At my wits end....

[RomeinDNVR]

Good morning--

I am really in need of some advice. I have been on CPAP for over 4 weeks now and I have adjusted to it well, however I still have one problem that I have not been able to solve. Almost every night I am removing my mask and setting it next to me for 1.5 to 2 hours (from the data off my machine) and then I put it back on and wake up when my alarm goes off still wearing the mask. I have tried just about everything I have seen on this forum to keep my mask on to no avail. Wearing mittens worked for a while but now I wake up with them laying next to my pillow and my data shows that I removed my mask and then put it back on. I have NO recollection of doing this at all.

I have tried taping the head gear to my cheek, doesn't wake me at all I just tear it off and keep sleeping. I consistently wear my mask for about 45 minutes before I go to sleep and I am very comfortable wearing it, it doesn't bother me.

Are there any other suggestions out there for me to try? I want to be compliant soooo bad and the nights I keep my mask on the entire night I feel fantastic in the morning.

Would the Pap-Cap be another option?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Rome

[apneawho]

If you are able to go to lengths to take tape off your face then I think you may be able to take PapCap off in your sleep without recollection as well. My husband removes his mask too and never knows until he checks hours used during the night.
I think you are doing the right thing by wearing it before falling asleep and getting your brain comfortable with it. Do you take any sleep aids that might be allowing you to have no awareness or recall of taking mask off?

[Perrybucsdad]

First question... how do you feel?

Second question... what about tape (painters tape) around the back of your head so it is in your hair. Sounds harsh I know, but it may at least wake you up when you try and take it off.

[RomeinDNVR]

I stopped taking sleep aids about 2 weeks ago, while I was on them I had this same problem.

[RomeinDNVR]

Perry--

I feel tired... this is the 4th night in a row that I have not been 100% compliant and I am wore out.

I could try the tape in my hair, I am sure that would wake me up (unfortunately I am balding and it may just make that worse )

[Perrybucsdad]

Feeling tired makes it that much worse. I feel for you.

I guess the whole theory is to somehow prevent you from taking your mask off. I had that happen only once that I can tell. Damnedest thing in my book.

What about something like this over your mask??



Sorry... had to put that in there to keep ya smiling. We all have bad days/weeks and it;s up to each other to help the other out.

[apneawho]

I stopped taking sleep aids about 2 weeks ago, while I was on them I had this same problem.

I wonder if your problem will get better with time now that you aren't taking a sleeping pill? I have seen first hand and heard many people describe amnesia to events that occur during the night when they have taken certain sleeping pills.
It may be also that you are getting deeper, sounder sleep on cpap therapy and you don't remember taking mask off. My husband sometimes takes his mask off thinking he is getting up to go to bathroom, but falls back to sleep without the mask before he can even get up.

[RandyJ]

How about an ace bandage (cheap enough at the pharmacy) wound around your head from chin to top of head, OVER the headgear. That way you cannot get the mask completely off without unwrapping ace bandage??

[Perrybucsdad]

Or a ski mask, with the ace bandage over all of that. Just thinking the more layers the better.

[RomeinDNVR]

Great advice, thank you!

I have tried wearing a thin thermal ski mask over my head gear, with mittens on, and woke up with everything laying next to me. I seem to be quite stuborn when I sleep =)

I will pick up and ace bandage on my way home from work.

Thanks again for the advice.

[n0hardmask]

Feeling tired makes it that much worse. I feel for you.
What about something like this over your mask??
Sorry... had to put that in there to keep ya smiling. We all have bad days/weeks and it's up to each other to help the other out.

You know, I am having challenges with keeping my mouth closed - trying a chin strap was laughable. I glanced around and saw my Motorcycle helmet, and almost tried it. In winter the leather headset Perrybucsdad came up with wouldn't be as bad as in summer (10.5 mo of TX year.)
I hope you find something that works for you, RomeinDNVR.

[RomeinDNVR]

I will give the ace bandage/ski mask a try. Hopefully by the time Summer rolls back around I won't need to wear anything extra to keep my mask on...

I will update Monday on how things went this weekend, it is really crazy what we have to do to stay compliant... but I know it is worth it, I need this therapy.

Thanks again.

Rome

[archangle]

I think people don't really remove the mask in their sleep. I think they wake up and while groggy and feeling bad decide to take the mask off, go back to sleep, and then just don't remember it because they forget it when they go back to sleep. I think it's like people who turn their alarm clock off and don't get up.

If I turn my alarm clock off when it rings and go back to sleep for a few hours, I may not remember it when I wake up. If something else wakes me up within an hour or so, I will remember turning the alarm clock off.

What's the difference? Maybe if you are sufficiently determined, you can make yourself stop taking your mask off.

If I have something that I really need or want to get to in the morning, I can resist the urge to keep hitting the snooze button. If I make myself get up for just a few minutes and go to the bathroom or something, I'm a lot less likely to turn the alarm off and go back to bed.

See if you can tell yourself that if you take the mask off, you're going to get up, go into the kitchen, get a drink of water or something such that you're fully awake before going back to bed without the mask.

[Janknitz]

Romie,

It might be worthwhile to take a closer look at your data. Perhaps the pressure is not adequate when you get into REM sleep, and you have the wherewithall to remove the mask because you're not getting enough air. Or maybe you're leaking so much at that point that you aren't getting enough pressure. Or perhpas the pressure is so high it disturbs your sleep?

There's a reason your subconscious is doing this, I'm thinking it's more than a matter of getting used to the mask. The data may help us see the whole picture more clearly.

Also, the thought occurred to me--are you CERTAIN the mask comes off for 1 to 2 hours and then goes back on??? Or could it be a glitch in the machine that it just stops recording data for 2 hours? Is the tape disturbed when you tape the mask to your face?

If you can really accomplish all that in your sleep (especially putting it back on!), perhaps you should put a puzzle or something beside the bed for your very active subconscious to play with while you get some sleep.

[Perrybucsdad]

I glanced around and saw my Motorcycle helmet, and almost tried it. In winter the leather headset Perrybucsdad came up with wouldn't be as bad as in summer (10.5 mo of TX year.)

Might be less embarrassing using a motorcycle helmet too as I'm thinking you would need to go to an S&M shop for that leather thing above.

Then again, if you are going the S&M shop route, you might as well just have your mate handcuff you so you can't take the mask off.