch tv, ???) I am thinking the station is going to be the best place to get your nightly routine down to use at home. I am also going to go out on a limb about your mask for cpap, your going to need to train your body and mind the difference between that mask and the SCBA mask. Think about it both positive pressure, every time the SCBA mask is on means it time to be at our best, now the cpap mask is on and to our minds it feels similar to the feel of the SCBA. If your somewhat new to the fire service, not necessarily a rookie but, still early in your career your still getting use to the schedule and going from 0 to 110% and then back down to 0 sometimes multiple times a day and night depending on how busy your station is. This is something that takes time, it's not easy to do but becomes necessary.

So what I did is this, I use the nasal pillows. It feels much different on my face and I can easily tell that it's not an SCBA. I know you said your a mouth breather, it thought I might be as well, but have found that I breath through my nose when sleeping. Yes I find myself opening my mouth when sleeping from time to time, but it is happening less and less everyday. If you are truly a mouth breather then this is not going to be an option to you, but something to maybe look into. I can not tell you how to determine if you are truly a mouth breather or not, but can tell you that you may need to experiment with different mask until you find the right kind and the "one".

I also have what I call my unwind time. I go to bed a little early (30 - 45 min varies sometimes), read, play on the iPad, watch a little tv, something mindless to clear my mind and slow things down. Since starting cpap, just starting my 4th week, I wear my nasal pillows and have my machine turned on so I can get my body and mind use to the feeling, sounds (more air flow than machine), and pressure, this has become my routine at home and work.I have not used the ramp feature, I felt that the change in pressure would wake me up, kinda like hitting the bypass on the SCBA.

Firefighters are creatures of routines, you are going to need to make going to bed part of your routines. Think about it, we go to work, put your equipment on the rig, check out your SCBA, go to muster, then on to the regular days activities.... So what ever your routine becomes, do it every night no matter if you are at home, the station, or even on vacation some where.

I can tell you, that once you get use to the treatment, it is well worth it. I feel better, think a lot clearer, I am not exhausted everyday, and I think I am easier to be around as well. The irregular sleep patterns is something your body will adjust to, I am not sure we ever get use to it, but we do adjust. If you take a nap during the day after a rough shift, use your machine.

Start at work and develop your routine then carry that over to your home life. I am sure your significant other will fully understand and support you on this as she will benefit from you sleeping and feeling better.

Now my disclaimer, I don't have all the answers and I am glad I don't. I am willing to try just about anything that will improve my quality of life. I think that is why cpap has been kinda of easy for me, I was to the point I was willing to try anything just to start feeling better. Everyone is different and what works for one may not work for someone else. Yes, I work in the fire service, have been for the last 22 years, and now work what I believe to be the worst schedule I have ever had. But I have loved every minute of my career, even the bad ones because it is part of the job.

Good luck and don't give up on cpap, find a way to make it work. Firefighting is rough on our bodies and not following up with your cpap treatment will only make thing harder on you down the road. And thats what is truly important, what is down the road (watching our kids grow up, graduating from high school then college, and then starting their own lives).

You can find all kinds of information here on this board. If you need anything just ask, there are plenty of people here willing to share experiences and try to help out.

David

[OboeVet]

JWay24:
Ditto what has been shared. You do have many stimulating inputs. However, the steep learning curves as a new CPAP user & parent do have great pay offs for you!

There are also some relaxation techniques widely available to help make the transition from "ON" to sleep. One I like is called "CBT-i Coach." "It is a mobile phone application for Veterans, Service Members, and others who are participating in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia." It is a smart phone app. I think the exercises can stand on their own. Like David said, establishing a routine pattern before sleeping will help your brain learn what's coming.

Also, I wear 26 dBA foam ear plugs to reduce external noise and muffle the CPAP hose/mask noise from outside. The first 2 weeks my own breathing cycles bugged me using a nose pillow mask but were less with the full face mask. Then my sleep doc raised the minimum pressure and lowered the maximum and I have been able to return to the. ' nose hose.'

Just like learning the right way to conduct a "head to toe " assessment on a victim, or putting the wet stuff on the hot stuff, you can do it! My 2 cents is to keep good hydration, nutrition, and reduce unnecessary stimulants. You have plenty already. Sleep every moment you can since sleep deprivation kind of accumulates.

Don't give up!

Don (former EMT, too )

[BlackSpinner]

One thing you can do is to wear the system while watching tv or playing a computer game. Even though you are comfortable with the idea of a mask you probably associate it with dangerous times. This mask has to get associated with comfort and sleep. Your brain already knows deep down that masks are safe and keep you alive, which is something some of us have to learn, so now you need to associate it with relaxation.
Telling you not the think about it won't work. You need to find a different thing to think about. One thing is to find a super sleepy drowsy time when you were on vacation, most people have a memory of falling asleep on a beach. When you lay down relax your body, put on some white noise, and remember that scene. First see it, then hear it, then smell it, then feel it with your body, experience the drowsiness. When you start thinking, go back to the beginning.

[jway24]

Thank you all for taking the time to give me some good advice. Especially from the firefighters and EMTs out there who can relate to my life style well. I really appreciate hearing how different people deal with their own struggles. While I know some of the suggestions probably won't work too well for me personally, I know there are definitely things I will try from your posts. To date, I'm still sleepless with the machine but I getting ready to give it another go. I'm not giving up. I just need to get everything working together. Thanks again everyone!

Jon