Why I love my CPAP

[Suddenly Worn Out]

1) Because it got my hypertension under control

2) because I can now sleep thru the night without sweating, waking up repeatedly, without waking up ALWAYS with bloodshot eyes, i dont wake up with bad headaches anymore

3) no more waking up with a dry mouth or a sore throat

4) no longer feeling so irritable during the day I wanted to isolate myself due to the fact my irritability was so severe

5) sleep is more restorative feeling, more like it "felt like" when I was a young man

6) no more waking up twisted into weird shapes on the bed or waking up with my covers on the floor or my bed pushed a foot from the wall

7) more energy

no more shortness of breath and chest pain (YEAH!!!!)

9) can exercise pretty normally again now

10) helped my mood

11) dont feel confused and "in a haze" like I went around in for years before CPAP

12) BECAUSE I NOW WAKE UP FEELING LIKE I ACTUALLY GOT SOME REAL SLEEP!!!!


Eric

[JohnO]

Nice!

Good positive points to watch out for as people start the CPAP journey.

John

[cherylgrrl]

Wonderful post! Very encouraging for people having trouble adjusting. I've had a fairly easy time of it, even though I've been through 3 machines and 9 masks! The main difference I can see is my AHI from the SleepyHead reports, but that's huge! From an AHI of 107 in my first sleep test to an average of 0-3 AHI now. I'm sleeping an average of 9 hours per night after 3 months of therapy, so I might still be making up my deficit.

So my list would be:

1. I don't feel I need that late afternoon cappucino any more.
2. I don't worry about dying in my sleep.

[Java]

Excellent progress! For me I am coming along a bit slower. So far the only big difference I notice is I don't wake up with my heart pounding out of my chest and and the morning headaches are gone. That alone is enough reason to continue CPAP for me. I still wake up every 2 hours and I still feel exhausted, but I won't give up! Thanks for your encouraging post Eric!

[Janknitz]

1. I don't fear falling asleep behind the wheel anymore.

2. When I wake up, I wake up slowly, calmly, peacefully. No more bolting out of bed in full panic mode, mind racing.

3. I can see an entire movie without falling asleep.

4. I can watch an entire t.v. show without falling asleep.

5. I can sleep through the entire night.

6. No more reflux and waking up feeling like I'm going to drown.

[Java]

1.

2. When I wake up, I wake up slowly, calmly, peacefully. No more bolting out of bed in full panic mode, mind racing.

Hmmm I have that really bad. I wake up and bolt out of bed. I never wake up and lay there and think about getting out of bed. I basically wake up on my feet thinking, "What's going on!?"
I didn't know it was a symptom of OSA

[KEQ5]

I no longer have to get up 3x-5x per night to piddle.

I can stay awake during the day when nothing is going on (such as sitting and waiting at a doctor office, or those 2pm doldrums).

[Tigger]

I could not agree more with KEQ5. I can not remember that last time I needed to get up in the middle of the night to (as KEQ5 said) piddle. In fact, when do finally arise from my slumber, my bladder void is not a whole lot.

[Java]

I no longer have to get up 3x-5x per night to piddle.

I'm waiting for the day I finally sleep threw the night without having to get up 4-6 times to pee. I'm going to have a huge party to celebrate and you are all invited!

[chunkyfrog]

I am ALIVE! I FEEL alive! I'm GLAD to be alive!
(the above three statements are compliments of a little extra air, every night)

[northernsealcoating.rw@gmail.com]

I am 31 years old had been telling the doctors since I was 18 I was waking up during the night and my heart was pounding and had horrible headaches calls they did was say I was anxious and kept shoving valuim, Xanax, and blood pressure medicine down my throat. I finally got a doctor to set me up with a sleep study and I have sleep apnea, I went to the second consultation last night and they let me sleep with the clap I finally felt like a normal person this morning no horrible headaches or heart thumps. I can't wait to get my machine Monday I feel like its going to change my life.

[ughwhatname]

Thanks for starting this thread. I've found the waking in the night all sweaty has disappeared, I have less "piddle" breaks during the night, I'm not at risk of falling asleep during management meetings, and many other benefits.

I feel badly when I hear of folks who give up before they see benefit.

1) Because it got my hypertension under control

2) because I can now sleep thru the night without sweating, waking up repeatedly, without waking up ALWAYS with bloodshot eyes, i dont wake up with bad headaches anymore

3) no more waking up with a dry mouth or a sore throat

4) no longer feeling so irritable during the day I wanted to isolate myself due to the fact my irritability was so severe

5) sleep is more restorative feeling, more like it "felt like" when I was a young man

6) no more waking up twisted into weird shapes on the bed or waking up with my covers on the floor or my bed pushed a foot from the wall

7) more energy

no more shortness of breath and chest pain (YEAH!!!!)

9) can exercise pretty normally again now

10) helped my mood

11) dont feel confused and "in a haze" like I went around in for years before CPAP

12) BECAUSE I NOW WAKE UP FEELING LIKE I ACTUALLY GOT SOME REAL SLEEP!!!!


Eric

[archangle]

I can't wait to get my machine Monday I feel like its going to change my life.

Be thankful you got here before you picked up your CPAP.

Have you read enough on this board to know how not to get screwed by the DME (CPAP salesman)? If you just show up an don't know which machines you need to get, you'll probably get royally screwed and your treatment will suffer.

Check the links in my signature line. There quite a few CPAP machines you should not accept, and you can probably get the right machine if you know how to deal with the DME. Don't trust your doctor to watch out for your interests either.

[zoocrewphoto]

I was really surprised to see how many of my symptoms were caused by sleep apnea. I thought they were unrelated problems. For example, the gasping and choking. For a long time, I thought it was just acid reflux. Then I thought it was my asthma. Only after I filled out the questionnaire for the sleep study did I realize it was connected.

The bathroom trips. I go a lot during the day, so I assumed it was the same thing during the night. But now, I usually only have 1 trip at night. And on a few blessed nights, none at all.

The headaches. Not every night, by any means. Thinking back, it was more of the longer nights. Which makes sense. The longer I was asleep, the more apneas I experienced.

I also sleep better in hotels. I have always had trouble sleeping in hotels. I am used to sleeping at a later time, so sleeping earlier is a challenge. And I sleep at home in a waterbed, so hotel beds are not what I am used to. I take my own pillow and a blanket to put inside the bed, like a sleeping bag for me. I sleep in blankets at home too as I don't like being cold. So, I just assumed that those were the reasons I struggle to sleep in hotels. Awake a good portion of every hour. But now, with my cpap machine, I sleep pretty darned well in hotels. Almost as good as at home.

[Sheriff Buford]

Great thread... glad we are getting back to cpap info and not trying to solve world problems. Still want my twinkie, tho.... Sheriff