Newbie-can't sleep

[Sith]

Just started on CPAP and can't sleep, it's 3:30 am and have been awake since 12:45 am. Help!

[Sith]

I guess I should elaborate, I'm on my 2nd night. First night was OK, slept about 5 hours and woke up feeling pretty good. Tonight I can't fall asleep. Took 10 mg of Melatonin before bed.

Just can't get comfortable, any suggestions?

[LSAT]

I wouldn't take that much melatonin.....It can have side effects for some poeople. 3mg should be more than enough. Many people take under 1mg. This is just 1 night. What do you think is keeping you awake? Is it the CPAP/mask or something else?

[Sith]

I think it is both adjusting to the CPAP and the mask, going to change to a nasal pillow mask. I am a side/stomach sleeper and I also think this is part of the problem since this mask seems to leak when I sleep on my side or stomach. I was very excited to start therapy because I wanted to start sleeping better, now I am a little frustrated and discouraged.

[TalonNYC]

Most of us here had issues like this during the first days/weeks of treatment. It's something that your body doesn't recognize, and therefore makes sleeping weird for a little while. However, once your body figures out what this thing you have on your face is, it will "edit out" the mask, just like it does your pajamas and the mattress you lay on.

Do try other mask types, and do keep hanging in there. You will find the best mask for you, and it DOES get better quickly.

I agree on the melatonin, 3mg should do the trick, or at most 5mg. Much more than that and you body might rebound and try to stay awake =)

[Sheriff Buford]

Keep goin'. We all go thru it. Put your mask on early and watch TV or read. It will help you get used to the mask.

Sheriff

[apneawho]

Keep working with it Newbie. It will get better. Thinking of you and sending positive thoughts and prayers.
Just curious, how do you read with your mask on Sheriff? I can't do it without going crosseyed. I miss my bedtime reading, but have stopped doing it in favor of putting my cpap on and getting quiet.

[Resister]

I'm right there with you, Sith! No advice--just know you're not the only one going through it. I've had my C-Pap for over a week now, and have yet to make it through an entire night. 2-4 hours is about my average now.

[Mary Z]

Sith, glad you are asking for advice so quickly- it shows your commitment to using your machine. You've gotten some good advice. You might try wearing the mask during the daytime while reading, watching TV,or listening to music to get used to having the mask on your face. Something else to try would be advil or tylenol PM to help you relax, relieve any little aches and pains and help you sleep. Most of the PM pain relievers have benadryl to help you sleep so you could also use that by itself- it's in many OTC sleeping pills. Unisom is another brand name that can be found less expensively as a store brand. What you're experiencing is not unusual- it took many of us some time to get used to the machine and mask. Good luck, keep us posted.

[Roger2]

Took 10 mg of Melatonin before bed. Just can't get comfortable, any suggestions?

Sith

I have only used a cpap since mid June this year and the last two nights were the first of what I believe were very good nights. I slept 7 hours which is a normal night for me with few problems getting to sleep. Years before I began using a cpap I occasionally had problems going to sleep. My doctor has always recommended just get out of bed and go do something until I get sleepy. I usually jumped on my computer and worked on that, writing, balancing, etc. a checkbook (how boring can it get).

When I first started the cpap, I was using Ambien every night until I finally picked up a copy of my sleep study whereby the technician recommended to my physician to advise me not to take Ambien or drink anything with alcohol. Here is a cut and paste of the recommendation;

“Please advise the patient to avoid alcohol or sedative medication prior to sleep. These are both mild relaxants and will increase the severity of obstructive sleep apnea.”

I will be seeing a sleep doctor this coming Tuesday for the first time per the recommendation of my respiratory doctor. My respiratory doctor agreed with the technician and I will also put it to the sleep doctor to see what he says but I have totally avoided use of either of those things the sleep study technician said to avoid until I find out otherwise.

In the meantime, keep trying and you might want to consider not taking sleeping pills. At the very least, they are very habit forming and very hard to break away from.

I will keep you in my prayers.

Roger

[robysue]

Just started on CPAP and can't sleep, it's 3:30 am and have been awake since 12:45 am. Help!

and

I guess I should elaborate, I'm on my 2nd night. First night was OK, slept about 5 hours and woke up feeling pretty good. Tonight I can't fall asleep. Took 10 mg of Melatonin before bed.

Just can't get comfortable, any suggestions?

Sith,

As its honarary president, I bid you a tentative and sad welcome to the CPAP and Insomnia club. It's tentative because you're only two nights into this adventure. And most people have some rough going at the start: Sleeping with a hose on your nose is not natural and some of us have a steeper learning curve than others.

CPAP induced insomnia is a real problem for some CPAP newbies (and some not-so-newbie CPAPers). I'm one who has had a long, hard time of dealing with both xPAP and Insomnia right from the start. I've written at length about it here, and finally I'm beginning to feel my insomnia is getting under control.

I've learned a lot and written a lot about the combination of insomnia and CPAP. I've distilled much of what I've learned in my quest for a decent night's sleep into the blog entry Taming the CPAP-Induced Insomnia Monster. I encourage you to take a look at what I've written because you may find many of the tips and suggestions useful in making your membership in the club a very, very short one.

[Sith]

Wow, thanks to all of you for your support! Last night was a little better, only 3 hours with the mask though. Any suggestions on a nasal pillow mask? Will a nasal mask be harder to get used to?

Again thanks for all of your help!
Sith

[Pugsy]

Any suggestions on a nasal pillow mask? Will a nasal mask be harder to get used to?

The most popular nasal pillow masks are the Swift FX (like in my profile), the Swift LT and the Opus 360.
Harder to get used to how? As in all that air going up your nose? I had no problem but some people think it is a hurricane even at low pressures. Seal is easier to maintain but if you can't breathe through the nose easily and mouth opens a lot then it creates new problems.

[robysue]

Any suggestions on a nasal pillow mask? Will a nasal mask be harder to get used to?

I've only used nasal pillows masks. The tech couldn't even get a nasal mask that goes over whole nose on me during the titration study between my sneezing and itching. The biggest advantage of the pillows mask in my opinion is being able to scratch (most of) my nose without having to remask up.

[Sith]

Well I guess I'll get a nasal pillow mask on Wed-DME can't get me in sooner. Last night no mask at all after fighting to sleep for 1.5 hours. Can't afford not to sleep when I have to get up at 5 am to go to work, so i'll try again on my weekend.

Thanks again from one very tired Sith.