Can't sleep long with CPAP

[Meliodas99]

Hello,

I noticed that i couldn't sleep more than 1-2h on CPAP, i can sleep within few min with it while not having any leak but after 1h, i will wake up very tired and dizzy. I have to remove the mask to sleep again (3-5h) because otherwise my head will keep spinning as if i "overused the mask". I don't remove the mask unconciously like some people do but rather because it becomes impossible to sleep anymore with it

Here are the results: https://i.imgur.com/3TwGp1j.png already happened with the last masks, 2-3 time sleeping only 1h before having to remove it because of a feeling of "overuse and extreme dizziness" . Undiagnosed AHI is around 39 with 80% of hypopneas

[Miss Emerita]

It's not impossible that using CPAP is causing some dizziness; see this for some more information:

https://www.cpap.com/blog/scary-effects ... nea-brain/

The good news is that this may just go away on its own within a few weeks.

But I have some questions: Do you experience dizziness or vertigo? (Vertigo is the sensation that either you or your surroundings are spinning.) Did the dizziness (or vertigo) start right away when you began using CPAP? Do you sometimes experience it during the day? Does your Oscar chart include information about your median respiration rate? (I couldn't see it if it's there.) And how are things going with your allergies and congestion?

[ChicagoGranny]

If that were my chart, I would change the minimum pressure to 6.0 or 7.0. You could do it in two steps one night after the other.

It looks like you solved the mask leaks.

In future charts, please use the standard view. The instructions are in my signature.

Continue to let us know how things progress. Use this one thread.

[Meliodas99]

It's not impossible that using CPAP is causing some dizziness; see this for some more information:

https://www.cpap.com/blog/scary-effects ... nea-brain/

The good news is that this may just go away on its own within a few weeks.

But I have some questions: Do you experience dizziness or vertigo? (Vertigo is the sensation that either you or your surroundings are spinning.) Did the dizziness (or vertigo) start right away when you began using CPAP? Do you sometimes experience it during the day? Does your Oscar chart include information about your median respiration rate? (I couldn't see it if it's there.) And how are things going with your allergies and congestion?

Dizziness is only after i wake up using a CPAP. If i sleep and wake up without, i still have a bad night ofc but its not extreme as with the CPAP

I just use a saline spray at night but only if i have something going on : weather changing a lot where i am rn, so i might get congestion for 2 days then it clear up for the next weeks for exemple

If that were my chart, I would change the minimum pressure to 6.0 or 7.0. You could do it in two steps one night after the other.

It looks like you solved the mask leaks.

In future charts, please use the standard view. The instructions are in my signature.

Continue to let us know how things progress. Use this one thread.

Its a bit hard for me to fall asleep with a high pressure not gonna lie and i can't change the settings as i'm only renting the machine (since they want the exact same setting as prescribed sent to their server)

Does the large leak 0.20% mean i don't have any leak? I'm really trying to figure out what cause me to wake up after 1h max on CPAP, not being used to it or something off on my chart? I will try to ease up on the grip maybe, because when i woke up i felt the back of head a bit tight

[ChicagoGranny]

Does the large leak 0.20% mean i don't have any leak?

It means you had a large leak for two-tenths of one percent of the time you used the machine. This is excellent. From the chart, you had it at 3:27 when you restarted the CPAP machine. Maybe you jiggled the mask a little. This is insignificant.

i'm only renting the machine (since they want the exact same setting as prescribed sent to their server)

Is this a temporary situation? People who have the resources you have can do better with CPAP than their medical professionals. You are closer to the problem and have the time and interest to work on the process.

[Deborah K.]

If it were me I would change the setting to something better anyway. The rental company can easily change it back when you return it. If you sign up for OSCAR, then you can send us OSCAR reports and we can better advise you as to what settings will be better for you. Others can explain better than me how to obtain and use OSCAR. It's a great free program that allows you to check in as often as you want on how your therapy is going.

[Meliodas99]

Does the large leak 0.20% mean i don't have any leak?

It means you had a large leak for two-tenths of one percent of the time you used the machine. This is excellent. From the chart, you had it at 3:27 when you restarted the CPAP machine. Maybe you jiggled the mask a little. This is insignificant.

i'm only renting the machine (since they want the exact same setting as prescribed sent to their server)

Is this a temporary situation? People who have the resources you have can do better with CPAP than their medical professionals. You are closer to the problem and have the time and interest to work on the process.

Thats just temporary

Results today: https://i.imgur.com/gQrVEJf.png

I only slept and not TRYING the mask/pressure from 3:30 to 4:10, rest of the data wasn't when i was sleeping but testing. i woke up after only 40 min with a sleep paralysis, happened to me twice on cpap. Tried to sleep back with the mask for 20 min but i gave up. 6h sleep without cpap after

Without cpap or onless i'm trying to sleep on my back, i never have any sleep paralysis so i don't know if the cpap force me to back-sleep when i'm unconscious or something, but it shouldn't wake me up right? I would like to know if something can cause this awakening, because its often after 1h max with headache or a paralysis, but without cpap i sleep 4-7h without noticing waking up. 0 congestion or sneezing btw, antihistamine + saline spray for that

[ChicagoGranny]

Do you have a sleep doctor you can talk to in person?

[Meliodas99]

Do you have a sleep doctor you can talk to in person?

Yes but the appointement is in a while, i'm just trying to figure it out, right now i'm more tired than without the mask because of the "wake up after 1h and then unable to sleep back with mask" thing

Im' thinking of two possibilities: mask force me into back-sleeping at night which cause me paralysis/extremely bad sleep (i have 1 paralysis a year, used to have a bit more when i back-sleeped and rn 2 in a week with mask) or mouth breathing even if i'm not congested that wake me up to the mask type. might try mouth taping but i don't know if its dangerous

[Miss Emerita]

Many people tape their mouths. The two risk factors are very, very small: vomiting before you can get the tape off, and suffocation from sleeping through a power outage. I have never woken up vomiting, so I just don't care about that risk factor. I use a circuit alarm on the circuit for my machine; it beeps whenever there's a power outage.

I'm still curious about your respiration rate; do you have a graph that shows it? I'm wondering whether you're experiencing hyperventilation.

If the dizziness (vertigo?) persists, you'll definitely want to talk with the doctor about it, though you may need a referral to an ENT doctor.

Does your machine allow for a pressure drop when you exhale (or a pressure increase when you inhale)? Like others, I tend to think your minimum pressure of 4 is too low; it can be hard to feel like you're getting enough air at that pressure. Some people need a minimum inhalation pressure of 7 to avoid feeling air-starved. Ideally you could try a minimum of 6 or 7 with a pressure drop of 1 or 2 when you exhale.

[Meliodas99]

Many people tape their mouths. The two risk factors are very, very small: vomiting before you can get the tape off, and suffocation from sleeping through a power outage. I have never woken up vomiting, so I just don't care about that risk factor. I use a circuit alarm on the circuit for my machine; it beeps whenever there's a power outage.

I'm still curious about your respiration rate; do you have a graph that shows it? I'm wondering whether you're experiencing hyperventilation.

If the dizziness (vertigo?) persists, you'll definitely want to talk with the doctor about it, though you may need a referral to an ENT doctor.

Does your machine allow for a pressure drop when you exhale (or a pressure increase when you inhale)? Like others, I tend to think your minimum pressure of 4 is too low; it can be hard to feel like you're getting enough air at that pressure. Some people need a minimum inhalation pressure of 7 to avoid feeling air-starved. Ideally you could try a minimum of 6 or 7 with a pressure drop of 1 or 2 when you exhale.

Well here is the rest of the data: https://imgur.com/a/mDrhZzT . 3h30 to 4h15 btw. before that isn't when i was sleeping but trying to adjust mask and testing

I don't know for the pressure drop, its an APAP 4 min 12 max. I noticed that i had problem falling asleep if the pressure is above 5. Maybe the machine has something but once it goes over 5 it become CHALLENGING to lose yourself in sleep, while 4 i can fall asleep within 5-10 min. 7 is way too much air for me, very uncomfortable, maybe thats just how i feel it. The sleep study showed 77% back sleeping btw and mostly hypopnea (AHI 39) so maybe back sleeping is one of the problem alongside an slightly enlarged tongue? i noticed that cpap force me to back sleep as i often wake up back sle

If i had mouth leak wouldnt it show on the graph maybe or it can be unnoticable? Either way i will try for a few days mouth taping and if it doesnt work put something to prevent back sleeping if that is the problem. because my home study came negative BUT it had 80% side sleeping so i suspect worsen ahi with the back

[ChicagoGranny]

because my home study came negative BUT it had 80% side sleeping so i suspect worsen ahi with the back

It's typically the case that OSA is worse when sleeping on the back as compared to sleeping on the sides or stomach. On the back, gravity is directly pulling the tongue and soft palate into the airway. In the other positions, the pulling of gravity is less direct.

slightly enlarged tongue

It's more likely a narrow jaw. Due to diet, continuing evolution, and a number of other factors, advanced societies have jaws that don't fully develop. Count your teeth. 32 straight teeth that did not require orthodontics is the human standard. Due to failure of the jaw to develop fully, few of us meet the standard.

[Meliodas99]

because my home study came negative BUT it had 80% side sleeping so i suspect worsen ahi with the back

It's typically the case that OSA is worse when sleeping on the back as compared to sleeping on the sides or stomach. On the back, gravity is directly pulling the tongue and soft palate into the airway. In the other positions, the pulling of gravity is less direct.

slightly enlarged tongue

It's more likely a narrow jaw. Due to diet, continuing evolution, and a number of other factors, advanced societies have jaws that don't fully develop. Count your teeth. 32 straight teeth that did not require orthodontics is the human standard. Due to failure of the jaw to develop fully, few of us meet the standard.

I have 32 teeth yep

Today results : https://imgur.com/a/3Z9uJxG slept 1h, woke up 3 time didn't bother to restart the machine because i fall asleep again within few min each time pressure didn't seem high. had to remove it at the end for some reason because my face felt like it used to much the "cpap" i can't describe it, like as a light-headache. slept 6h afterward


Is there anything abnormal? It seems weird as if my body reject CPAP or maybe its too heavy/i'm not in deep sleep enough, well thanks for the support and help btw

[ChicagoGranny]

I have 32 teeth yep

Are they straight? Overcrowded? Have you had orthodontic appliances?

I will think about your CPAP problems to see if I can find some other good suggestions. There are some members who know a good bit about desensitizing one's self to the mask and process. Maybe some of them can chime in.

[Miss Emerita]

I looked your machine up, and it has a feature called "Soft PAP," which can drop your pressure by 1 or 2 when you exhale. When you're at a pressure of 4, it won't make any difference, because 4 is as low as the machine can go (or at least that's true of other brands). But you might experiment to see whether it does anything for you when your pressure goes a little higher.

You might try setting up the machine outside your bedroom during the day or evening and using it while you watch TV, read, or use your devices. This can help your brain adapt to the novel experience. You can also try Soft PAP if you want to while you're doing this acclimation.

I see that there's a graph for obstruction level. I don't know what it's measuring, but you're registering obstruction practically the whole time you're using the machine. This might reflect nasal problems, or at least some of the time it might also reflect problems arising from back-sleeping.

It's good to see that your leak levels are excellent.