Adjustment period

[Billy6]

Hello, I've had my machine for a week, and wear it alot. The most sleep I've gotten is 3 hours before I wake, or have to take off the mask for a break. Typically, how long will it be before I can just put the mask on and wake up the next morning? It's still difficult for me right now

[OutaSync]

I've slept through the night one time in the near year that I have been on CPAP. Every other night has been a constant struggle with the masks. But, I put it on every night and do not take it off for at least 8 hours. Somewhere in there I get some sleep. I'm still dragging, but doing better than a year ago.

Don't give up!!

Bev

[adrienneiii]

I'm only about a month into the exercise myself, but at least so far I can tell you that a)it has definitely been an exercise in problem solving and b)it is getting better, very quickly.

At first I would wake up in the middle of the night for no good reason and basically be done with sleeping for that night. Part of the reason, I think, was that my body thought it HAD slept all it needed to, because of past experience. My body isn't doing that any more, or at least not very often. I am logging an average of 7.20 hours per night of "therapy hours", and it is almost all sleep.

The other reason was that my mask didn't fit correctly and was absolute hell on my sinuses. I changed masks and lucked out -- the mask number two will probably be what I use until they quit making them or my face changes its shape. Also there were issues with rainout, humidifying, and c-flex setting. Many issues to be fiddled with until things worked better. And it IS better.

I attribute the speed with which I'm getting acclimated to:

• This forum. I can't emphasize enough how much good information and support is available from the people here.
• Previous "quality time" using a gas mask when I was in the Air Force. That cut down acclimation time with any mask to zero. Of course it also contributed to my "John Wayneing" it with a painful CPAP mask for far too long, but that's another story.
• Ditto with experience in the altitude chamber when in the AF. I knew right away what those strange f*rts were
• My RT is helpful, professional and nice -- but she doesn't sleep with this dang contraption and so she really can only know the "school solution" to issues that come up. This is where the people in this forum can help.
• Being politely but very firmly assertive with the RT helped a lot. This was easier to do once I started getting some decent sleep and could function better.
• this forum
• I am also one of the lucky people who noticed a difference in how I feel right from the first time with CPAP during the sleep study. And now that I know the symptoms, I know exactly what my Dad died of -- a series of strokes brought on by untreated OSA that he didn't know he had. That makes succeeding with this therapy doubly important
• And did I mention -- this forum?

Stick around here; there's plenty of help, knowledge and support! Hopefully some of the much more experienced people will chime in, too.

Best,
Adrienne

[cjkirkpatrick]

I'v bin on myn for just a tad over a munth, and i am still adjusting to it, i use to be a tummy sleaper but alass that dont realy work out with the mask so i finde my self waking up 1-2 hrs befor i would normaly get up, and than i will take it off so i can sleep more comfortley, i finde if i dont do this my back is sore the next morning, maby this will change with time. to be honast i have only slept throu al the way about 2 or 3 nights so far.