Help Please!!

[jrfoster]

Steve,

First of all welcome to our family! Each of us have a unique story to tell and each of us have one common problem....sleeping! My story is much like yours having suffered with chronic insomnia for months at a time along with being put on CPAP and struggling along with masks etc...!

Then along came Pur-Sleep essential oils. Once I found a mask that I could tolerate, and got off the prescription sleeping pills and went to the natural ones such as Sleep MD, I coupled that with Pur-Sleep and before long I could get to sleep without a struggle!

Relaxing in bed and enhaling the aroma of essential oils does something to help the body and mind relax. It has for me and I use the Pur-Sleep system every night. Others have too and you can read about their experience in the forum. Just look for Pur-Sleep in the thread title or go to the website at http://www.pur-sleep.com. What have you got to lose except more sleep! Give it a try.

Jeff in TN

[geoDoug]

One way it used to work for me was visualizing a large oak tree in a meadow -- just concentrate on the tree. While concentrating on the tree I would just start relaxing my body parts -- starting with toes, feet, legs, midsection, fingers, hands, arms, and lastly my head -- by the time I was at my head I was thinking of nothing and pretty much asleep (It's also a method of self-hypnosis).

You just described exactly the initial part of my self-hypnosis...in reverse, though. I start from the head down. Usually I can only get as far as my torso before I'm out.

It was a wonderful hypnotherapist who taught me that. The other thing you mentioned (an Oak tree) is also something she did that helped. It was a matter of coming up with a perfect place and going there.

Incidentally, anybody in the SF Bay Area, I can recommend a fantastic hypnotherapist. She's made two customized CDs for me, one for self esteem/motivation (depression) and one general relaxation. It's a lot of fun listening to them on the iPod. 20 minutes and I feel like a new man the rest of the day. Especially helpful if I was a bad boy with the CPAP that night.

Doug.

[Snoredog]

[quote="SteveL"]You folks are very helpful. I think I need to find a good sleep disorder doctor here that I can talk with - my doctor is good but this isn't her specialty.

I'm going in tomorrow to see about a nasal pillow. I think something like the aura and some tape should do the trick for comfort. I think I'll watch TV with the mask on this weekend and see if that does any good.

I wasn't too worried about mouth breathing since I use the Hybrid but it is a different story with the pillow system.

[geoDoug]

...turn it off remove the mask and sleep on your stomach or side, avoid sleeping on your back....

I'm curious, why do you say avoid sleeping your back? I can ONLY sleep on my back. I have enough neck problems as it is. I can always tell if I slept on my side or my stomach because the next day my neck is a wreck.

Doug.

[jrfoster]

...turn it off remove the mask and sleep on your stomach or side, avoid sleeping on your back....

Avoid sleeping on your back to prevent more apnea events. Sleeping on your back causes the tongue to fall back over the airway alot easier than if on your side. My AHI is always higher when I spend much of the night on my back. That's my opinion anyway!

Jeff in TN

[goose]

No TylenolPM unless you need the Tylenol for some other issue!!!
Substitute plain Benedryl (the PM in TylenolPM)!!!!!

That stuff's just not good for you!!!!!

cheers
goose

[SteveL]

Ok. First things - thank you all. This hasn't been easy thinking what I need to do just to be healthy. I think all of your support is not only fantastic but it will probably be the difference I need to get this to work.

Now, I went to a local place to day to see masks. I figured I would get one from insurance and one from CPAP.com with my own funds. I planned on getting a pillow and a nasal mask to try and would keep the hybrid for times where the nose wasn't an option. Bad luck - most of the masks didn't work that well.

Their assortment wasn't huge but the nasal mask (FP and Respironics)(and full face from the first go around) tend to leak near my eyes which they didn't like and neither did I. The only two pillows they had were the swift and the comfort. The later they didn't recommend as they felt it moved around too much. The swift was nice, noisy but very comfortable. They didn't carry the Swift II. I reclined in a chair and put it on - every time I relaxed my mouth opened and a rush of air exited. I tried a neoprene chin strap and it didn't seem to make much of a difference. Bummer.

They didn't carry the Aura or Bravo and thought the activa was so big it would be the same as a full face. It would probably leak near my eyes anyway. I'm kinda of sad as I was looking forward to trying a new mask.

Any thoughts? Should I stick to a FF because of the mouth problem? But that presents a fit problem. I don't want to try the tape due to sensitive skin -among other things. Maybe a smaller size chin strap. Is the liberty any quieter or more comfortable that the Hybrid? The nasal and pillow sure were nicer....

Bummed In Houston
Steve

[goose]

Hey Steve -- my compliments on your attempt!!!! Excellent!!!!!
I wish I had some place like that available close enough to check 'em out.

You'll find something that works. Because of nose bridge problems I'm starting to look at a nasal pillow style, but over the top of my head....I'm a side sleeper so something like the swift doesn't look like it'll work.

Up to the yellow light bulb and the red question mark for some research. There's a wealth of info there.

Keep at it -- you'll get it wired. Soon you won't be able to sleep without it!!!!!

Good luck
cheers
goose

[ozij]

I need hypoallereginc bandaids - 3M micropore surgical hypoallergenic tape is fine for me --

If that doesn't work you may want to try other hypoallergenice products.

And some people use poligrip (sp?) strips with great results too.

O.