8 months and still struggling

[DaisySmith]

So Im at the 8 month mark on CPAP. I am getting about 5 hours a night on average. I REALLY wish I could get 7-8, I mean wth is it going to take?? Anyway for awhile I was pretty zen with this whole thing of having a mask on my face at night but lately I am struggling to keep it on all night. I really wish it would get easier. I know for sure it has helped me in terms of the horrible fatigue I was feeling all day. It's better than it was, but at this point I was hoping to feel better than I do. I am going to really try to clean up my diet and add fitness and see if that helps. It certainly couldnt hurt.

Im still using the Dreamwear and it seems to be my best option. No irritation or anything. Sometimes it slips but I pull my hair out over the strap and that helps. I just wish there werent so many nights I wake up at 3:00 am wanting to pull it off

[kteague]

When you wake at 3am how long does it take you to fall back asleep with the mask on? With it off? What happens if you get up for a few minutes with the mask off, then go back to bed and start over. It used to help me reset my brain. I just didn't like anything touching me in the same place for too long. The little break really helped me. While your AHI looks ok, I'm wondering if your machine data might hold some clues. Is your pressure really 4?

[Pugsy]

5 hours sleep with the best therapy in the world simply isn't enough sleep for most people.

What time do you go to bed usually?
Do you ever sleep without the mask?
Or when you wake up do you just get up at 3 AM?
How many wake ups during the night do you think you have?

Do you take any meds? If so, what are they?

[TalonGreyWolf]

Following this topic.

I am very new to my APAP (same brand as yours, different mask)

Find am waking up at my 3:45 or :50 range. And take the mask off.

So am listening/reading comments here .

[Sylvia54]

So Im at the 8 month mark on CPAP. I am getting about 5 hours a night on average. I REALLY wish I could get 7-8, I mean wth is it going to take?? Anyway for awhile I was pretty zen with this whole thing of having a mask on my face at night but lately I am struggling to keep it on all night. I really wish it would get easier. I know for sure it has helped me in terms of the horrible fatigue I was feeling all day. It's better than it was, but at this point I was hoping to feel better than I do. I am going to really try to clean up my diet and add fitness and see if that helps. It certainly couldnt hurt.

Im still using the Dreamwear and it seems to be my best option. No irritation or anything. Sometimes it slips but I pull my hair out over the strap and that helps. I just wish there werent so many nights I wake up at 3:00 am wanting to pull it off

Hi DaisySmith; I'm at the 5 month mark on Cpap. I had chronic insomnia most of the time for the past 4 yrs, prior to and after cpap, average sleep time was 4-5 hrs and now it usually runs 5-6 hrs. I'll wake between 2-3am and feel wide awake. Were you sleeping longer hrs prior to cpap? Last July I switched from fixed 7cm pressure to variable 8-12cm (with clinic approval) and this has helped intermittently; I get longer sleep and continued relief from nerve problems such as restless legs. My avg ahi was around 5 prior to changing pressure. Recently, I turned off my aflex which so far, reduced my AHI to less than 1 and along with that, I have less interrupted sleep, plus another 15-30 min. of sleep. Still not normal but improved.

And just an FYI; My sleep doctor said they've had clinic trials on the DreamWear mask and find it to be less effective.

[droder]

And just an FYI; My sleep doctor said they've had clinic trials on the DreamWear mask and find it to be less effective.

I'm surprised to hear that the DreamWear mask is less effective. But what I have found is comfort is the key to compliance. Any mask that a patient finds tolerable or even slightly comfortable must be more effective than a mask that is simply not tolerable which would lead to non-compliance with therapy.

So Im at the 8 month mark on CPAP. I am getting about 5 hours a night on average. I REALLY wish I could get 7-8, I mean wth is it going to take?? Anyway for awhile I was pretty zen with this whole thing of having a mask on my face at night but lately I am struggling to keep it on all night. I really wish it would get easier. I know for sure it has helped me in terms of the horrible fatigue I was feeling all day. It's better than it was, but at this point I was hoping to feel better than I do. I am going to really try to clean up my diet and add fitness and see if that helps. It certainly couldnt hurt.

Im still using the Dreamwear and it seems to be my best option. No irritation or anything. Sometimes it slips but I pull my hair out over the strap and that helps. I just wish there werent so many nights I wake up at 3:00 am wanting to pull it off

I am 6 1/2 months in and get so frustrated sometimes. Just when I think I'm all settled and am over the hump, I hit a new wall. I have to remind myself that this isn't something that I accomplish and move on, it's a journey. I was doing so well... 7-8 hours every night without waking up (for 3-4 weeks)! After 16 years of insomnia, that was HUGE! I thought I had found the magic formula!! But apparently it doesn't take much to upset this apple cart and here I am again - struggling to get 4-5 hours of sleep. Aerophagia has hit me hard and I end up taking my mask off 3-4 hours into the night because of the intense discomfort. I lowered my pressure which in turn increased my AHI's...blah blah blah. It's a balance. I'm now deciding that I will have to tolerate AHI's in the 2's in order to keep my mask on all night. I suppose that's better than no mask at all! My AHI's were 26 before treatment. So 2 isn't so bad.

I guess what I'm saying is, hang in there! You're not alone!!

[DaisySmith]

When you wake at 3am how long does it take you to fall back asleep with the mask on? With it off? What happens if you get up for a few minutes with the mask off, then go back to bed and start over. It used to help me reset my brain. I just didn't like anything touching me in the same place for too long. The little break really helped me. While your AHI looks ok, I'm wondering if your machine data might hold some clues. Is your pressure really 4?

My pressure is at 4 and was set by my primary care doc. I had to change insurance and now currently have an appointment a month out with a new doctor so maybe I can change it but its been tough and they really dont seem to want to listen.

I think yes it does help to take a little break and try again but it takes me at least an hour to fall back asleep. I'd love to sleep through the night!

[DaisySmith]

5 hours sleep with the best therapy in the world simply isn't enough sleep for most people.

What time do you go to bed usually? 10:00 or 11:00 pm usually

Do you ever sleep without the mask? nope

Or when you wake up do you just get up at 3 AM? I usually go to the bathroom and read for awhile

How many wake ups during the night do you think you have? 2-3

Do you take any meds? If so, what are they?

I take .5 mg of Xanax most nights because I have a hard time falling asleep.

[DaisySmith]

So Im at the 8 month mark on CPAP. I am getting about 5 hours a night on average. I REALLY wish I could get 7-8, I mean wth is it going to take?? Anyway for awhile I was pretty zen with this whole thing of having a mask on my face at night but lately I am struggling to keep it on all night. I really wish it would get easier. I know for sure it has helped me in terms of the horrible fatigue I was feeling all day. It's better than it was, but at this point I was hoping to feel better than I do. I am going to really try to clean up my diet and add fitness and see if that helps. It certainly couldnt hurt.

Im still using the Dreamwear and it seems to be my best option. No irritation or anything. Sometimes it slips but I pull my hair out over the strap and that helps. I just wish there werent so many nights I wake up at 3:00 am wanting to pull it off

Hi DaisySmith; I'm at the 5 month mark on Cpap. I had chronic insomnia most of the time for the past 4 yrs, prior to and after cpap, average sleep time was 4-5 hrs and now it usually runs 5-6 hrs. I'll wake between 2-3am and feel wide awake. Were you sleeping longer hrs prior to cpap? Last July I switched from fixed 7cm pressure to variable 8-12cm (with clinic approval) and this has helped intermittently; I get longer sleep and continued relief from nerve problems such as restless legs. My avg ahi was around 5 prior to changing pressure. Recently, I turned off my aflex which so far, reduced my AHI to less than 1 and along with that, I have less interrupted sleep, plus another 15-30 min. of sleep. Still not normal but improved.

And just an FYI; My sleep doctor said they've had clinic trials on the DreamWear mask and find it to be less effective.

I wish I could go variable

I have had insomnia my whole adult life

[DaisySmith]

And just an FYI; My sleep doctor said they've had clinic trials on the DreamWear mask and find it to be less effective.

I'm surprised to hear that the DreamWear mask is less effective. But what I have found is comfort is the key to compliance. Any mask that a patient finds tolerable or even slightly comfortable must be more effective than a mask that is simply not tolerable which would lead to non-compliance with therapy.

So Im at the 8 month mark on CPAP. I am getting about 5 hours a night on average. I REALLY wish I could get 7-8, I mean wth is it going to take?? Anyway for awhile I was pretty zen with this whole thing of having a mask on my face at night but lately I am struggling to keep it on all night. I really wish it would get easier. I know for sure it has helped me in terms of the horrible fatigue I was feeling all day. It's better than it was, but at this point I was hoping to feel better than I do. I am going to really try to clean up my diet and add fitness and see if that helps. It certainly couldnt hurt.

Im still using the Dreamwear and it seems to be my best option. No irritation or anything. Sometimes it slips but I pull my hair out over the strap and that helps. I just wish there werent so many nights I wake up at 3:00 am wanting to pull it off

I am 6 1/2 months in and get so frustrated sometimes. Just when I think I'm all settled and am over the hump, I hit a new wall. I have to remind myself that this isn't something that I accomplish and move on, it's a journey. I was doing so well... 7-8 hours every night without waking up (for 3-4 weeks)! After 16 years of insomnia, that was HUGE! I thought I had found the magic formula!! But apparently it doesn't take much to upset this apple cart and here I am again - struggling to get 4-5 hours of sleep. Aerophagia has hit me hard and I end up taking my mask off 3-4 hours into the night because of the intense discomfort. I lowered my pressure which in turn increased my AHI's...blah blah blah. It's a balance. I'm now deciding that I will have to tolerate AHI's in the 2's in order to keep my mask on all night. I suppose that's better than no mask at all! My AHI's were 26 before treatment. So 2 isn't so bad.

I guess what I'm saying is, hang in there! You're not alone!!

That sounds like me. The struggle is real!!

[tlohse]

Struggles are common but it should get better the more you use it. I guess some people take to there machines right away and others struggle a little bit. All you can do is stick with it and keep trying. It is well worth it.

[Sylvia54]

Struggles are common but it should get better the more you use it. I guess some people take to there machines right away and others struggle a little bit. All you can do is stick with it and keep trying. It is well worth it.

So how long did it take for you to get a full nights sleep and actually feel good on it? I'm at almost 6 mos. now on cpap and have had intermittent improvement, but now back to about 5 hrs sleep, some nights 5.5 when I'm luckier. I would love to get 6+ hrs which I've gotten a little taste of just a few times. I use my machine every night. But like last night, I had about 3.5 hrs of continuous sleep, then it was intermittent dreaming until I was wide awake at 2:30am. Couldn't get back to sleep so I got up about 45 min. later. I see right prior to waking at that ungodly hr, I'd been having apnea for about 15 min. at 3 AHI, after having almost no apnea earlier in the night. Also I woke up dreaming and I see about 8 min. of PB in my events during that last 15 min. of sleep. For the last two yrs I've had intermittent restless legs, numbness, and sleep starts like myoclonic jerks. That has gotten somewhat better with cpap, still returns at a lesser degree.

Just read todays news article; "Not all sleep apnea patients are obese" and I most definitely am one of the people they are talking about. I'm a small person who went to various Dr's for years trying to get help for my chronic insomnia. Finally made my way to a sleep clinic earlier this yr. I have a small jaw, had crowded crooked teeth that orthodontic work took care of from age 17-20 (1970's). I'm guessing that changed my anatomy, making for a smaller airway. So apparently I do fall into the "difficult to treat" category. I take alittle clonazepam while sleep doctor told me to go ahead and take more of it. But I fear getting too dependent on that stuff. Even slow tapering from a low dose gives me withdrawal headaches. But that's all doctors have had to offer for people like me... pills.