Alright, I'm excited for everyone who thinks cpap is a gift from the heavens. I happen to be in the category of been there, done that, unplugged it and put it up on the shelf.
Some of you won't appreciate this, but after weeks of trying to get used to cpap, I shelved the idea. I happen to be one of those who can't sleep as it is, and I don't need cpap to be prevent me from getting what little sleep I do get.. I take plenty of meds just to get to sleep, and all the cpap did was ensure I never would get any rest.
Enough with did you try this mask or that, what pressure did you have it at, on and on. It didn't / doesn't work for me. Get it? Got it? Good!
Now, does anyone else have an issue with shutting down so you can get to sleep? Not more tea, more drugs, or beautiful music before you hit the pillow. One hurdle at a time. First, I want to get to sleep. Once someone can get me there, I'll consider the cpap again.
Sweet dreams everyone.
gb
Just getting to sleep
8 posts
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Guest
gary--
i have to take meds to get to sleep and it's been disappointing that in my month back on cpap, except for last nite and maybe tonite i still need the meds. the last two nites have been a bit of encouragement there, although i'll be fine if i still need the meds. the thing is, when everything is working on cpap, i need much less sleep and have much more energy. one thing at a time. you may expect too much and perhaps too soon.
caroline
i have to take meds to get to sleep and it's been disappointing that in my month back on cpap, except for last nite and maybe tonite i still need the meds. the last two nites have been a bit of encouragement there, although i'll be fine if i still need the meds. the thing is, when everything is working on cpap, i need much less sleep and have much more energy. one thing at a time. you may expect too much and perhaps too soon.
caroline
Gary, 'way back when.......before I ever HEARD of sleep apnea, I had various things going on in my life that tended to keep me awake at night. I tried a few things, and here's some that worked for me.......(self)-guided imagery, where I sort of 'daydreamed 'myself the perfect, calm senario......often acompanied by 'nature music' played at a very low, barely audible level, or,and this I still do, read for a while, say half an hour before turning out the light. No coffee or tea in the evening helped too. All these things help get the brain into neutral for a while and settled down.
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gary bankston
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:52 pm
All I really expect / need is a decent nights sleep. The first sleep study was done with no drugs and no cpap. I never reached REM sleep, and fell into the severe category of sleep apnea. Less than 9 minutes of what the doc considered rest.
The second sleep study was done with Lunesta. Results: in 9 hours I got 3 minutes total of REM sleep. Again, less than 10 minutes of rest. The doc was concerned.
Third sleep study: with cpap/drugs. No REM sleep, less than 5 minutes of rest. The doc is in panic. The lady monitoring me couldn't believe that I never even relaxed. We chatted all night.
I actually own a ResMed Compact cpap machine, and I've tried all the masks, different headgear, different headgear tensions to hold the masks, and religiously used it every night until I was so tired I took it off, stayed home one day, and as wierd as it seems, slept all day.
I understand apnea can kill me, but so can going plenty long without sleep. It may even result in others deaths. I'll take what I can get in un-interupted sleep.
The second sleep study was done with Lunesta. Results: in 9 hours I got 3 minutes total of REM sleep. Again, less than 10 minutes of rest. The doc was concerned.
Third sleep study: with cpap/drugs. No REM sleep, less than 5 minutes of rest. The doc is in panic. The lady monitoring me couldn't believe that I never even relaxed. We chatted all night.
I actually own a ResMed Compact cpap machine, and I've tried all the masks, different headgear, different headgear tensions to hold the masks, and religiously used it every night until I was so tired I took it off, stayed home one day, and as wierd as it seems, slept all day.
I understand apnea can kill me, but so can going plenty long without sleep. It may even result in others deaths. I'll take what I can get in un-interupted sleep.
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kteague
Decent night's sleep
Gary,
You remind me of a friend of mine, and the prolonged sleep deprivation is wearing him down also. He can sleep only as morning approaches, but then the family schedule requires getting right back up except on the weekends. He lives for Saturdays. I'm wondering about the quality of your sleep on the day you stayed home and slept all day. If that were your schedule, would you sleep every day or was that just the exhaustion? Since you asked, I'd like to just throw out some thoughts - not necessarily for you to answer for me, but the answers could, as with me, help lead your doctors to more effective treatment.
1) Insomnia versus Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome?
2) When in bed at night, do you doze fitfully - hovering close to both
awake and asleep - or can you not go to sleep at all? Turned out for me
that my fitful sleep time was due to undiagnosed Periodic Limb Movement.
3) If your sleep apnea is preventing your REM sleep, only treating the apnea will give you the restorative rest you need. If you must, stay up till you crash, but use that daytime sleep to adjust to the machine.
Please, Gary, do not give up yet. I remember the desperation of almost longing for a need for surgery just so I could sleep. I would have risked anesthesia for a few hours of shut-down. My docs were initially willing to make attempts at figuring out my problems, but needed prodded to go to the next level. For lack of a definitive diagnosis, I was labeled "most likely has Fibromyalgia" to explain away the fatigue, joint and muscle pain and sleep problems. So I had to explicitly say to my docs, "I need answers. Don't stop until you've got answers". With every non-answer, my response was, "What's next?"
This sleep disorder stuff is complex, and I'd venture to say most folks are like us and will have a journey rather than a sprint to relief. I am encouraged by the stories of quick successes, or any successes. I may be envious and frustrated, but I need to believe that it CAN happen.
You can't sleep? If one thing doesn't work, ask what's next ... as many times as it takes.
Best Wishes!
Kathy
[/i]
You remind me of a friend of mine, and the prolonged sleep deprivation is wearing him down also. He can sleep only as morning approaches, but then the family schedule requires getting right back up except on the weekends. He lives for Saturdays. I'm wondering about the quality of your sleep on the day you stayed home and slept all day. If that were your schedule, would you sleep every day or was that just the exhaustion? Since you asked, I'd like to just throw out some thoughts - not necessarily for you to answer for me, but the answers could, as with me, help lead your doctors to more effective treatment.
1) Insomnia versus Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome?
2) When in bed at night, do you doze fitfully - hovering close to both
awake and asleep - or can you not go to sleep at all? Turned out for me
that my fitful sleep time was due to undiagnosed Periodic Limb Movement.
3) If your sleep apnea is preventing your REM sleep, only treating the apnea will give you the restorative rest you need. If you must, stay up till you crash, but use that daytime sleep to adjust to the machine.
Please, Gary, do not give up yet. I remember the desperation of almost longing for a need for surgery just so I could sleep. I would have risked anesthesia for a few hours of shut-down. My docs were initially willing to make attempts at figuring out my problems, but needed prodded to go to the next level. For lack of a definitive diagnosis, I was labeled "most likely has Fibromyalgia" to explain away the fatigue, joint and muscle pain and sleep problems. So I had to explicitly say to my docs, "I need answers. Don't stop until you've got answers". With every non-answer, my response was, "What's next?"
This sleep disorder stuff is complex, and I'd venture to say most folks are like us and will have a journey rather than a sprint to relief. I am encouraged by the stories of quick successes, or any successes. I may be envious and frustrated, but I need to believe that it CAN happen.
You can't sleep? If one thing doesn't work, ask what's next ... as many times as it takes.
Best Wishes!
Kathy
[/i]
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pharmwoman
- Posts: 157
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 3:04 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Contact:
wow, i really empathize with you, I am one of those insomniacs who could take enough pills to kill a large beast(lol) and Im still awake--and I am a tiny person!!! I was extremely extremely angry and frustrated with the whole cpap thing--am still on many days-its a pain!! I cant sleep already!!
someone on this board told me to make cpap my friend, and thats what I am trying to do and I have betgter success now--its still a struggle, and I still am amazed at what "normal" people take for granted............but hopefully if you are very aggressive about your treatment(my hubby calls me a nitemare patient) you will get the answers you seek.good luck and I do understand what youre going thru!!!
someone on this board told me to make cpap my friend, and thats what I am trying to do and I have betgter success now--its still a struggle, and I still am amazed at what "normal" people take for granted............but hopefully if you are very aggressive about your treatment(my hubby calls me a nitemare patient) you will get the answers you seek.good luck and I do understand what youre going thru!!!
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Sleepless in St. Louis
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:12 am
- Location: St. Louis
For me, my insomnia tendencies mostly went away once I was treated for depression (it's the family curse, along with OSA.) Something to consider if you have not already. It's a chicken and egg thing. Are you not sleeping because you're depressed, or are you depressed because you're not sleeping? For me they fed off of each other and once one was treated they both fell in line.
Good luck.
tim
Good luck.
tim
gary-
i can see that i was not entirely clear last night, perhaps because for once, i was actually sleepy. but what i meant to say was that you have two issues going on--getting to sleep and what happens when you sleep. at least initially, cpap only helps with the latter. cpap only gives you better sleep once you get to sleep, and that only happens once you've gotten the whole mask etc. drill down. then it may come back and help you with the getting to sleep problem.
you can give up. but then you havent done anything about the problem.
you say you have tons of equipment. but what are the specifics that are making it not work? what's the best mask, even with problems? or are you tearing off mask in middle of the night? rather than getting into this whole tirade about the procedure, which is frustrating for many people, why don't you deal with the specifics one by one?
i can see that i was not entirely clear last night, perhaps because for once, i was actually sleepy. but what i meant to say was that you have two issues going on--getting to sleep and what happens when you sleep. at least initially, cpap only helps with the latter. cpap only gives you better sleep once you get to sleep, and that only happens once you've gotten the whole mask etc. drill down. then it may come back and help you with the getting to sleep problem.
you can give up. but then you havent done anything about the problem.
you say you have tons of equipment. but what are the specifics that are making it not work? what's the best mask, even with problems? or are you tearing off mask in middle of the night? rather than getting into this whole tirade about the procedure, which is frustrating for many people, why don't you deal with the specifics one by one?
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caroline
8 posts
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