i am still not waking up rested

[meier]

I am using the cpap now for about 2 months I sleep threw most of the night I only wake up about 2-3 times just to turn from one side to the other but fal right back to sleep and after 7 hours of sleep I still do not wake up rested is that normal?

[Julie]

Without any information at all on your equipment, your sleeping environment, or anything else, it's almost impossible to help you. What's normal or not is not the point - you have a problem and we'd like to help, so fill in your Profile on your member page (near the top left of the home page here) and repost.

[meier]

The equipment I'm using is Invacare Polaris EX With softX heated humidifier Model # ISP5000 with the pressure set on 8 and a comfort gel nasal mask (the reason why I don't have it on my profile is because the drop down menus donst give me the option of that machine if possible I would love someone to show me how to add my equipment to my profile)

[Julie]

What are the chances that as a result of your now using Cpap, you end up with an open mouth once asleep, losing all the 'good' air? It happens to a lot of us once we start Cpap, and without someone else staying up all night to certify that it's not happening, it's a likely guess. The quick answer would be to get a full face mask, but you can test the theory a lot more cheaply and easily by using 3 inches of tape across your mouth for 2-3 nights to see if you feel better the next day. It's a common 'fix' and some people use it all the time rather than a new mask. If you search on the site for 'taping' you can find whole threads about it plus names of the kind of tape that is effective, but doesn't hurt to remove, or leave residue. Another option is Polident strips.

[Nord]

The equipment I'm using is Invacare Polaris EX With softX heated humidifier Model # ISP5000 with the pressure set on 8 and a comfort gel nasal mask (the reason why I don't have it on my profile is because the drop down menus donst give me the option of that machine if possible I would love someone to show me how to add my equipment to my profile)

Go to "Control Panel"..
"Profile"...
Add your equipment under... "Additional Comments"

Nord

[meier]

thnx for the help i will try the tape you mentioned but i highly doubt that this is an issue because when i but the mask on and try to breath threw my mouth i cant i feel like im choking so i dont believe this is what happens when i sleep but i will try that anyway and let you know the outcome

[Mtnviewer]

Is your machine able to use software to download sleep data to? Without analyzing the software on a regular basis when you have problems, you may be doing a lot of guessing and then trial and error. An oximeter could also give you some clues as to your 02 levels, which is important to being rested.

But without a data capable machine and no Oximeter for data, I'd suggest that you video tape and analyze a few nights of your sleep and maybe do that even if you do have the data capabilities, as either way you will likely see things about your sleeping that you were not aware of. Sadly for me, I waited over a year to record my sleep with sound and then with video. If I had done it after 3 month like you, I would have had 9+ months of feeling much better. The results of my "SEEING" myself sleep, is that I learned that I have all my apneas when I unconciously turn onto my back. My software told me that I was having apneas but without the video evidence, I couldn't figure out how or why. I spent months playing with pressure settings, CPAP, APAP, different masks, and so on, all wasted time. And also previous to this visual proof, I was sure that I was a side sleeper only as that is how I went to bed and how I woke up. Seeing myself sleep was an eyeopener and gave me ideas on how to pretty simply key in on solutions. Now that I've worked on various ways to stay on my side, by restraining BOTH my head and back independant of each other, my results have been excellent and I am FINALLY feeling rested and have good energy, maybe normal for the first time in years. The difference has been amazing. Otherwise, I was like you, spending many many months on APAP, CPAP, but still tired.

So, without software data from your machine that shows your apneas, hyponeas, snores, runs, 02 levels AND without video analysis, I'm suggesting that you and we will all be just guessing at what can help you. Don't waste your time, record your sleep. There are some inexpensive digital or tape video cameras, some libraries rent or allow you to borrow them, and or there are some inexpensive video surveillance equipment (what I used) from Uniden and others, sold as wireless surveillence and or baby monitors that will plug into your computer to record and then review your sleep.

[Julie]

How you breathe when awake has no bearing on how you breathe when you're asleep and the machine is going. Just because the mask (which one??) makes it hard for your mouth to open while you're awake does not mean it won't happen when you're asleep.

[meier]

thnx very much Julie for ur help and as i said before i will try to tape my mouth and see how this works for me although it might be tough due to the fact i have a beard and mustache but lets see how that works

and Mtnviewer thnx for ur help too but right now its not an option for me to record my sleep

[meier]

I'm sleeping now for almost a week with my mouth taped closed as suggested here but I do not get up rested at all only I wake up with my mouth extremely dry I don't know what I am doing wrong

[brazospearl]

Sorry to hear you're having problems. Sometimes it takes several weeks to start feeling better. Without data, you're kinda flying blind, and those trying to help you are flying blind, too. Based on the problems = wrong machine, wrong mask, wrong settings approach, it appears that you might not be getting enough effective therapy. Can you adjust your pressure? If 8 isn't high enough, you won't feel better.

[man of sleep]

> my mouth extremely dry I don't know what I am doing wrong

The only time I wake up with my mouth is dry is when I breath through my mouth. So maybe the tape is not sealing your mouth well enough.

[meier]

I know that but until I didn't sleep with the tape on my mouth I never woke up dry so now I'm confused I was told here that the reason I don't wake up rested is probably because I'm breathing with my mouth even though I'm not waking up with a dry mouth so I started sleeping with my mouth taped I started getting a dry mouth so that shows that until I didn't tape my mouth I wasn't breathing with my mouth