New to forum/good experience with CPAP so far

[carosan]

Hi...I am new to the forum. It is great to have found a place to discuss/share info with others in the same boat.
Have enjoyed reading through the other posts & hearing about other people's experiences. Hope to also pick other users brains with some questions of my own!

I have been on CPAP for the last 6 weeks & so far the experience has been mostly positive. I was almost relieved when
I was told I had severe sleep apnea as I was beginning to wonder what was wrong with me & why I always felt so tired & why I always struggled to
stay away at work & ( alarmingly) behind the wheel of a car.

If someone told me a few months ago I would be happy (well relatively happy) sleeping attached to a machine with mask & tubing etc I would
have said no way but I made the decision not too fight it and just to accept this is what I needed to do.

Happy to report the energy levels are getting there ( although still have a ways to go). Strangely my whole sleeping pattern has changed. I used to
be sleepy all day & then go to bed really late, but now I am more alert during the day, but have to go to bed early & seem to need more hours sleep? Maybe
I am catching up on the sleep debt??

Anyone else notice this?


Thanks
Caro

[JointPain]

Hi Carosan,

Welcome to the forum, but sorry to hear you need CPAP.

I noticed something similar when I first started on CPAP. My daytime alertness was generally better, but on some days I'd be totally exhausted and would need to sleep in late, and even then I was really tired. I put it down to the body actually getting what its supposed to from sleep and wanting more of it to pay off that sleep debt.

I'm past that now, and usually have trouble staying asleep for the full 8 hours I try to give myself. Sometimes, I get that lazy, want-to-sleep-in feeling, but it's a good feeling of utter relaxation. I was thinking before CPAP how I never woke up feeling like that anymore and put it down to old age. But now they're back . I just hope they happen on a weekend so I can indulge them.

Best of luck with your CPAPing.

[Captain_Midnight]

Welcome new poster Carosan writes ... but have to go to bed early & seem to need more hours sleep?

You will find that your sleeping patterns will gradually become re-arranged with conscientious use of the xpap. Some have observed that before diagnosis, many of us unconsciously stayed awake late (to forestall the inevitable intermittent hypoxia, bad dreams, and all the apnea-related ickiness that comes with disordered sleep); and, xpap use makes earlier retirement more subliminally appealing. As your therapeutic sleep becomes more and more efficient and effective, you might find yourself needing much less sleep in the future.

My case is not unusual, I don't need anything more than 6 or 6.5 hrs. Then, I'm awake for a full (and tireless) day.

Good work so far, and good luck.


.

[carosan]

Thanks JointPain & Captain_Midnight....appreciate your comments they give me hope that (as the song goes)
....things can only get better!