Do I Really Need CPAP?

[Minky]

I started CPAP about nine weeks ago. I also have had nightmares throughout my whole life. About three weeks into CPAP I started having nightmares every night. Really, really bad ones. I'm sure I was experiencing REM rebound. I will say that it got a lot better a few weeks later. I still have nightmares, but fewer and not as horrible, so I hope yours will slow down as well.

[archangle]

Nightmares:

Sometimes us apneacs will get various kinds of dreams of being strangled, which doesn't sound like your dreams, but it could be related. You aren't taking melatonin are you?

Many of us don't remember nightmares or dreams unless we wake up right after, even if we're having them. However, eliminating your apnea changes a lot of things, including sleep patterns, and even if your CPAP is "working," it might be related.

SleepyHead:

Go into the daily tab, open the events tab, click on the "clear airway," click on the event and see how long the apnea lasts on the flow rate waveform. Post screenshots if you want. Short CA's are a lot less worrisome than long ones.

Some CA's are "normal" if you're falling asleep or waking up.

[Hang Fire]

don't remember nightmares or dreams unless we wake up right after

I believe that is universally true. If you entirely sleep through a dream, you can't remember it. Or another way of putting it, you must have an arousal during the dream to become aware of it.

This might make one wonder what horrible dreams occur that you are never aware of.

[Laurora]

I was super annoyed to find out that the ability to adjust the EPR on my machine is disabled. I was excited to try it and see if it made a difference! Last night was more nightmares--the main one involved the entire house flooding--and I had a lot of leaks (maybe my subconscious was trying to tell me something?). I remember waking up quite a few times, so I think the leaks must wake me up and out of REM sleep. I don't know how to solve this since my mask simply doesn't "float" on my face, and tightening it doesn't help either. Hopefully a new mask (either P10 or the Swift FX) will be my salvation.

Thanks again to everyone for all of the input; it was very enlightening.

[Tripacer]

I switched to the P10 airpillows and they are so much easier to breathe through. I'm only in week 2 of my journey. Started with a nasal mask, but the pillows are soooo much better.

I lowered my pressures Min/Max with the pillows since its so much easier to breathe. But I'm still waking up every few hours as well. I still have a ways to go to get used to this stuff.

I'm having great dreams! I hope your nightmares go away soon.

[OkyDoky]

When I first started Cpap, I had dreams and I was amazed because I don't remember the last time I woke up to a dream. I stopped remembering the dreams after a few months. My thought is that the whole Cpap experience was so new that I was sleeping light and waking easily, although, my numbers were good and I felt so much better rested than pre Cpap. Hopefully, when you get the mask leaks and settings tweaked, yours will also settle down.

[Nick Danger]

If you press and hold the "info" and the "settings" buttons at the same time, the display will flip over to the clinician's menu. You can change the settings there that will allow you to adjust the EPR. Let us know if you need a copy of the clinician's manual - we can give you a link to that.

The centrals around 21:00 are sandwiched around a time when the machine was off. If you were awake or half awake, then these probably weren't really central apneas - the machine doesn't know you are asleep and frequently mistakes your less regular waking breathing as apneas.

You're doing great! I know it sometimes feels it isn't worth it, but it does get better.

[Sleeprider]

Well said Nick! There is a solution to all of this, but having patience to get this knowledge that empowers your own treatment takes time.

Laurora, one of these days, this experience will make you invaluable to a new member as you give them advice and encouragement. You just kinda have to have been there to get there.

[kaiasgram]

I was super annoyed to find out that the ability to adjust the EPR on my machine is disabled. I was excited to try it and see if it made a difference! Last night was more nightmares--the main one involved the entire house flooding--and I had a lot of leaks (maybe my subconscious was trying to tell me something?). I remember waking up quite a few times, so I think the leaks must wake me up and out of REM sleep. I don't know how to solve this since my mask simply doesn't "float" on my face, and tightening it doesn't help either. Hopefully a new mask (either P10 or the Swift FX) will be my salvation.

Thanks again to everyone for all of the input; it was very enlightening.

Watch the brief video tutorial that I have linked to in my signature box -- you can access EPR from the clinical menu and make adjustments.

[Laurora]

Nick, huzzah! I used the handy Google Machine and found the clinician manual and hacked my machine! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. EPR is lowered and I'm eager to see if it makes a difference tonight.

Looking forward to the day I can take a new CPAP-er under my wing and offer some comfort. I feel more knowledgeable every day thanks to this board!