My first night asleep with cpap

[PlainScout1951]

I finally got my first night asleep with the cpap. I had 6 decent hours. After two weeks of misery and not much sleep I got a script for Ambien and that works great to get to sleep with the full face mask. Ambien is wonderful stuff! Besides getting me sleepy, it calms you as well and made the mask experience just fine for sleeping. I just hope it does not take too long to get used to this so I can go without the Ambien at some point. I am a mouth breather and the full face mask is a must. I have mild-moderate apnea. I don't know why the sleep doc made me go so long when I was going nuts after a week with no sleep. I more or less had to insist on a script, as I was not taking no for an answer.

[Goofproof]

You did really good. I'm not fond of prescription med's here a idea for another way.
Sleep and Restless Legs!

I have found Schiff Melatonin Plus to help my wife that works as good as Ambien for her. IN fact most nights I use 1/2 dose. It's 3 mg Melatonin & 25 mg Theanine. For Restless Legs, I use, Members Mark (Sam's Club) Calcium, Magnesium & Zinc, 333mg-133 mg-5mg in one tab.

This work well for us, and is cheaper and more body friendly. Jim

[bdp522]

Welcome to the forum! You should go to the user control panel and fill out your profile so we know what equipment you have and can give you better answers when you have questions. It's easier for us to tell what you have if you use text instead of pictures.

I was not taking no for an answer

That's what I like to hear!!!! You'll find that we do have to be rather firm with MDs and DMEs at times. You're gonna do fine!!

Brenda

[PlainScout1951]

I had tried the Melatonin thing already. I am an expert at getting myself to sleep and know all the techniques very well. Unfortunately, last night I had about half the good results as reported in this posting. Gonna keep at it tho. I will fill out the equipment when I get home tonite. I find it hard to breathe in the cpap and that becomes an all too conscious effort and that keeps me awake. At first my pressure was only 5 and that was too low for the exhalation to dissapate and I was rebreathing the co2. I still fight that sensation a bit at 8.5. I am working on the mental acceptance of the sensation as unreliable reflection of reality. (I think it is anyway!) I tried to take the mask off last night but the apnea reared it's head so bad that I felt forced to put the mask on again and suffer with it. I more or less HAVE to succeed at this or I really feel that this will kill me.

[echo]

Well even if you're not loving the cpap at least you're motivated to use it!

Try using it during the day, when you're awake, to get used to it. Use it while watching tv, reading, relaxing, whatever (maybe not while cooking). You can eventually get used to the pressure - it is weird at first, but believe me we've all been there done that, and we all do get used to it. 8.5cm is actually not all that high. It just takes longer for some than for others, and it's only your first night, so don't worry. After a while, you won't even realize it's blowing at you and you'll start to think your machine's turned off Really!

[PlainScout1951]

Well, it's been another week and the best I can do is sleep 4-5 hours and then I wake up and can't sleep with the mask on at all. I have to finish the night out with it off or I lay there awake the rest of the night. (with the mask on) As soon as the Ambein wears off I wake up. I woke up in a panic last night and had to rip the mask off. I have no idea what happened. I am perfectly comfortable with the mask on but I still can't sleep with it on without a sleeping pill, and a strong one at that. I can see from reading here that I am far from alone. I think I have 3 weeks on the hose now. I know this is gonna take time.
I have been tweeking the adjustments all round and that helped some. I have days where I fantacize about becoming a heroin addict just so I can sleep! (not that I would) I just have a hard time visualizing being able to go without sleeping pills on the mask. Yes, I know all about melatonin (have and am using it) and over the counter aids. Yes I know all the tricks to help you go to sleep and do them religiously. Thank God for this forum and the info you all give us newbies.

[rstcso]

Sorry to hear you're having issues, PS1951. Since we still don't know the equipment brand you're using, I'll just throw this out as a personal observation. I'm using a full face mask with the ResMed Elite II which has a function called EPR, which is supposed to make exhaling easier. After having the unit for about a week, the doctor changed the prescription and when the DME made the change, he turned EPR on and set it to 3 (the highest/most "relief" setting). It bugged the heck out of me, almost like having a plunger on my face due to the constant pressure changing in and out, in and out . I immediately turned the EPR back off and have been sleeping like a big, fat baby ever since. Good luck and hopefully you'll find it's something easily resolved that will allow you to sleep through the night.

[MusicMan]

It took me months to be able to sleep with the mask on. My first hurdle was feeling self conscious sleeping next to my wife with it on. She relieved my concern by saying she doesn't even notice it. The next hurdle was accepting the fact that I needed to use it. That was a big internal struggle that I believe was the main reason I was rejecting the mask in the middle of the night. Coming to this forum helped me embrace and accept the CPAP. Ever since then I haven't had any problems.