Total noob 3 weeks on cpap my feelings ....

[vasnucka]

I just wanna say hi to everyone.I have been told I snored and stopped breathing in my sleep for probably last ten years,I figured I probably snored some but could never tell I wasnt breathing.Finally I caved and went for the sleep study and was diagnosed as severe with 52 events per hour.I recieved my machine a resmed elite s9 with the full face mask.I just wanna say I have managed to wear the mask everynight but I still dont sleep any later and I still wake up during the night to peek at the clock but not as much as before.I am starting to feel alot better.I dont take naps on the weekends anymore and I feel alot more clear headed.The doc told me I was gonna have a follow up in 30 days but I havnt heard from them yet.I like to check my stats every morning and so far my ahi has been betwee.1.1 and 0.02.Is that good or bad?I had an episode last night where it seemed like my machine was not blowing air for some reason.I woke up and fooled around with the hose and the rest of the night was normal.I really want to succed with cpap so any tips or well wishes would be greatly apreciated.

[johnthomasmacdonald]

I'd kill for your ahi numbers - in over 3 months of trying, I've never had one night that good

[Sir NoddinOff]

Sounds like you're doing great, with nice numbers to boot. That's a good sign when you think the machine is not blowing air. That means you are adapting quickly to CPAP. Instead of turning on the lights and checking the machine, just wave your hand over the mask vents, that'll tell you all you need to know... I'm so good at it, I can determine within a one cm/H2O what my pressure is at that moment!

Anyway, I'm thinking you're gonna be one of the success stories which so many of us members are jealous of . Don't get too cocky tho, there are always ups and downs in this game.

[Denial Dave]

Wow... I too would kill for AHI that low. Congrats!!!!

[kaiasgram]

I like to check my stats every morning and so far my ahi has been betwee.1.1 and 0.02.Is that good or bad?

Not just good... VERY good.

As for waking up and feeling like the air wasn't blowing: Hard to say what's going on there, but a lot of people find that they get so used to the feel of the air flow that they sometimes wake up wondering if the machine stopped working. I sometimes experience this and I put my hand up to the exhalation holes to make sure air is coming out.

[chunkyfrog]

I also check my data every morning; and I write it down in a little notebook--since July, 2010!
My doctor really likes to see my data, and the little book is so easy for him to check.
I occasionally use the software, but since I work, not a lot of time for that.

[DavidCarolina]

awesome but stay on it for a year or two and re-evaluate. If you went 10 years undiagnosed, your body is probably still trying to heal all kinds of things now that you can get air. Should be interesting to seee where youre at in two years in overall health.

[Sheriff Buford]

Looks as tho you are adjusting very well. Don't worry about being a clock peeker. I am am a peeker, too. It's good that you feel you don't need naps and you feel rested. It's part of the healing.

Happy Papin'

Sheriff

[Tino2You]

Hi and congrats!

Those number are awesome for this early in your therapy. That and the fact that you are seeing improvement (no naps, feeling better) means everything is working as it should.

That said ,and to repeat someones comment, be ready for a couple of flames. Most people do not adapt to the hose as quickly nor get results as soon as you are experiencing. Patience and perseverance are two keys to CPAP and it seems you have both.

One last thing. Expect visits from ALIENS. Yes, the are real and they will visit us in the middle of the night and mess with out stuff. They turn 0.0 AHIs into 7s and 8s. They only visit once in a while. There is nothing you can do to prevent them. Just acknowledge it will happen and have a better sleep the next night.

Congrats again,
-tino

[BasementDwellingGeek]

I couldn't resisting pointing out that there must be a typo or some other disconnect. An AHI of 0.02 implies 1 event in 50 hours. That is one wicked long sleep session! I have never been able to get past 10 hours.

As others have said an AHI under 5 is considered "normal". I am typically under 1 and start looking for reasons if it's over. Not everybody is so lucky.

[vasnucka]

Thanks sleep peeps!I know my mind/body has alot of catching up to do.I guess I was so out of wack for so long I forgot what good sleep was.I originally went to the doc for high blood pressure and my wife told him I snored and stopped breathing and he measured my neck looked down my throat and sent me for sleep study.The doctor told me that I could have very well died in my sleep.Im 38 years old so that was enough to scare me into giving this cpap thing my best.Ive got one question,is it okay to fall asleep on the couch first without the mask and have my wife wake me and tell me to go get in the bed and put the mask on?I just find it easier to fall asleep with the mask if Im already groggy.I have had some bad nights where Ive only slept 4 hours but my numbers havnt been bad.Its been so long and feels so wierd not to wake up until the alarm goes off and trust me for years my alarm clock has never had to wake me.Im determined to succeed and wanna thank everyone for thier thoughts!