How long until I can sleep with the CPAP?

[Liam1965]

I'm sure this question has been asked, and I probably should have found it by now, but I've looked a batch and couldn't find it.

So far, after about a week of use, I'm still waking up in the morning feeling like I never quite really got to sleep. The CPAP is uncomfortable enough (actually, the mask, mostly) that I can't quite get into full sleep.

Kind of a shame if the only way to correct my apnea is to introduce something ELSE to prevent proper sleep.

How long did it take most of you to get over the new feeling and get back to sleeping?

(For reference, I've got a RemStar Pro-2, pressure level 9, and a ResMed Ultra Mirage FF mask, because I get stuffed up regularly and so anything nose-only wouldn't be sufficient)

[rested gal]

heheh, well, everyone who hasn't noticed your post way down in jdschooler's thread is going to be asking, "Do you have a heated humidifier, Liam?"

Jan 27, 2005 Subject: Getting used to CPAP/AutoPap

Anyway, you hit the nail on the head, Liam. For awhile (sometimes weeks, months!) we may be getting plenty of new disruptions to sleep - disruptions caused by the treatment itself. It's hard for some to sleep well even with a comfortable mask and set-up. It's a whole new way of sleeping - nothing like back in the days when we used to just lie down and go to sleep (or what we thought was "sleep".) Not to mention the disruptions now of dealing with all the problems inherent with this kind of treatment - noise, rainout, pressure, congestion, sore nose from a mask, dried out mouth or nose, etc.

The tradeoff of sleep disordered breathing for a whole new set of sleep disruptions can be just as tiring (or more so!) for awhile than the apneic disruptions we were blissfully (we thought) sleeping through before getting a cpap.

Some take to this kind of therapy like a duck to water. Perhaps they're just lucky enough to have been given a machine/mask that really suited them well right from the git-go. Or maybe whatever damage they had from untreated sleep apnea was easily overcome once they got on cpap. Others struggle for quite some time trying to get it all as comfortable and undisruptive as possible before they can even begin to sleep peacefully again, much less feel better. Even if someone takes to the treatment well, it's very possible they may not feel better for a long time.

Once we finally get a set-up that suits us, we can at least know we're not doing further hidden damage to our bodies, even if we still have a few disruptions while we continue to get used to "sleeping with all this stuff". The body can then quietly go about trying to heal what had already happened internally during years of untreated sleep apnea. Preventing further damage is a good thing, imho, even if the person never actually feels appreciably better. Heart attack, stroke - those can make one feel worse.

I don't suppose there's really any good way to predict "how long". The message boards and the many suggestions about various masks, machines, and tips can help shorten the time, but mileage is gonna vary - no matter what.

Frustrating, isn't it?

Hang in there and keep trying to make the mask more comfortable. You're using my favorite FF mask, but who knows - another FF might suit you better or even just another size cushion of the one you already have. Or you might find a better arrangement for your head pillows, or a way to hang the main air hose up to not tug on the mask when you turn over. Takes time to get used to it, and tweaking to get it all as comfortable as you can make it.

[christinequilts]

Some take to this kind of therapy like a duck to water. Perhaps they're just lucky enough to have been given a machine/mask that really suited them well right from the git-go. Or maybe whatever damage they had from untreated sleep apnea was easily overcome once they got on cpap. ...Others struggle for quite some time trying to get it all as comfortable and undisruptive as possible before they can even begin to sleep peacefully again, much less feel better. Even if someone takes to the treatment well, it's very possible they may not feel better for a long time.

I think newbies expectations effect early xPAP sucess along with where they are starting at symptom wise. How many post have we seen were people rationalize why they don't need their xPAP because they aren't tired, overweight, have high blood pressure, etc. The other extreme is the poster who expects xPAP is going to make them thinner, sexier, fix their family problems, help them get a raise at work, etc all in the first week. xPAP is not a miracle cure by any means and takes comitment on each hoseheads part. We need to set realistic expectations- to improve quality of sleep & health over time- and to expect bumps along the way (and maybe on the nose too ).

In my situation I was so chronically exhausted that any improvement would have been welcomed- my only expectations were it couldn't get any worse & to be able to get out of bed each day. I thought I hit the jackpot when I got 2-4 more awake hours per day and the quality of my awake hours increased 1000%- how many hoseheads wouldn't want to say that after a few nights on xPAP? Yet most would not consider still having daytime sleepiness & needing 10-12 hours sleep a success but I was elated but in relation, prior to starting BiPAP ST, I had been extremely fatigued all the time, needed naps most days, & slept 12-14 hours. Perspective and expectations make a big difference.

Christine

[Liam1965]

I should add.... my apnea is non-destructive. That is to say, my blood oxygen level never drops.

So I've got the CPAP because I'm constantly tired and rarely wake feeling rested... not because I'm damaging my organs.

As a result, the quality of sleep issue is a major one for me. If I'm just going to trade one sleep interruption for another, then it's difficult to justify.


Oh, and in case anyone didn't get the reference, yes, I have a heated humidifier. I turned it down and finally off, because I determined that the heat/humidity of the air was what, in my first few nights, made me feel like I wasn't getting enough air to breathe. I thought at first my CPAP wasn't working properly and I was rebreathing way too much of my exhalations. But once I turned off the H/H, now I can stand to wear the thing and don't feel like I'm slowly asphyxiating. I'm a step closer to sleeping well since I turned the thing OFF...

Thanks for chiming in!

-Liam

[Guest]

of course the majority of people never get used to cpap and just abandon the machine.........................

[RubyKat]

Oh, and in case anyone didn't get the reference, yes, I have a heated humidifier. I turned it down and finally off, because I determined that the heat/humidity of the air was what, in my first few nights, made me feel like I wasn't getting enough air to breathe. I thought at first my CPAP wasn't working properly and I was rebreathing way too much of my exhalations. But once I turned off the H/H, now I can stand to wear the thing and don't feel like I'm slowly asphyxiating.

Hmm, very interesting. My sleep specialist told me, when I originally asked her whether I would need a humidifier, that it varies from person to person -- some people benefit from it, and others say it "makes them feel like they're drowning". So you are one of the latter.

One thing I found made be feel like I was asphyxiating was that the initial pressure on the "ramp up" setting was too low (4) and I felt like I wasn't getting enough air. So thanks to the information from the folks here, I had the confidence to download the manual for my machine and change the starting setting to 5.

[gailzee]

I guess for as long as you need it. I think mine will be forever, if i get passed night #1. I'm not thrilled this evening!

I'm sure this question has been asked, and I probably should have found it by now, but I've looked a batch and couldn't find it.

So far, after about a week of use, I'm still waking up in the morning feeling like I never quite really got to sleep. The CPAP is uncomfortable enough (actually, the mask, mostly) that I can't quite get into full sleep.

Kind of a shame if the only way to correct my apnea is to introduce something ELSE to prevent proper sleep.

How long did it take most of you to get over the new feeling and get back to sleeping?

(For reference, I've got a RemStar Pro-2, pressure level 9, and a ResMed Ultra Mirage FF mask, because I get stuffed up regularly and so anything nose-only wouldn't be sufficient)

[Liam1965]

Since starting on the CPAP machine, I have gotten NO sleep. (Well, I know, when people say "no sleep", they're dozing a bit, you can't survive this long on literally no sleep. But no appreciable sleep.)

Some of the problems I'm having:

o The mask isn't comfortable.
o My nose itches and I can't get at it.
o I can't seem to sleep at all
o I'm getting more and more frustrated.

I swear, I'm missing the days when I was merely getting not-particularly-restful sleep, waking up tired (but waking up) and just OCCASIONALLY depressed.

I'm still not convinced I can do anything else mask-wise. Anything other than full-face, my chronically stuffed up sinuses will prevent from working for me. I suppose I could try another brand of full face mask, but as far as that goes, I don't see there being much improvement over the Ultra Mirage. It's not that it's that bad for what it is, it's just that I can't seem to get past the horrid feeling of having a large plastic parasite attached to my face giving me mouth-to-mouth.

Now, it is well after midnight as I write this, and I'm very sleep deprived, so perhaps I'm not seeing this rationally. If I get any sleep tonight, it's going to be without the CPAP. Any advice?

[rested gal]

Liam, you might want to check out some posts by snork1 on the TAS message board - about how finding the right ENT and sinus surgery was necessary to make cpap work at all for him:

Topic: Dr. and Resp Therapist know less than me??!! (posted December 10, 2004)

Topic: Stories Anyone? (posted December 16, 2004)

[Guest]

"Since starting on the CPAP machine, I have gotten NO sleep."

I tallied three hundred hours with a cpap and an autopap. The first two weeks were terrible and like you I was literally sleepless. I eventually got to where I could sort of sleep. I got no results from the machines however and will return mine the next Dr. visit.
This board is wonderful to help cheer you on with the cpap experience. But, as I am learning, a good percentage of those who start cpap end up not using it- it is just such an intrusive process.
I wonder if the teddytitrator has any numbers on the success rate for cpap users. How many who start are using it every night a year later? 5 years?

[Liam1965]

Thanks for your info though, Guest.

I'll tell you what, though, my various symptoms (and especially my depression) can't take another hit. If I don't start getting back to at least baseline sleep soon, I'm going to have to drop the thing.

Which sucks, it had such promise for solving my fatigue and fuzziness problems.

Liam.

[G00fy217]

Hey there everyone!! I am just getting depressed reading what everyone is saying.... I haven't started as of yet on nightly induced air flow... but looking forward to it soon!

My only advice to you all is.... take it day by day, it should get easier. It's probably just a matter of getting used to the darn thing! Let's put it this way...... I have back problems amongst so many other problems, but this is the best comparison I can think of..... Ok, my doc told me years ago that I had to sleep with a pillow between my knees to keep my spine straight! It took me a long time to get comfortable sleeping with a darn pillow between my knees.... now I can't seem to sleep unless I have the darn pillow!! I find myself grabbing pillows even when I lay down on the couch to watch TV or at family functions....etc.

So, I guess after awhile, we will get used to it..... sure it may take a few months, but eventually.... we will get used to being "hoseheads" and be able to sleep all night long! Atleast, I hope so!!

Good luck to you all..... I am still waiting to get mine... does anyone know how long it takes?