Trouble Keeping Headgear On

[Askel]

Hello forum.

Some quick background, like many on here, I've gone years undiagnosed with OSA. I finally listened to my wife and went to the doc to get a referral, then the Pulminology clinic to get the study set up.

Some figures that scared the crap out of me.

67% O2 levels, OSA episodes an average of 90 times an hour, and no stage 3/4 sleep. I know I'm not the worst case, but knowing nothing much more than how tired I was, how sweaty I was, and how much pain I was putting my wife through snoring, I wanted to do something, and I'm glad I did.

The study with CPAP was great, nice compfy matress, all was quiet, I bring home my machine and noticed a couple of things.

1. I cannot for the life of me keep my headgear on through the night. I keep taking it off, then waking up later to put it back on. 3 nights are like that now.
2. After a 1/2 night of using the machine with the humidier the machine shuts off, then I have to remove the machine from the humidifier and use it without.

At the sleep clinic, it was great, didn't wake up at all, completely rested the next day, now, I'm sleeping lighter than I did before.

Has anyone had this issue before? How did you deal with it? Any tricks to keeping the gear on?

Another question, and this may be odd, my wife and I are expecting our first baby in just 7 weeks. Has anyone had problems with the sure to happen constant waking up and short naps of taking care of a baby while you're on CPAP?

Thanks alot, love this board.

Phil

[jules]

look up your mask on this link and I hope you start finding answers

viewtopic.php?p=127492

[kteague]

Welcome, Phil. It is not unusual to initially feel less rested as one gets familiar with the mask and equipment.

I wasn't clear if you are taking the mask off in your sleep, but if so, that should pass in time. Some have tried different tactics to keep it on including bandaids over the straps where there is skin so it will cause pain if trying to take it off and hopefully wake you up enough to know you don't want to do that. Once it doesn't feel foreign it will be easier to sleep all night with it on.

I hope your second question doesn't get lost in this thread. Could you please clarify about your machine cutting off after 1/2 the night? Is it consistently the same length of time when it cuts off? Is the humidifier empty? You're saying it will work again without the humidifier but won't with it? A little more info might be helpful.

Hang in there. Hope you get the bugs worked out soon so you can keep that oxygen up while you sleep and get the rest you need.

Kathy

[sleepycarol]

Welcome to the forum!!

Please do give us more info on the machine shutting off. You have the plus machine which is a really basic machine. You have a passover humidifier that doesn't heat the water according to the info on your profile. Is that correct? How long before it shuts off? Have you tried running the machine without the humidifier to see if it still cuts off at a set amount of time?

Someone will probably come along that can be more helpful.

[Askel]

I hope your second question doesn't get lost in this thread.

To you have responded, thank you very much. This has certainly helped.

To clarify a couple points.
1. Yes, I am / was physically waking up and taking it off.
2. The unit detatches from the humidfier. It is heating the water, and yes, lasting through the night. Odd enough, I followed the directions and online reccomendations that said set the unit below you so that water would poor back into the well. I've since changed it like I had the unit in the sleep study where it was above me, and that seems to have aleviated the problem.
3. Yay, I've finally had two nights sleep, without the machine shutting off. I'm still getting used to it so I don't think the sleep is as deep as it could be.

The machine was shutting off, I think because the water was either staying or backing into the unit from the hose with it below me. I think that changing the levels it's worked.

Thanks to all, this has been a Godsend to find this forum and these people.

Thanks again.

Phil