Is it normal to not feel the air pressure after a while?

[kayakdoc]

Two things: (1) I have been on the cpap now 3 weeks and 2 days. Only have one night of 8 hours, usually only get 4 or 5. But midway through the second week I noticed that when the air pressure started, I wasn't really feeling it as I had at first -- you know, the "I am being blown up like a balloon" feeling. I checked the machine several ways to be sure air was actually blowing, and it was -- sometimes it blows my mouth open -- but I just don't feel it. It's kind of weird, and I was wondering is this normal, do you grow accustomed to it? (I had used the ramp feature the first few nights but stopped because the air pressure didn't seem bothersome to me at full force, 12.5cmh2o)
(2) Am I ever going to wake up and actually feel rested? I do notice that when I've had some good time on the machine that i can be reasonably coherent even before I have my morning tea, but getting out of bed ... Is this too soon to tell? I read and hear so many people say the cpap has changed their life. I notice I don't get up to whizz so often, some nights not at all (all other things being equal), but when the improvement in energy and brain function? Thanks for any input.

[Babette]

YUP! I sometimes wake up and have to check my vents to see if the machine is still going. I get into that sweet spot where everything is working perfect, and there's not enough noise to tell.

I remember when that first happened - about 6 months into therapy. I felt I'd ARRIVED.

Cheers,
Babs

[LoQ]

I can't feel the air pressure any more unless I open my mouth.

As for feeling rested, I started CPAP therapy in February. For the next 6 months, I felt better, but not really rested. In August, I began taping my mouth shut every night. I immediately felt rested after the first night of doing that.

According to the sleep tech at the sleep lab, some people feel rested after their very first night on the machine. But I have noticed in what people write on these boards that many people have an experience more like mine, that it takes a while.

Best of luck to you, and I hope you feel better soon!

[Debjax]

I started last Friday. I woke up several times during the night because my nose itched unbearably, and had to move the mask to scratch it. Have not had a solid night sleep because of that. However, I still feel more rested than I did before I started, don't get the 3:00 pm energy meltdown this week, so figure even with those three or four wakeups, I'm getting much better rest when I am asleep. I'm already in love with this thing.

[Babette]

Deb, your experience is very typical. Took me 6 weeks and 8 different masks to finally be able to wear the mask 100%, every night. It was a really rough time for me.

Hang in there and keep posting!!!
Babs

[kteague]

Yeah, getting used to the air happens, at least it did for me. As far as feeling better, if you aren't leaking a lot or mouth breathing without a full face mask, the improvement will likely be more noticeable once you are consistently getting an adequate number of hours of sleep with treatment. Even someone without OSA will be dragging on 4-5 hours every night. Is there anything that you can pinpoint that wakes you up so soon? If it's the oddness of the having the mask on your face, that should improve with time. Are you on any meds that are known to disrupt sleep? Taking naps? Does your data show your treatment to be effective? Any mention of limb movements on your sleep study? Have you talked with your doctor for suggestions? (Yeah, I know that's a long shot, but some are actually helpful.) Hope things settle down for you soon.
Kathy

[JeffH]

Every time your mouth opens you loose the pressure and therefore your treatment. After several years on cpap, I discovered that I was mouth breathing and started taping. It worked well, but I have a beard, so I started using polident strips to seal my mouth at night. I still do. I also wear a terry cloth headband around my mouth to keep from "blowfish"ing. Some times when you get your mouth all sealed up tight, your cheeks suddenly blow up with air and that can interrupt sleep as well.

Take care of the leaks and I promise, you will feel better.

JeffH

[sleepyangler]

I am coming up on my 3rd month of using xpap and yeah I no longer feel the pressure at all. Unfortunately, despite being 100% compliant since day 1, sleeping 9 to 10hrs a day, a flat leak line and an ave ahi of about 3.5, I feel no more rested today than I did 3 months ago. It is certainly something that will be discussed at my next dr appt (12/31).

[kayakdoc]

Thanks to the repliers --
(1) I have taped my mouth the last 4 nights after reading about it here (paper med. tape with the two ends folded back on themselves so I have a non-sticky tab on either end to grab in the night for emergency removal if necessary -- I think I like the idea of masking tape better) and the taping has just about eliminated the mouth blow-opens which DID interrupt my sleep. Unlike one of you lucky people, that did not help me feel any more rested.
(2) Leaks: I found washing the mask daily, and my face just before sleep with no cream on it, both helped reduce most of the leaks -- at least the ones I was aware of.
(3) I was pulling the mask off in the early morning (4-5am) because it was hurting, most recently the bottom of my nose -- I guess it's the middle piece, the septum? that is slightly lower than the outside of the nostrils -- but I fixed that by putting a small piece of cotton ball behind the silicon seal and between it and the harder plastic thingie behind it. Zero nose sore since then, and I am not aware of leaks.
(4) I DON"T HAVE SOFTWARE/CARD so I can't get any data off the machine.
(5)I'm dreaming like a madman, though, and while one or two have been a little unpleasant, no nightmares like I used to have more frequently. A friend of mine said the nightmares were my body's way of trying to wake me up because I wasn't getting air -- intriguing interpretation, although I rather doubt it.

[Dragon Lady]

It also only took me a few days to not notice the pressure when I first started (end of November).

I am sleeping better (and longer!) at 5 hours straight without waking most nights. As for how I'm feeling, a bit better (but I also recently had my throid meds adjusted, too) but I'm still tired when I get off work and most days nap in the car on the way home.

Do any of you have follow up appointments after being started on your cpap? I feel like I've been given the sleep test, my machine and good-bye and good luck! Not even sure whom I should be calling for a follow up, at any rate.

[ozij]

<snip>
(5)I'm dreaming like a madman, though, and while one or two have been a little unpleasant, no nightmares like I used to have more frequently. A friend of mine said the nightmares were my body's way of trying to wake me up because I wasn't getting air -- intriguing interpretation, although I rather doubt it.

It's the other way around: That's your brain responding to the lack of oxygen and all those stress hormones in your body, and interpreting them as something bad. Sensory stimuli of every kind get incorporated into our dreams - like the proverbial phone that used to ring in your dream just when the alarm clock rang on your bedside table. Some of us had choking / drowning nightmares.

O.

[sleeplessinaz]

Hello--my 2 cents on this is that I can't feel the air pressure any more unless I open my mouth!!! LOL! you will start feeling more rested with each day but it took me about 6 months to really notice a big difference -----so with that said, keep at it--you will get there!!!
Carrie

[Debjax]

Last night covered the hose with old knee socks taped together to make a temporary hose cover to reduce the rainout. Worked very well. Last nose itch for the night was about 1:00 am, I remember looking at the clock, and that is the last thing I remember until this morning at 6:30 when I woke up BEFORE my alarm went off feeling like I just had a night's sleep like I have not had in years. Did not even have to get up for my 2 am and 4 am bathroom breaks.

My father in law lives with us and asked this morning if the machine was helping. I was telling him "oh yes, I think it is really working for me..." about that time hubby interruped and said..."Pop, think about this for a minute. She just got up and is actually HOLDING A CONVERSATION instead of her usual morning growl when you talk to her...what do you think?" We all got a good laugh over that.

[jskinner]

I was wondering is this normal, do you grow accustomed to it?

Completely normal.

Am I ever going to wake up and actually feel rested?

Hopefully

It takes different amounts of time for different people. Some people respond right away. Other it takes a while. Still others have other factors causing not feeling rested.

[kayakdoc]

I appreciate people's input, thank you.

About the dreaming, O -- interesting. I'm going to keep track of that over time because I have a decades' long history of bad dreams -- one of drowning is based on actual events, but that's the only one.

I wish I were one of the folks who wake up feeling "ahhhh!" but I understand there is a biological basis for "morning people" and "night people" and I think I am more the latter, so I may be expecting too much. I love the comment about having a conversation with a father-in-law in the morning! As I am suddenly single, I haven't got my usual morning person (always energetic and cheerful, ugh!) around to reflect changes. I haven't growled at my dog, though...

As for other things preventing better sleep -- I have to improve my "sleep hygiene" but I have questions about "RERAs" that I put in another post. If I'm not supposed to work "1-2 hours before bedtime" does it count that I am reading this board?!

happy holidays, all.