Will I ever stop taking off the mask?

[Kahfree]

I am so adjusted to the mask, or so I thought. I can put it on, watch television and fall asleep. I am no longer claustrophobic with it. However, I am still taking the mask off in the night and not putting it back on. I do not recall doing it. Last night was bad. I woke up to the alarm on my cell and discovered my watch off and missing somewhere in the bed. its not a clasp kind, so I have to take it off. My my mask was on the floor and not only that, I had disconnected it from the hose so that the hose was now on the floor. I had wild dreams too.

My daughter said she got up to use the bathroom about 5 am and she heard me grunting or something. I said to her, "Gasping maybe?" She did not come into the room because she thought I was awake. She was tired and just did her thing and went back to bed. I had a headache this am and I am so tired. I checked my machine stats. 2.5 hours on the machine, a 28 leak and only 0.5 AHI. Yes, with the machine I am great, but all that time without is like its not even worth being on the machine. I went to bed at 11:30 pm. I do not recall drifting off to asleep so I assume it was quick after I went to bed. I got up at 6:30 am. So, if I fell asleep right away, and was using the machine 2.5 hours, that means at about 2 am I took that stuff off. From 2 am to 6:30 am I was without it. That's not good. What can I do to stop this madness? I really want to have all my apnea s as low as they have been with the machine.

Kelly

[robysue]

Just curious: How do you turn the tv off when you are falling asleep?

Is it possible you are waking up, but not to full alertness and consciousness in order to turn the tv off and in the process you are also unconsciously unmasking? And do you turn the machine itself off in your sleep?

Does the icon have a "mask off alarm" of some sort? Are you using it?

Are you using an Auto OFF feature? If you turned Auto OFF OFF, would the noise of the air flowing through the mask that's no longer on your face be enough to wake you up and help you remember to put the mask back on before drifting back off to sleep?

[Jersey Girl]

What about trying some first aid tape - if you felt yourself taking the tape off your face, it might wake you up? Also, using the alarm on the machine - if you have one.

Regards,

Jersey Girl

[Kahfree]

Just curious: How do you turn the tv off when you are falling asleep?]/quote]

I do not turn it off, I just fall asleep with it on and I guess in the night I shut it off. Sometimes I wake in the am and its still on, but just a blank screen because Dish updates at 3 am and shuts the receiver off, essentially shutting off my service but not the tv. no sound continues to come out of the tv, just a blank screen showing the dish logo.

Is it possible you are waking up, but not to full alertness and consciousness in order to turn the tv off and in the process you are also unconsciously unmasking? And do you turn the machine itself off in your sleep?

Yes it is possible. Yes, I do shut off the machine too, but do not remember doing it.

Does the icon have a "mask off alarm" of some sort? Are you using it?

As far as I know, it does not have a mask off alarm.

Are you using an Auto OFF feature? If you turned Auto OFF OFF, would the noise of the air flowing through the mask that's no longer on your face be enough to wake you up and help you remember to put the mask back on before drifting back off to sleep?

There is no auto off feature that I am aware of either. I have hard the noise before with the hose blowing on the floor. So apparently that time, I did not shut off the machine in my sleep. Most times, I am sleeping through all this.

What about trying some first aid tape - if you felt yourself taking the tape off your face, it might wake you up? Also, using the alarm on the machine - if you have one.Regards, Jersey Girl

I may get some tape tonight and try that. At this point, I will try almost anything.

As a child, I use to sleep walk a lot. I wonder if I get so deep in sleep that I do things I am unaware of. I wonder if I still sleep walk. No one has told me I do, but then again, its not like anyone is awake when I do this.

Kelly

[robysue]

Just curious: How do you turn the tv off when you are falling asleep?]/quote]

I do not turn it off, I just fall asleep with it on and I guess in the night I shut it off. Sometimes I wake in the am and its still on, but just a blank screen because Dish updates at 3 am and shuts the receiver off, essentially shutting off my service but not the tv. no sound continues to come out of the tv, just a blank screen showing the dish logo.

It's quite possible that the bluish light emitted by the TV after you fall asleep is disturbing your sleep cycles and causing mini arousals---and during one of these you're waking up just enough to take the mask off and turn the CPAP off as well as turn the TV off in a semi-conscious state. It's also possible that when the Dish updates at 3am and the sound goes off, that's enough to cause a mini-arousal.

Have you got a remote for the TV? If so, as an experiment, I think you ought to try turning the TV off when you start to get sleepy, but before you actually fall asleep. See if that helps the waking up enough to take the mask off without remembering it problem.

[HoseCrusher]

Kelly, You don't happen to live near TooGroggy do you? You may not be taking your mask off...

viewtopic/t60953/CPAP-machine-records-a ... ction.html

[DocWeezy]

Another idea on the TV--does it have a sleep timer? I used to set the sleep timer, knowing that it would turn off in x amount of time.

However, there IS the alien abduction issue....



As someone else who used to sleepwalk and do other odd things in my sleep (as a child and as an adult), it does seem to be possible to keep the mask on, although I've REALLY been doing the sleep hygiene things suggested by Robysue and it seems to be helping everything overall re sleep. Although I did have an attack the other night where I woke up ripping the mask off and screaming again....poor hubby....I thought I was over that! Hadn't done that for well over a month now...

Weezy

[Gerald]

Kelly......

For a long time, I've suspected that our sub-conscious runs the show while we're asleep.....allowing our conscious mind time to "de-frag" and perform maintenance chores.

If I'm correct, it means that the sub-conscious must be convinced of the benefits to be derived from CPAP therapy.

When I got into trouble with extremely high blood pressure in the middle of the night (caused by "mild" sleep apnea), I took my blood pressure....in the middle of the night.....and my sub-conscious "saw" (looking over my shoulder while my conscious mind did the testing) that I was heading for big problems.

By letting my sub-conscious "see" a meter that proved I had a problem, I never had any difficulty keeping my mask on at night.

So....here's what I suggest for you: Purchase a Recording Oximeter.....and record your O2 levels each night for two or three weeks. Let your sub-conscious "see" the charts....let it "see" the O2 desats that occur when the mask is removed in the middle of the night.

If you don't prove to your sub-conscious that it needs to go along with the program....and help you keep that mask on, it's going to be "naughty" and defeat your conscious mind.

Evidently, you have a very "strong willed" sub-conscious.......one that has caused you to be a sleep walker ....or do other wierd stuff while you're asleep. It'd probably be an interesting enabler of hypnotism. You'll need to sit down and have a long talk with it.....showing proof of O2 depravation (suffocation) and asking for its cooperation.

[john.michael]

Kelly,

I am a brand-new xPAP user, so I'm sure my experience indicates nothing about what you (or anyone else) might expect. In fact, I surely have no reason to believe I am actually out of the woods and have myself reached the point that I have stopped taking off the mask. Nevertheless, maybe this is a tiny bit of good news:

The first two nights, I took off the mask during the night between 4 and 5 hours each time with absolutely NO recollection of taking it off. Simply found it on the floor in the morning.
The second two nights, it was still on when I woke up.

Who knows what is coming next, but I am 50-50 so far, because last night was just the 4th time attempted!

I like Jersey Girl's suggestion about the tape. That seems like it would at least bring awareness to the point of removing the mask. If I go back to removing it, I will definitely try that.


Good luck!
John

[smsfire2003]

maybe you could look into something like this, meant for leaks but maybe would be some other form of a deterrent from removing the mask at night
http://www.padacheek.com/PAC_AntiLeak_Strap.html
best of luck

[robysue]

As someone else who used to sleepwalk and do other odd things in my sleep (as a child and as an adult), it does seem to be possible to keep the mask on, although I've REALLY been doing the sleep hygiene things suggested by Robysue and it seems to be helping everything overall re sleep. Although I did have an attack the other night where I woke up ripping the mask off and screaming again....poor hubby....I thought I was over that! Hadn't done that for well over a month now...

Glad to hear that some of the suggestions seem to be helping out. It's a slow, steady process and you have to stick with it: You know the kind: Two steps forward and one step back at times.

And I'm sorry to hear about the "one step back" with the ripping the mask off and screaming at hubby. Hopefully it will be at least anothe month before it happens again. My own dear hubby has had to deal with that too---more times that I care to remember these last five months, including this past Monday, *sigh*. But the last two nights have been decent enough. So I'm back to making steady progress on my own insomnia ...

[Kahfree]

Kelly, You don't happen to live near TooGroggy do you? You may not be taking your mask off...

LOL yea, maybe I do! Seems these aliens are out to get those who wear the hose at night. Maybe we look like we are ready to go into space wearing them so the aliens think we are prepared.

Lots of great suggestions. I will program my television to go off on its own tonight. I had forgotten that my television can do that. Lets hope it works.

Also, that strap to prevent leaks looks good to try, but I have the nasal pillow now, so it wont work unless I use the full face mask, which caused me claustrophobia.

@john-Michael, isn't it crazy how we can do things in our sleep and NOT remember? I am 100% positive I will make this work eventually. I conquered the inability to even wear the mask by finding one that works for me.

Now, like Gerald said, I need to get my sub-conscious to work with me and accept the therapy. Do I need a prescription for the Recording Oximeter?

Kelly

[Gerald]

Kelly....

A prescription is not necessary. Following is a link to where I purchased mine. Turner Medical is OK to do business with. I would buy from them again....and I would buy the same oximeter again. The software that comes with the oximeter is good.

http://www.turnermedical.com/category_s/65.htm

A side story: I purchased my oximeter to help my wife see whether or not she needed CPAP therapy. I knew that I'd never get her to take a sleep test....and I knew that her sub-conscious would have to be convinced of her therapy needs. She wore the oximeter for a couple of nights.....and was "hooked"....she was fascinated. She wore it for three weeks....and convinced herself that she needed therapy. She now uses my spare machine....and rarely sleeps without using CPAP therapy. Her apnea isn't near as severe as mine....but she finds that she sleeps much better....and is more rested....when sleeping with a mask.

Finally, my compliments to you on your attitude. Once you get the kinks smoothed out, you'll do just fine.

[robysue]

Kelly,

Any update on whether having the tv turn itself off helped at all?

[Kahfree]

Kelly,

Any update on whether having the tv turn itself off helped at all?

I set the timer last night. Well, seems it backfired on me. LOL I set it for 120 minutes and I hooked up and shut off the light. I still had not fallen asleep so I shut off the television myself. I could barley breath last night, and today my throat hurts. ( I think it hurts after I mouth breath) I just checked the stats. I had used it 2.7 hours...so at some point shortly after I went to sleep on my own, I took off the mask. I do recall trying to get enough air as my nose felt stuffy. My AHI for last night was 4.7. Its been running under 5 but less than 2 in the last few days. I do know that I was dwelling on the television shutting off by itself. I know that sounds nuts, but since I had never used this feature, I kept wondering if it would work. This is what caused me to stay awake, wondering if it would go off. My brain and I seem to just have issues. LOL