New CPAP User - Midnight Wakeups

[Vancouver]

Hey Everyone, just got my CPAP machine 2 weeks ago. Its taken a bit of time to adjust but im finally able to fall asleep with it without feeling like im suffocating.

I also need to tape my mask due to me ripping it off during the night. My main issue here is the wake-ups, (I'm also assuming they coincide me trying to remove the mask).

Every night I wake up at around 3AM, wide awake it feels. Anybody else experience this? I dont feel as rested as I think I ought to be and I feel like this may be the cause.

Does it go away? I have an Airsense 10 - ​SW SX567-0306. I dont have any leaks, barely any events. Pressure range is 5-15, usually sits around 5.6.

Hope you guys can give me some insight!

[Pugsy]

Is your machine an AirStart machine or an AirSense machine?
You've chosen AirStart in your equipment profile and the AirStart doesn't give leak or AHI.

​SW SX567-0306. ...this is just the software version I think.

How many hours of sleep are you getting and how many wake ups in total that you remember during those hours?

Do you take any medications of any kind and if you do...what?

[Vancouver]

It's an AirSense. Looks like we use the exact same equipment. Ill fix that, thanks!

I usually get roughly 6.5-7 hours, and it ranges from 1 to 2 times a night. Recently its only been once a night though.

I dont take any medication.

[Pugsy]

How long does it usually take you to get back to sleep? Short time? or a prolonged amount of time?

What were your pre cpap symptoms besides not feeling well rested?
Has it improved (the rested part) and you are just not feeling as good as you hoped you would or has there been no improvement at all in any of your unwanted pre cpap symptoms?

It's normal to wake during the night...like after a REM cycle (google sleep stages and review the normal hypnograms to get an idea when REM typically happens) but most of the time we go right back to sleep and don't remember it but it's not unusual to remember a couple or more awakenings.

Are you using available software to see what might be going on when those wake ups are happening?

https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment

There may be nothing going on but use the software to see.
It may just be that you need more time to expect to see results that you hoped for.

[Vancouver]

It's actually surprisingly a short time, considering I have a hard time falling asleep and being woken up by external sounds during the period where I fall asleep.

My other symptoms were fatigue, higher levels of stress/anxiety and symptoms of depersonalization I attribute to constant lack of sleep.

I feel slightly better, I do feel my energy levels are a little better, but I'm still tired by midday and want a nap. Mornings are still very difficult to wake up to.

Thats what I'm hoping, that time will eventually fix my problems.

Just downloaded SleepyHead, uploaded my info and am able to view some stats. Looks like I dont have much data, but this is really cool thanks!

I'm able to see, for example, on the 26th of December
Started Sleep: 12:29AM, Duration of 3 hours and 36 minutes stopping at 4:05AM
Started 2nd session: 4:09AM, Duration of 3 hours and 20 minutes stopping at 7:29AM

I then ended up ripping it off completely. I also remember the 4 minute gap of turning it off to get up and go to the washroom since I was awake.

[Pugsy]

If you have the AirSense 10 AutoSet there should be a lot of detailed data if the SD card was in the machine during the night.
You should see this sort of stuff on the detailed report page.
If you don't see it...make sure you SD card is properly inserted and check tomorrow.

[Vancouver]

Hmmm interesting, you seem to have way more information than I do.

It states "This day just contains summary data, only limited information is available ." on the last 2 weeks of use (the only time ive had it).

Im 100% sure the SD card is fitted correctly, am I possibly doing something wrong?

Thanks for all your help too.

[dryan1929]

Just got up from 1st night using CPAP. I had no trouble adjusting to nose pillows. I did, however wake up at least six times most of which were during REM. is this normal? Will it go away? I feel worse than before using CPAP.

[Pugsy]

Hmmm interesting, you seem to have way more information than I do.

It states "This day just contains summary data, only limited information is available ." on the last 2 weeks of use (the only time ive had it).

Im 100% sure the SD card is fitted correctly, am I possibly doing something wrong?

Tell me exactly all the words you see on the face of your machine on the lower right side or wherever.

[zonker]

Just got up from 1st night using CPAP. I had no trouble adjusting to nose pillows. I did, however wake up at least six times most of which were during REM. is this normal? Will it go away? I feel worse than before using CPAP.

dryan, welcome to the forum. would you please make your own post asking questions? it's just easier to help one person at a time because each of us is slightly different. oh and when you do, please list your equipment as well.

thanks!

[Vancouver]

Looks like I just didnt give it enough data before. Last nights sleep recorded something and looks different.

I woke up twice, again

Looks like with this import, it brought in the full data for the last 2 weeks, may have been a connection issue before.

Anyways, heres my data. Looks alright?

[Pugsy]

Data looks really great. I see nothing that would remotely need changing in terms of settings as long as you are comfortable.

Is 1:30 your usual go to bed/sleep time? Or was this unusually late for you?

It may simply be that you need the "give it time" thing. 2 weeks isn't really very long in the grand scheme of things to expect to see much improvement.
I know we read about people who have the overnight miracle where they wake up and feel like a totally new person but those people are in a very lucky minority. It probably took me over 3 months to see much improvement in the energy thing and even then it was a bit sporadic.
We didn't get our bodies in this OSA predicament overnight (most of of it took years) and for most of us it takes some time for the body to heal and get back into better running order.

For a lot of people the improvements are more gradual and that makes it harder to realize they are happening.
You have seen some improvements already...give yourself more time and see if you can get to where you want to be and if you don't then you can talk to your doctor about possibly investigating other culprits in the lack of energy thing. Just because we have OSA doesn't always mean that the OSA is the sole cause for lack of energy. It can also be other factors that cause it and the cpap machine can't fix a problem if the problem isn't related to OSA.

[Vancouver]

1:30 was pretty unusual, its the weekend. Im usually in bed by 11:30 - 12.

Thanks for the input! Really helps getting another opinion on just waiting it out. I've always thought it would be like that wake up the next day and feel amazing scenario, but its comforting to know that usually isn't the case. It has culminated over a a good 4+ years this sleep issue, so youre correct in saying it would take a little more time to correct.

OSA was Step 1 in correcting. Who knows, may be another imbalance. Regardless, I have felt an improvement. Only time will tell!

Hoping I'll just stop waking up though, its pretty annoying.

Thanks for all your help, WAY more informative than any other article/forum i've come across.

[Julie]

Any chance you're taking some med that wears off just about at the time you wake up? Or that there's a train going by every night at 3?

[Vancouver]

Nope, nothing at all. My neighbourhood is quiet at night, and I take no meds.

Honestly contemplating taking a melatonin to see if that'll keep asleep through the damn night.