First week on machine..how am I doing?

[Fogster]

Tonight will be my 7th night on my new cpap machine. I think so far I am doing ok, but I thought some of you sage veterans might be able to tell me if I am on track. I am feeling better, no question about that, but I am far from being normal. I realize this will come with time.

I am waking up quite often. Last night was every two hours or so. The good thing is I am falling back asleep much faster now than the first night or two on the snorkel. I have to think my sleep is better because mentally I am starting to feel a little more focused. As the night goes on though, falling back asleep becomes more difficult. Last night I woke up at 2:30 am. At 3:15 am, after 6 hours of cpap and unable to fall back asleep, I decided it was better to take off the mask and get back to sleep than to stay awake with it on (I get up at 5:00 am)

Is waking up that often while your adjusting normal? Do people build up the length of time they use the cpap each night?

[Emilia]

How are your numbers looking? If you get the software, you can monitor your therapy closely and carefully.

[elena88]

what Emilia said, its so much easier to see whats going on if you can see your graphs and stats and match them to the times you woke up..

you could be having leaks, or be breathing thru your mouth, etc


however, many people take time to adjust, and usually it gets easier as the days go by, so its not unusual to have an adjustment period
at all, its quite common..

keep at it! but do see if you can get situated with your software and all that, just ask here, and someone will help you figure it out..

[Zeke351]

I agree with the others, get the information and check it often.

I just passed the 3 month mark on CPAP and the last 7 days have been the best nights sleep I have had in a long time. Sometimes it takes a while to get all the adjustments right, humidity setting, straps, mask position, not wrapping the hose around your neck and pulling the machine off the night stand and for me learning how to sleep in a different position. I have always been a stomach sleeper which can be difficult with a FF mask. I have finally retrained myself to sleep on my sides and with the other adjusments and fine tuning I am averaging 8 hours of sleep and only waking up once or twice!

Keep working at it and making the adjustments it gets better.

Zeke351

[Fogster]

Ah thanks for the Info. Sounds like I am in the ballpark. So far, looking at the numbers on my screen, my average AHI is 1.0. I think I need the software to really figure that out though.

I am sure this has been asked a 1000 times, but where do you buy the software and card reader from? Does it leave the data on the card if you view it? I have to go back to the Sleep doctor in a few weeks with my data card. I would hate to have a blank one

[Emilia]

For the machine you have listed in your profile, you can purchase what your need from our host here: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... eader.html

[Fogster]

Thanks Emilia,

I bought the software so I will check back in when I have some data that I can share.

[Guest]

1.0 is quite good. <5 is considered normal. Obviously 0 is ideal. That you're getting that low for one week is great.

The waking up is just your body getting used to things. You might want to play around with pillows, sleeping positions (side is best) and even ways to keep your cord out of the way. All of those things can wake you up.

Thoughts on not getting back to sleep:

1. That you're not getting back to sleep likely means the treatment is working. Before if you woke up at 2:30 after say 3.5 hours of really bad, apnea laden sleep, you would be really tired as you had gotten no good sleep. That 3.5 hours of treated sleep is likely more rest than you would have gotten in a full night sleep otherwise.

2. I'd avoid going back to sleep without the mask. You have to get used to it. The sleep you get will suck. Sleep apnea is bad for your heart, so why sleep untreated anymore. I'd take an additional 1.5 hours of treated sleep over 4 untreated.

Glad you're doing well. Keep it up. It only gets better.

[Janknitz]

You are doing great from the sounds of things! Your AHI is awesome!

Is the wakening every two hours due to any particular discomfort? If not, here's my theory on what's happening: with sleep apnea we had frequent "arousals" to a lighter stage of sleep due to apnic event, though we probably did not come fully awake enough to be conscious of it the next day. Now stick a chunk of plastic on your face and a machine blowing air in. Your body may be programmed to still have those arousals, and since conditions are a little stranger we tend to come to a more awake phase when those arousals occur. Over time, as you get used to this all, you should start to see the time between awakenings stretch out, until you are sleeping through the night again.

BUT, I was doing well and then started waking in a panic state in the middle of the night just like before CPAP, even though my AHI was great. When I finally got a look at the data, it showed I needed a pressure increase anyway. As soon as the pressure was raised, those incidents stopped. So, data will help us be sure what's going on with you.

You can get the software from cpap.com, but it's usually less expensive to buy the card reader (standard SD card reader) from your local store (Target, Best Buy, Office Depot, Staples, etc.).

[jweeks]

Is waking up that often while your adjusting normal? Do people build up the length of time they use the cpap each night?

Fogster,

I lasted about 2 hours my first night, and gradually built up more time. One thing that helped was setting an absolute rule that no machine meant no attempt to sleep. Don't ever try to sleep without the machine. I ran into a plateau after bit where I was waking up after 2 or 3 hours of sleep, then being awake for about 90 minutes. That habit took upwards of 6 months to finally unlearn.

I wonder why you are waking up on a regular basis. There are a lot of potential reasons. One that comes to mind based on what you wrote is thinking that you need a higher pressure level when you are in REM sleep. In this case, either you are not getting that increase in pressure and are waking up due to events, or you are getting the pressure, and the change in pressure levels is waking you up. Your data graphs will help sort that out. If your AHI of 1 is real, perhaps you are not having events, and since you appear to have a CPAP machine, it isn't the pressure changes that are doing it. That blows both of my theories out of the water.

Are you having dreams? I found that I started having dreams again after I started on the machine. The dreams were so vivid and intense that they would disrupt my sleep and even wake me up. That took about 6 weeks to pass for me. That is the interesting but frustrating thing about OSA--everyone is different and everyone reacts differently.

-john-


-john-

[Fogster]

John,

I don't know if the AHI of 1 is real as this is just my 7 day average. I am waiting to get the software sent to me to really understand what is happening. Last night I had the same problem. Fell asleep and was awake 45 minutes later. I woke up almost every hour. I was pretty frustrated this morning.

Like some of you said, going back to sleep without the mask on was probably a mistake. I did that last night after about 6 hours of wearing it. My wife said she woke up and heard me doing the choking thing after I took it off.

This is my 9th night with the machine so maybe I am just being impatient

[chunkyfrog]

For me, the process was a bit easier: I was painfully aware of that morning headache when I was not on the hose.
Every time I used the hose--no headache. I got used to not having a headache. (No hose = PAIN)
It was so consistent, I dived right in and have never come back up for the 'bad air'
--Even when my face and eyes were screaming out because of a lousy fitting mask!