Recently Diagnosed - Finding it difficult to sleep with CPAP

[Steveo-287]

Hi, been recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, was given a resmed s9 cpap device, tried various different masks but have struggled to adpat to it. Has anyone else experienced difficulties in sleeping with their device and any advice on how to overcome this?

[Wulfman...]

Hi, been recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, was given a resmed s9 cpap device, tried various different masks but have struggled to adpat to it. Has anyone else experienced difficulties in sleeping with their device and any advice on how to overcome this?

We have absolutely no idea what you're using or the settings.
Please put the EXACT make and models of all your equipment AND settings (pressure, humidity, etc.) in your profile.
How long have you been using your equipment?
Are you using software to monitor your therapy? Get Sleepyhead (it's free) and start monitoring your therapy.

THEN, maybe we can start making suggestions.


Den

.

[bettiola]

I had difficulty adjusting, too, as I think most people do. It was not at all helpful that the technician who showed me how to use the cpap told me he adapted to it in less than a week. I also tried various masks and none of them felt as if they fit my bone structure quite right. And the nose pillows were too hard for me to exhale into. What helped me a lot was getting a mask liner for my s10 Quattro. The feeling of the silicone pressing into my face drove me crazy and the liner really helped that. I also made a list of things that helped me fall asleep - warm milk before bed, melatonin, a hot shower, etc. and used these to help me sleep. I was disturbed by the plastic smell and found that a cosmetic pad with a couple of drops of essential oil placed next to the air intake where the filter is was also helpful. You'll find lots of help and info here, you've come to the right place.
Once the cpap became routine, which took around two months for me, my life changed dramatically - it was well worth the difficult adjustment period. Good luck to you.

[DeniseR7]

Hi, been recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, was given a resmed s9 cpap device, tried various different masks but have struggled to adpat to it. Has anyone else experienced difficulties in sleeping with their device and any advice on how to overcome this?

I was diagnosed in 2009 so I don't remember too much. I was given a full face mask and couldn't sleep with it so they gave me a smaller mask - I think at some point I was using nasal pillows for a long time. Maybe having less on on my face helped me to adapt. I used to sleep hugging the tube so I didn't pull it out of the machine. then a friend with sleep apnea told me she draped her tube over the top of her head/bed. I did this too and that has helped a lot.

I remember getting rained on, so added fleece covers that I made to my hose - fixed that problem.

can you sit up and read with it for a short time to get used to the feeling?

I know some folks adapt quickly and some do not. don't give up!

[brazospearl]

Many people have trouble at first, but it's worth working through the problems. Generally, if you're struggling with your therapy, the problem is the wrong machine, wrong settings, wrong mask, or issues outside of apnea. The S9 is a good machine, but knowing your settings could help us figure out how to help you. What mask are you using? Are you on any medications? Do you have other issues that could factor into your sleep? We could be more specific in our advice with answers to those questions. Please don't give up on your therapy. Give us more information so that we can help you on this journey.

[Grace~~~]

I had difficulty adjusting, too, as I think most people do. It was not at all helpful that the technician who showed me how to use the cpap told me he adapted to it in less than a week. I also tried various masks and none of them felt as if they fit my bone structure quite right. And the nose pillows were too hard for me to exhale into. What helped me a lot was getting a mask liner for my s10 Quattro. The feeling of the silicone pressing into my face drove me crazy and the liner really helped that. I also made a list of things that helped me fall asleep - warm milk before bed, melatonin, a hot shower, etc. and used these to help me sleep. I was disturbed by the plastic smell and found that a cosmetic pad with a couple of drops of essential oil placed next to the air intake where the filter is was also helpful. You'll find lots of help and info here, you've come to the right place.
Once the cpap became routine, which took around two months for me, my life changed dramatically - it was well worth the difficult adjustment period. Good luck to you.

~~~ this was such a lovely post, it made me so sleepy.