So dissapointed

[cdutka]

I started out my therapy on Saturday night. Sleep with a c-pap user and he said it would take time to get used to. My second sleep study with the mask was great, fell asleep, slpte, got some REM's and was good the next day. Saturday night was the same. Then last night, I kept feeling air escaping from the sides, (I have a full face mask with forehead support) and hardly got any sleep at all, now I am exhausted. Is it normal for there to be good and bad nights in the beginning? Good news is I did not have any of the "getting used to it" issues that so many had told me about. Don't ask me to list the type of machine or mask, as I don't have that with me right now

[Pugsy]

Yes, it is normal to have good nights and bad nights. Happens to all of us every now and then and not just newbies.
Fragmented sleep for any reason will sure mess with how you feel the next day so if leaks were waking you up last night then it sure would be expected that you don't feel so great today.

[jweeks]

Is it normal for there to be good and bad nights in the beginning?

Hi,

Believe it or not, you are ahead of the game compared to where I was at when I started. I couldn't get the courage to use the machine the first night, and I only lasted about 2 hours the 2nd night. It took a week before I could even use it the whole night.

Mask leaks are probably one of the biggest issues with CPAP. Everyone's face is different, and the things seem to fit different from night to night. Many mask vendors have videos showing how to adjust your mask. In fact, our forum sponsor (cpap.com) might have links to some of these videos on their commercial web site. You might want to run through the fit process again, and see if you can get it to fit better. If not, go back to your equipment provider and see if they can help, or if they can swap it out for a different mask.

It is also possible that you just had a bum night. That does happen from time to time.

Finally, you might want to look at different types of masks. For example, if you have a full face, perhaps you might want to look at a nasal mask, a hybrid, or a nasal pillow mask. I have a high cheek bone, so I cannot get full face or nasal masks to fit. I ran with a hybrid for a few months, but I had to get it really tight to seal at the high pressure that I need. I ended up with a Swift LT nasal pillow mask, and that has done the trick for me for more than 3 years.

-john-

[Xney]

Is it normal for there to be good and bad nights in the beginning?

Hi,

Believe it or not, you are ahead of the game compared to where I was at when I started. I couldn't get the courage to use the machine the first night, and I only lasted about 2 hours the 2nd night. It took a week before I could even use it the whole night.

Took me about 12 months before I would/could wear it the whole night.

[lindalrc]

Just a couple of points. First, you WILL need to fiddle with different masks. I suggest you start reading the multitudinous mask posts on this site.
Second, I have found two things to be critical in the mask I happen to use. It must be clean - wash every day or every other day. Don't need to wash the whole thing, just the face cushion to remove facial oils. And, my skin seems to break the silicone down fairly quickly. If a cushion is more than six weeks old, I have to replace it. You can replace just the cushion and not have to get a whole new mask each time (once you find a satisfactory one). My husband can go 3 months between cushion replacements.

Us humans - we vary.

[cdutka]

Thank you all for the great advice. I took some time last night to fiddle with everything and I had a good night. My machine is digital so it tells me how many hours of quality sleep I had. The bad night was 0 and last night was 6. I feel so much better today and at least compared to living with apnea and no treatment, I feel somewhat refreshed. Just got to keep on plugging on. I have wore the mask all night since I got it out of sheer determination. My boyfriend has so much energy and I could not keep up with him. Determined to keep up with him after I pay my "sleep debt"

[Xney]

It just takes a while to adjust everything, get used to this thing on your face, tweak your mask & machine to your liking, etc. But once you have it dialed in and comfortable, you should improve steadily!

[cdutka]

Two nights with 6 hours of quality sleep!! Feel like the energizer bunny! Swamped at work but don't know what to do first

[chunkyfrog]

Just a little persistence--such wonderful rewards!
Good for you!

[LinkC]

When making mask adjustments, only change one thing at a time. Otherwise, you may end up chasing your tail. And it usually takes a smaller adjustment than you think. Easy to OVERTIGHTEN a strap...which can CAUSE a leak (often on the other side!)