What does it take to get a good night's sleep?

[tiredgrl]

I wake up off and on, all night long. Finally, about 3:00 am, I'm so frustrated that I take off my mask, turn off my machine, and roll over.

I started my CPAP therapy on 1/30/09. I really don't mind having to wear a mask (of course, I would prefer to not have to). My apneas were 49. I've seen a couple of benefits - I have allergies and take allergy medicine and always wake up congested. In the morning my co-workers would frequently ask if I have a cold. By using CPAP I don't wake up congested anymore.

My symptoms before diagnosis weren't typical of what I've read on this forum - I didn't have daytime sleepiness, didn't fall asleep in my chair in the evening, etc. The only thing that I experienced was great difficulty waking up in the morning, and always needing to use an alarm, even on the weekend.

So I end up getting this machine and mask. I wear a ff mask and a chin strap because I sleep with my mouth open - without the chinstrap my mouth opens and breaks the seal. The mask I'm wearing is much more comfortable than the first one I was given. I strap it on faithfully each night. The sound of it is actually quite relaxing - sort of sounds like the ocean.

So what is the problem? The freakin' thing leaks most of the night. I can get in about 3 hours of sleep and then I wake up and need to adjust it. I've read all of the tips - don't tighten the straps too tight, be able to put a finger the strap, lay down and adjust mask, when it leaks gently lift it off my face to reseal it, blah, blah, blah. Once it starts to leak about 3 hours in to the night nothing I try corrects it. That is when I just take it off so I can try to salvage a couple of hours. Granted, my sleep probably isn't any more restful than continuing to fight with the mask but at least I'm not frustrated.

Now, anymore, I go off to bed wondering "will tonight be the night when I'll be able to sleep through for a good 7-8 hours?" Since receiving my CPAP equipment in January I think the most sleep I've had nonstop has bee 4 1/2 hours. Now I just approach bedtime with anxiety and apprehension.

From all that I've read, it seems all to common for people to have to wrestle around to get a good night's sleep and avoid leaks.

Does it ever get better? Does anyone ever eventually sleep through the night? I'm 49 - will the rest of my life be spent in waking up several times a night just to adjust a mask? Before I was diagnosed, granted, my sleep wasn't probably very restful but at least I didn't come fully awake. I didn't have any gasping moments that woke me suddenly.

I know it's imperative that I keep trying to make this work. I'm just growing weary with the repeated attempts to be successful.

Sorry for the length of this - writing is very cathartic for me.....thanks for reading all of this.

[Gerryk]

I started on cpap again in November. I still wake up some times at night although not nearly as often as I did before cpap. I still take my mask off at times when I am asleep but not often. I have gone more than half the night without my mask on but that's when I had terrible sinus congestion.

I have shown progress, but I think I was expecting too much too fast. My blood pressure is down so my doc isn't even considering meds any more. My cholesterol is way down and I was taken off my meds for two weeks then back on half dosage until I get tested four weeks later.

I have noticed that I am not as tired in the morning but at first I was more tired during the day because I was working so hard at being on cpap at night.

I know I am resting better than before. In fact the other night I woke up took my mask off and sat up in bed and stretched getting ready to get up for the day. My wife told me to put my mask back on and I said no it's time to get up for work, she said you don't need to get up for four more hours.

Hang in there it does get better just don't expect it over night and don't push it so hard it will come.

[moombeam]

Does it ever get better? Does anyone ever eventually sleep through the night?
YES

I'm 49 - will the rest of my life be spent in waking up several times a night just to adjust a mask?

NO

Before I was diagnosed, granted, my sleep wasn't probably very restful but at least I didn't come fully awake. I didn't have any gasping moments that woke me suddenly.

I felt that way also but I would often say to myself If what I do one would call sleep.


Now, anymore, I go off to bed wondering "will tonight be the night when I'll be able to sleep through for a good 7-8 hours?"

It will surprise you when it happens.. It will happen. It takes staying with it and somewhere along the line another hour gets added then another, then another. All of sudden you
realize you Made it.

Since receiving my CPAP equipment in January I think the most sleep I've had nonstop has bee 4 1/2 hours. Now I just approach bedtime with anxiety and apprehension.

I got over the anxiety and apprehension by giving myself permission to get up for
awhile and try again or to sleep without it. Sleeping without soon becomes a non-choice
because you begin to feel so much better.

The rest of the team will give you more feed -back on FF masks. I use the nasal
cushions.

I am glad you are persisting in your treatment
Moombeam

[Juliebove]

I'm 49 too. Only been using my machine for about 3 weeks so I can't be of much help. Oddly I am MUCH more exhausted now than I was before the machine. Before, I used to go right to sleep and rarely wake up. Now the noise of the machine and adjusting to the mask seems to take forever. I wake sometimes for no apparent reason.

I find if I stay on my back, the mask usually doesn't leak. But when I turn on my side, it often leaks and then it wakes me. Then I wake at least a couple of hours before I need to with a wet mask. That's no fun! So I take it off and go back to sleep.

Then after I do get up, I can't wait to get back to bed to sleep. And I can't bring myself to use the machine again.

[Snorebert]

It does happen - have faith that it will happen to you.

I am 55 and re-started my CPAP therapy almost five months ago. (I tried many years ago and quit but I am back at it now).

First two months - struggled with leaks and hoses and just the miserable feeling of it all. I would rip off the mask 2-3 hours in.
I found this forum and realized that there is a huge variation in the speed and levels of success for each individual but in the end - CPAP can mean getting your life back.
I bought myself a data capable machine. Then bought myself a new mask. I am beginning to see glimmers of success interspersed with miserable failures. I am being successful in talking myself into liking the CPAP. I have started to strap it on, lay on my back for a while listening to the machine react to my breathing. Taking in the air. Dozing off.

I just had the greatest weekend that I have had in years! Slept soundly both Friday and Saturday and worked my tail off around the house. It felt great!

Today I could hardly make it into work. Dizzy and fatigued. I remember fighting some leaking about 1:30 AM and it felt like I didn't sleep well the rest of the night. But tonight will be better. Maybe tonight is your night. Or maybe tomorrow. It will happen. Stick with it.
-Clark

[izzyb]

I have been on BiPap since January 2007. I still haven't slept through the night even after taking different sleep "aids" which I have to take or I would be up all night. No matter what I take, I am awake by 4 a.m. every morning and wake up briefly, several times during the night before that. Once 4 a.m. hits, I toss and turn until my alarm goes off at 6:20 a.m. I have tried all of the solutions to this problem and nothings works. I think it is getting worse. I started with the nasal mask but wanted to try the full face to see if maybe I wasn't feeling much differently since beginning treatment because I was possibly a mouth breather. I think that I am because my AHI is lower with the full face mask. (I have also raised my pressure.) But, the full face mask leaks a lot more and in a lot more places. I too have tried all the remedies for leaking and nothing works. I think I might not wake up so often if I could stop the leaking. For all you who say that it got better for them and you sleep all night - - - what is your secret?

[SleepyInIndy]

OK, just a couple of obvious things.

1) Are you using good sleep preparation before going to bed. For me, I must have my face clean to use my FFM. I also need to make sure the seal on the mask is clean and not oily from facial oils.

2) Are you observing good hose management? A dragging hose can ruin any good seal you might be having. If the hose is overhead, perhaps it works better in bed with you. If not, you might try hanging it to keep tension off of the mask.

3) Do you give yourself permission to get up for a few minutes when you do wake up? Perhaps getting up for 5 - 10 minutes, taking off the mask, and then resettling yourself back into bed (maybe even following the pre-sleep preparation again) will allow you to get another 3 - 4 hours.

4) Are you knocking the mask loose by trying to sleep on your side or tummy? If so, you might need to become somewhat creative with your pillow to provide room for the mask without knocking it loose.

So many variables. But look at the good side. You are getting a good 3 hours now. Identifying what is causing your leakage issue will allow you to extand that time. Keep it up.

[jayman]

I'm new here and have been using my BiPap for about 4 weeks now. I'm having trouble keeping on the mask for more than a few hours. I always end up with either the machine making noise due to water collecting in the tube or water running down my face from condensation on the mask and also some discomfort from the mask in general. Any suggestions?

[tiredgrl]

So it sounds like it's a common problem for many people - to wake up often during the night.

I do practice good sleep hygiene - I wash my face really good before bed, even using an astringent to make sure my skin is really clean and oil free. I wash my mask daily each morning and make sure it's really clean . I actually am happy with the mask itself - if I could just figure out how to stop the leaks,

A lot of people have jumped on my thread to share the same frustrations that I have. At least before CPAP I didn't wake up fully several times during the night.

[TheDreamer]

I'm new here and have been using my BiPap for about 4 weeks now. I'm having trouble keeping on the mask for more than a few hours. I always end up with either the machine making noise due to water collecting in the tube or water running down my face from condensation on the mask and also some discomfort from the mask in general. Any suggestions?

The problem is called RainOut - take a loot at: our-collective-cpap-wisdom/CPAP-humidif ... inout.html

Oh yeah...welcome to the board.

The Dreamer.

[alnhwrd]

Tiredgrl,

If you are having problems with leaks, it is usually due to the mask being too tight, the mask being too loose, or the mask being the wrong size. Sometimes wearing the mask more loosely than it seems you should will allow it to seal and solve the problem. Or, this particular mask may just not be the right one for you.

I have used a product called Mack's Silicone Earplugs to get a consistently great seal almost every night. It is sold at most pharmacy/variety stores like Walmarts, Walgreens, rite-aid, etc. It comes in a six-twelve lump pack, and is a soft silicone product sold as a malleable earplug material. It also works great as a gasket to seal a cpap mask to your face. Just take a lump of the silicone, break it in half, and roll it out into a thin rope (about 1/8 inch wide) between your palms. Do the same with the second half. Lay the ropes on the cushion of your mask wherever it contacts your face, with the ends butting up against each other, to form a gasket of silicone between your face and the cushion. With a FFM you may need to use a couple of lumps to get all the way around. When you are ready to go to sleep just put your mask on like normal and smush it down on your face. This has worked great for me for a long time.

Another possible fix for your problem would be to switch to a nasal or nasal pillows type mask and tape or seal your mouth closed at night. I did not care for the idea of taping at all for a long time, but I sleep better with a nasal mask and taping my mouth than I do with a FFM. I'm not sure why, I just do.

I hope some of this helps you, and that you can start getting some good sleep soon.

Alan

[Sleepin'jax]

September will be 4 years on the hose for me. I've been extremely fortunate to have had relatively uneventful therapy!
I tested with a FFM, and hated it! I dreaded going to get this contraption. My DME showed me the nasal pillows, and I haven't snored back!

I know they're not for everyone, but I will cut off the fingers of the one who tries to take my nasal pillows away!

Good luck.
Steve

[jayman]

I'm new here and have been using my BiPap for about 4 weeks now. I'm having trouble keeping on the mask for more than a few hours. I always end up with either the machine making noise due to water collecting in the tube or water running down my face from condensation on the mask and also some discomfort from the mask in general. Any suggestions?

The problem is called RainOut - take a loot at: our-collective-cpap-wisdom/CPAP-humidif ... inout.html

Oh yeah...welcome to the board.

The Dreamer.

Thanks alot for the warm welcome and advice. Im new to the whole thing and to be honest a little shy about it. I did a little research and decided to order some insulation for the hose and see how it works out! I'll let you guys know!