My doctor says I have mild sleep apnea with 12 AHI during my sleep study. I have a low 6 pressure. Anyhow I don't have much problem falling asleep and the respironics comfortGel mask didn't keep me awake so I was lucky that the apparatus didn't interfere with my ability to sleep. (The only issue I had was water in the hose (rain out) that left through my exhale vents, but it didn't distract too much. Ordered the "Aussie" heated hose this morning.) The water made some noise, but I put earplugs in which kept it from bothering my sleep.
I noticed my dreams more. They were longer than normal. It's not that I didn't dream before but the dreams were very short and didn't occur too often before CPAP. I was having strong dreams and deep sleep right before awakening which is unusual for me. I finally got out of bed after around 10 hours, but I felt like I could sleep even longer although I wasn't tired. It felt similar to when you stay up all night and finally go to sleep - you sleep really hard and extra long to make up for a deficit. The interesting part was that I had gotten plenty of sleep yesterday. This is making me realize how poorly I was sleeping even when I thought I was sleeping well - considering I'm making up for a deficit I didn't know I had now that I've got the CPAP. I think I'm going to be more alert today while I'm awake today. I'll post more comments tomorrow.
The last thing I noticed after I got up was my hose had a ton of water in it...Enough to dump out in the bath tub. I'm going to turn down the humifier setting from a 3 to a 2 for that and wait for my heated hose. The other thing that I noticed was my lungs felt very full from all the air pressure - like I had run a marathon in my sleep. I had some nasal congestion - I think from the rain out problem, but after 30 minutes my lungs and throat are clear which is very unusual for me. I typically have a little post nasal drip all the time. I wonder if having my airways open allows that stuff to clear easier and if using cpap will relive these symptoms even while I'm not sleeping.
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): respironics, hose, Awakening, CPAP, AHI
My first night with CPAP experience. What was yours?
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Myfirst night with Cpap. What was yours like?
Well My results are no where adramatic as yours. I still am waking up several times a night. But I am getting to sleep for longer periods in between. I have had apnea most of my life so it will probably take a while before I have a solid 8 hours of sleep. I'm not worried. I will get there. I have no problem tolerating the equipment so I will be very compliant. I think once my body learns that it will not suffocate it will stop resisting sleep. As far as the equipment goes... I had a bit of rainout also. Making some adjustments tonight. There is a learning curve afterall.
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sharon1965
- Posts: 1232
- Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2007 4:59 pm
- Location: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
are you sure you need to use the heated humidifier at all? right now where i live it's so humid there's no way i'd turn that thing on...i use it as a passover, with the heat turned down to zero; having said that, i found that when i started i had it set at 2.5 and had constant rainout problems...as time wore on i lowered it gradually till now i hardly use it at all...some people find that the humidity contributes to stuffiness...i am one of them...you'll even find there are some people on these boards who chill their distilled water and enjoy the cooler air
i don't know where either of you live, but in the summer months if it's pretty humid there you might try lowering it as much as possible, turning it right off if you can, and see how it goes
rainout made me crazy! i purchased an inexpensive hose cover from http://www.comfortsleeve.com, a forum member...
good luck
sharon
i don't know where either of you live, but in the summer months if it's pretty humid there you might try lowering it as much as possible, turning it right off if you can, and see how it goes
rainout made me crazy! i purchased an inexpensive hose cover from http://www.comfortsleeve.com, a forum member...
good luck
sharon
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got...
My dramatic result was not my first night with CPAP at home, but the titration study.
From the first sleep study (before titration), AHI = 22, oxygen level below normal, and zero time spent in stage 3 or stage 4 of sleep. From the second sleep study (w/ titration), AHI = 0, healthy O2 level and near-normal amounts of time spent in all 4 stages of sleep.
I didn't see these numbers until meeting with my doctor a week later. However, I felt amazingly better the day after my titration. Even though I only slept 6 hours, I had more energy, didn't yawn at all, didn't need as much coffee, didn't have the usual afternoon tiredness. Just from one night with CPAP! I previously was reluctant to accept the idea of sleeping with a mask for the rest of my life. But this experience, and the prospect of feeling this good, this energetic every day made it an easy call. Especially since the surgical options of dealing with Apnea have a low success rate (my doc said 50%, other things I've read online say LAUP and similar procedures have even lower success rate and high frequency of complications - sometimes making apnea worse!).
At home, the experience has been mixed. AHI around 12 the first night, falling each subsequent night until around 5. Some nights I sleep better than others. The first few nights, I didn't have the headgear properly fitted and would get air leaks when I turned in my sleep; this is becoming much less of a problem in my 2nd week of home CPAP therapy. But even after just a few days, I was noticing a small but definite improvement in how well I felt during the day, and this has been gradually improving during my 2 weeks on CPAP.
Haven't noticed any difference in my dreams, though.
Good luck to you!
From the first sleep study (before titration), AHI = 22, oxygen level below normal, and zero time spent in stage 3 or stage 4 of sleep. From the second sleep study (w/ titration), AHI = 0, healthy O2 level and near-normal amounts of time spent in all 4 stages of sleep.
I didn't see these numbers until meeting with my doctor a week later. However, I felt amazingly better the day after my titration. Even though I only slept 6 hours, I had more energy, didn't yawn at all, didn't need as much coffee, didn't have the usual afternoon tiredness. Just from one night with CPAP! I previously was reluctant to accept the idea of sleeping with a mask for the rest of my life. But this experience, and the prospect of feeling this good, this energetic every day made it an easy call. Especially since the surgical options of dealing with Apnea have a low success rate (my doc said 50%, other things I've read online say LAUP and similar procedures have even lower success rate and high frequency of complications - sometimes making apnea worse!).
At home, the experience has been mixed. AHI around 12 the first night, falling each subsequent night until around 5. Some nights I sleep better than others. The first few nights, I didn't have the headgear properly fitted and would get air leaks when I turned in my sleep; this is becoming much less of a problem in my 2nd week of home CPAP therapy. But even after just a few days, I was noticing a small but definite improvement in how well I felt during the day, and this has been gradually improving during my 2 weeks on CPAP.
Haven't noticed any difference in my dreams, though.
Good luck to you!
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| Machine: AirSense 10 AutoSet with Heated Humidifer + P10 Nasal Pillow Mask Bundle |
| Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
agoroman,
It sounds like you are off to a good start. I have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea with 208 AHI and 50% oxygen. My pressure is 15. I did not know at the time what 208 AHI was. Now I find it remarkable and a great motivation to not only use, but to learn and improve the CPAP therapy as much as possible.
I realized, at the end of the first night, that I had not slept normally for many years. I dreamed and they were long and pleasant instead of the short nightmares that were previously there. I also did not have to get up to go to the bathroom every hour or two.
My first night was eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. It was also the last night of uninterrupted sleep. Since that night, I wake a couple of times a night, but I do sleep and am well rested come morning.
Since that night, a year ago, my health has steadily improved in many areas. I now understand the value and necessity of sleep and am committed to continue and improve my use of CPAP.
I have never had rainout; perhaps because I live in the desert.
One disadvantage for me is that CPAP has lead to severe nasal congestion and drainage. Doctor subscribed drugs have helped greatly; a small price to pay for a normal life.
It sounds like you are off to a good start. I have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea with 208 AHI and 50% oxygen. My pressure is 15. I did not know at the time what 208 AHI was. Now I find it remarkable and a great motivation to not only use, but to learn and improve the CPAP therapy as much as possible.
I realized, at the end of the first night, that I had not slept normally for many years. I dreamed and they were long and pleasant instead of the short nightmares that were previously there. I also did not have to get up to go to the bathroom every hour or two.
My first night was eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. It was also the last night of uninterrupted sleep. Since that night, I wake a couple of times a night, but I do sleep and am well rested come morning.
Since that night, a year ago, my health has steadily improved in many areas. I now understand the value and necessity of sleep and am committed to continue and improve my use of CPAP.
I have never had rainout; perhaps because I live in the desert.
One disadvantage for me is that CPAP has lead to severe nasal congestion and drainage. Doctor subscribed drugs have helped greatly; a small price to pay for a normal life.
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Re: My first night with CPAP experience. What was yours?
Agoroman
It seems that you are doing better than average CPAP patient. Just continue what you are doing and it will come. I am also not sure about humidifier. I’d try to go without first, and then gradually try to plug in extra equipment like humidifier, software reading etc.
Good luck.
It seems that you are doing better than average CPAP patient. Just continue what you are doing and it will come. I am also not sure about humidifier. I’d try to go without first, and then gradually try to plug in extra equipment like humidifier, software reading etc.
Good luck.
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SisterShotgun
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:03 am
- Location: Ridgecrest, California
"you'll even find there are some people on these boards who chill their distilled water and enjoy the cooler air"
What a great idea! It's very hot here and we don't have AC, so I think I might try that tonight. I've also just been using my Humidaire as a passover humidifier since it's been so steamy.
Susan
What a great idea! It's very hot here and we don't have AC, so I think I might try that tonight. I've also just been using my Humidaire as a passover humidifier since it's been so steamy.
Susan
8 posts
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