Woohoo! 7 hours straight!

[zoocrewphoto]

For the second time since I started April 30th, I slept 7 hours straight. Normally, I consider anything over 5 hours straight to be really good. Starting last Wednesday, I had 3 nights over 5 hours straight. Then 6 hours. Each nught still had another 1-3 hours agter the initial block of sleep. Then a couple challenging nights.

Then an awesome night last night. 7 hours plus another 0.8 after that.

It takes time, but it does improve with time and practice.

[kaiasgram]

Congrats, Zoo! So I can remain hopeful, right? -- I started in June.

[Denial Dave]

Way to go!!!!

[Starlette]

Totally awesome Zoocrewphoto . Congratulations!
Whatever you did last night, use that as an example to do every night.
I say let's toast to a night of sleep nirvana and to many more like it!

By looking at my journal, one wouldn't think "I am" heading in that direction. I am. For me it's been looking at those things that may be sleep stealers, and dealing with them one stealer at a time.

Starlette

[49er]

For the second time since I started April 30th, I slept 7 hours straight. Normally, I consider anything over 5 hours straight to be really good. Starting last Wednesday, I had 3 nights over 5 hours straight. Then 6 hours. Each nught still had another 1-3 hours agter the initial block of sleep. Then a couple challenging nights.

Then an awesome night last night. 7 hours plus another 0.8 after that.

It takes time, but it does improve with time and practice.

FANTASTIC!

49er

[mamagoober]

Great job! Congratulations!!

[DoriC]

Congrats, Zoo! Have you been doing anything different? And how are you feeling?

[porete]

CONGRATULATIONS!!

[zoocrewphoto]

Congrats, Zoo! So I can remain hopeful, right? -- I started in June.

Yup

I'll post a summary chart in a little bit. The past couple months have been really hard for me, consistency wise. I was taking it off in the middle of the night, then putting it on again later, missing a big chunk in the middle. For about 2 months, I was having leg pain that was waking me a lot. I've also been waking myself up with drooling.

Part of it has been eliminating the things that wake me up. I take aleve now for the leg pain, and it is working well. I can't really prevent the drooling, so either I am luckier some nights, or it takes more to wake me up. Part of it is just getting used to it and learning to sleep more deeply again. As a kid, I was a very deep sleeper. I could sleep through thunder storms.

[zoocrewphoto]

Congrats, Zoo! Have you been doing anything different? And how are you feeling?

I have worked to eliminate leg pain. My leg was waking me up multiple times a night from mid September to mid November. My primary doctor ignored it. I started taking aspirin which helped. Then I had my wisdom teeth out, and I had to stop the aspirin while I took tylenol for the mouth pain. I went two weeks without the aspirin, and my leg really started bothering me again. I was back on the aspirin for a few days when I went to my sleep doctor and asked for advice about the leg pain. He suggested I switch to aleve. Fewer pills, and works great.

Today, I felt good. Not as awesome as I felt last Sunday after the 3 days of 5 hours and then the day with 6 hours straight followed by another 2 1/2. I felt really awesome that day. I think today wasn't quite as awesome since I had a couple mediocre nights right before. I still felt pretty good though. Better than a normal day.

[Java]

For the second time since I started April 30th, I slept 7 hours straight. Normally, I consider anything over 5 hours straight to be really good. Starting last Wednesday, I had 3 nights over 5 hours straight. Then 6 hours. Each nught still had another 1-3 hours agter the initial block of sleep. Then a couple challenging nights.

Then an awesome night last night. 7 hours plus another 0.8 after that.

It takes time, but it does improve with time and practice.

Congratulations! That is awesome! So far my record is 4 hours and 44 minutes. I have been on CPAP for about 4 months now and I just keep hoping to break at least the 5 hour mark!

[zoocrewphoto]

For the second time since I started April 30th, I slept 7 hours straight. Normally, I consider anything over 5 hours straight to be really good. Starting last Wednesday, I had 3 nights over 5 hours straight. Then 6 hours. Each nught still had another 1-3 hours agter the initial block of sleep. Then a couple challenging nights.

Then an awesome night last night. 7 hours plus another 0.8 after that.

It takes time, but it does improve with time and practice.

Congratulations! That is awesome! So far my record is 4 hours and 44 minutes. I have been on CPAP for about 4 months now and I just keep hoping to break at least the 5 hour mark!

I am pretty impressed with hitting 5 hours too. They are still less common for me. I think my last 7 hour night was last May. I'd have to check. I've gotten many nights with a total of 7 hours, but not straight. And before CPAP, I can't remember anything that long. It's probably been at least 10 years, possibly a long time ago. I became a night owl when I started college. It is possible that my sleep apnea started back then too. I I really have no idea. I don't think I snored back then, but I rarely traveled then. So, I wouldn't have any witnesses to tell me. I know a few people have mentioned that the sleep apnea made them wary of sleeping, and thus pushing it back to a later time. It is possible that this is why I became a night owl, only I didn't know what I was avoiding sleep. At some point, it just became my normal, and I don't want to change it back. But I have noticed a few times since seeing those comments that if I don't feel like I will sleep well, I will keep finding things to do. I think the idea is that if I wait longer, I will be sleepier, and thus sleep better. But it really doesn't work that way.

I did have a really crappy night last night, but it was totally my fault. I ate ice cream with hot fudge and went to bed less than an hour later. That's a big no-no. And to make it worse, I forgot to take my zantac. I was up in half an hour with bad acid reflux. It took about 2 hours to go away, and I could not sleep. I had to stay upright, or it would get worse again. I finally got some sleep, but it was short, strange dreams, and just not great. I'm about to go to bed now, and hopefully, it should be much better. I haven't eaten in hours, and I got a lot accomplished.

[Sheriff Buford]

Good job Zoo! I feel so blessed at not having the troubles you and other folks have trying to adjust to wearing the mask. I certainly hope you can sleep longer with success! Maybe it was your little Christmas present! If it was, it'll be a big one.

Still love your Avatar... is that your cat?

Sheriff

[Sir NoddinOff]

Congrats... that's the way to do it Zoocrewphoto.

Problems pop up from time to time then you simply have to address them as best you can. Jot down notes of your progress and keep touching base with the forum. I also like your stick-to-it-attitude. Lot's of newbies can learn from that. Most of the survivors still around these days on CPAPtalk learned how to be tenacious problem solvers a long time ago.

Now, if my walnut sized bladder would hold more than five hours of pee, I'd be a really happy guy.

[zoocrewphoto]

Good job Zoo! I feel so blessed at not having the troubles you and other folks have trying to adjust to wearing the mask. I certainly hope you can sleep longer with success! Maybe it was your little Christmas present! If it was, it'll be a big one.

Still love your Avatar... is that your cat?

Sheriff

Last night was great again. 6.4 hours. I started drooling, and tried to dry it once (I stuff a kleenex under the seal with my finger, and sometimes that works enough). It didn't help, and I started leaking more. I had less than an hour before getting up, so I took it off. I couldn't sleep, so I got up after half an hour, before my snooze alarm even started. But I was very happy with the 6.4. I am really pleased to see more consistent sleep with the machine.

Yes, that is my kitty. One of them. I have photos of all my zoo crew here:

http://www.zoocrewphoto.com/zoocrew.htm

The tabby at the top is actually an angel (has been for over a year now, but I haven't moved him to the angel section). Quinn has shown in the household pet class at cat shows for a couple seasons (she even got regional awards). She and Jay Jay go as pet me cats for spectators to pet. They are both Ragdolls, but not show quality. And nobody in my region is showing Ragdolls, so this is a fun way to travel with my cats and let people see and pet Ragdolls.