Feeling 'distant'

[Lugnut]

When I go to sleep at night, I feel distant to things around me as I feel I am hearing myself breath more than anything. I feel that maybe I am not hearing other things in the house.. I feel isolated to my area.. almost anxiety.. but not that bad..

I feel if my wife gets up to tend to our 4 year old daughter, that I need to take it off and listen etc of what is going on.
almost a guilty feeling as I know she hears her probably before me. She has been sick the last few nights so not sleeping well and I feel bad my wife is having to attend to it.

How does my wife feel? She is ok with it. She says she rather her me breathing a little bit, than the noises and snoring I was doing before.

But when I first got on the CPAP, I felt I was forced to listen to me breath and it was somewhat hard. I'd almost go into a panic attack. But much better now. So I am hoping this distance feeling I have wearing it goes away as well......

[quietmorning]

I run an air purifier in the room and or a fan - that white noise prevents me from hearing my own breath and keeps that feeling of being in the room instead of in my head. The other night I forgot to turn it on - and was already in bed with my mask on before I noticed that it was off - immediately I had that 'in my head' effect. I don't like it either. I got up, turned off my machine and turned on the air purifier. Then went back to bed.

It's much less disturbing when my husband talks to me when I have some white noise going on in the room.

[qmx]

It definitely takes a bit of "getting used to" but as you realize the unbelievable benefits of getting health-restoring sleep, your whole family will benefit enormously. Stay with it friend ... and keep in touch with this forum for help, when you need it. DEAN

[chunkyfrog]

I like the way certain fragrances help my mind get into the right mood for sleep.
Yeah, it sounds goofy, but a drop of lavender essential oil on a cotton ball in a dish behind the intake is soothing.
I have used candle scent from Hobby Lobby and Pur-Sleep oils.
There are all kinds of little things to do that make this work--so it can do its amazing work.

[DavidCarolina]

Id say you should sleep soundly knowing youre breathing right.

In my experience, women have heightened hearing and intuition regarding any dangers and will hear it long before you do
even if youre not on pap.

If not a little watchdog like we have might work.

[Lugnut]

Thanks everyone.

Great tips.

I do like I can come here and post my feelings and within mins normally get some resonses. Feels good.

I've been on it for about a week now. So, I have noticed I am not as tired in the morning. I also notice that come 2-3pm, I am not dead tired. Ready to pass out at work. Falling asleep at work.. haha Much more enegry.

I've always had a positive attitude toward this. Knowing it's only going to help me.

I have found if I lay down and watch a little TV and relax myself before I actually put on the mask, I do better.
I try to think of things in my head to try to get me off thinking of my breathing.. it's working!

[DoriC]

Congrats! Sounds like you're doing great after only a week. Keep us posted on your progress. Hope your little one is feeling better.

[BlackSpinner]

When I go to sleep at night, I feel distant to things around me as I feel I am hearing myself breath more than anything. I feel that maybe I am not hearing other things in the house.. I feel isolated to my area.. almost anxiety.. but not that bad....

That is interesting. I learned meditation by listening to my breathing, so hearing my breath is a relaxing sound. But you are right that if you focus on it, all the other things recede into the background - of course that is why we were taught to listen to our breath.

[jweeks]

When I go to sleep at night, I feel distant to things around me as I feel I am hearing myself breath more than anything. I feel that maybe I am not hearing other things in the house.. I feel isolated to my area.. almost anxiety.. but not that bad..

Lugnut,

I had the same feelings when I first got started, and still do every once in a while. I felt like if someone broke into the house, I wasn't going to hear it. I found that it helped me to run a fan to give some background noise. One would think that would make the problem worse by masking even more of the noise, so I am not sure why it helped.

Since I use logic almost to a fault, I finally decided that better sleep was worth the risk of missing something that was important but unlikely to ever happen. For example, if someone breaks into my house once every 20 years, am I willing to give up 7,300 good nights of sleep to hear that one break-in? Thinking about it, I'd rather have the 7,300 nights of good sleep. In addition, there is no guarantee that I would hear a break-in if I was sleeping without CPAP. Once I realized this, my need to hear things evaporated. If there is something that I need to know, either a police officer will knock on my door, or it will be published in the newspaper. I am OK with that.

On your other point, you can bet that your wife is thrilled that you are sleeping better. She might not have told you, but you can bet that she was scared and concerned about what would happen to you over time. The best gift that you can give her is to make this treatment work. There are probably other things that you can do for her to make up for the times that she gets up during the night.

-john-

[quietmorning]

When I go to sleep at night, I feel distant to things around me as I feel I am hearing myself breath more than anything. I feel that maybe I am not hearing other things in the house.. I feel isolated to my area.. almost anxiety.. but not that bad..

Lugnut,

I had the same feelings when I first got started, and still do every once in a while. I felt like if someone broke into the house, I wasn't going to hear it. I found that it helped me to run a fan to give some background noise. One would think that would make the problem worse by masking even more of the noise, so I am not sure why it helped.

Since I use logic almost to a fault, I finally decided that better sleep was worth the risk of missing something that was important but unlikely to ever happen. For example, if someone breaks into my house once every 20 years, am I willing to give up 7,300 good nights of sleep to hear that one break-in? Thinking about it, I'd rather have the 7,300 nights of good sleep. In addition, there is no guarantee that I would hear a break-in if I was sleeping without CPAP. Once I realized this, my need to hear things evaporated. If there is something that I need to know, either a police officer will knock on my door, or it will be published in the newspaper. I am OK with that.

On your other point, you can bet that your wife is thrilled that you are sleeping better. She might not have told you, but you can bet that she was scared and concerned about what would happen to you over time. The best gift that you can give her is to make this treatment work. There are probably other things that you can do for her to make up for the times that she gets up during the night.

-john-

We live in a SOLID brick house - where the interior walls are a foot and a half thick of brick. We can't hear each other if we turn the corner. . . but it's amazing what I can still hear over my air purifier and fan. . .and sometimes my air purifier, fan AND window air-conditioner. But what I CAN'T hear if have my breath overriding everything. I've always been able to hear the outside much better when I have white noise going on in the room. If I don't, it all gets lost in the sound of my breath for some reason.

[jnk]

The brain is noticing the new sound, the sound of your breathing with the machine. Once the brain files that under "the normal sound of going to sleep and sleeping well," it should relax and tune that sound out to listen for other sounds as you fall asleep and as you sleep. The brain is designed to tune out constants and to inform you of things that are out of the ordinary. Once the sensation of using the machine all night every night becomes fully ordinary, the brain will ignore that sensation and begin informing you of other things that it notices.

[Sheriff Buford]

Lug: I had a "moment" when I first started therapy. I was getting ready for bed and I looked at my machine and wondered, "What have I got myself in to?... and is this what my life has become?" It was a little "feeling sorry for myself moment" but I got over it. There are some great folks here that have and will offer wonderful advise. Good - sound practical advise along with sharing feelings and even if you feel like venting. We've all been there and you will thank everyday you have cpap therapy and complying with it.

[Resister]

Yep--I totally get that feeling. And I thought I was nuts for worrying about not hearing someone break in once I started having the fan on to drown out my breathing. (Also fall asleep with the TV set on timer.) Thankfully, it looks like I'm in good company, and it's true--better to have the 7300 nights of good sleep.