Falling asleep

Pat Kauffman · Post by **Pat Kauffman** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 8:26 am

I cannot fall asleep for hours or sometimes never with the mask on. I even took a sleeping pill that pre-cpap always put me to sleep. I have slept a total of 3 nights and that was after a night with 3hrs sleep and using a sleeping pill. I feel like I have to take really deep breaths to process the air. My ramp is at 4. I think I feel worse some days than before I started with the machine. I originally was tested because I have firbromyalgia. I am determined to get this to work for me.

Any suggestions?

battlin_blazes · Post by **battlin_blazes** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 9:10 am

what type of sleeping pill are you taking? my dr just prescribed ambien for my to try last night was my first night with it, I slept around 4 hours with it and the machine. I think what actually woke me was the pressure ramped up on the machine because when I woke it felt like it was ready to blow the mask right off my face. its not an easy road the best thing to do is stick with it and keep trying. you will eventually adjust. I notice personally the mask is getting easier to use, its only been one week for me. try sitting with it on for a half hour or so before going to bed and just get used to breathing with it and the feel on your face before you lay down for bed. from a mental stand point you have to tell yourself you can get used to it and its not so bad, otherwise youll just keep fighting it. I noticed at first I also wanted to take really deep breathes but I honestly think it was something in my mind was telling me to do that, like I should suck up the air while it was there because it was going to not be there on the next breathe. as a vol. fireman and working full time in a chemical plant i`ve used respirators my whole life, so it should come easy but it doesnt. just hang in there and remind yourself its not sooooo bad. good luck.

snoozin' · Post by **snoozin'** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:35 am

A lot of people have problems with the ramp when it is set at 4. That's how they originally set up my machine and I felt as though I couldn't breathe with it. I changed the ramp to start higher, and finally just turned the ramp off.
Turn the ramp off and try it, and if that pressure seems too high, then try using the ramp again, but set the start pressure at 6 or even 8.
Debbie

derek · Post by **derek** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 12:20 pm

I've had trouble falling asleep with both CPAP and APAP - but I think I found the problem four nights ago. The machine was on a nightstand about one foot from my head, and I found myself listening to the whoosh-whoosh sound of the air all night on the C-Flex inhale/exhale cycle. The fact that it was slaved to my breathing seemed to make it much more attention grabbing.
So - I put the machine on the floor beside the bed. I can't even hear it down there. What a difference in my ability to go to sleep, and to go right back to sleep after getting up!
I woke up last night at around 4am and thought "Geez - did I take the mask off and turn the machine off at some point without realizing it?" Everything was so peaceful. Then I put my hand up toward my face and felt the exhaust... The point is that I think the noise was a big thing in keeping me awake.
derek

Zees Pleez · Post by **Zees Pleez** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:02 pm

You might think I am a little bit "out there" and you could be right...

Have you tried any meditation or relaxation techniques? You don't have to get into the spiritual aspect, though I do think that helps for other reasons. But learning to relax, slow your breathing, tune out your surroundings and focus within will help you to get to sleep. My first night in the lab, with all the wires and whatnot in the strange environment, it took me 4 minutes to go to sleep. The addition of the mask for the titration study doubled that all the way to 8 minutes.

hopeful · Post by **hopeful** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:37 pm

If I recall the little I know about this, it means you may be in a great deal of pain, awake as well as asleep.

I think most of us on this forum really only know about sleep apnea.

You may want to focus more on your fibromyalgia and pain management if you feel as if this is the reason you don't sleep.

Just a thought -- our sympathies are certainly with you!

Hopeful -- and sending you lots of it !

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 2:56 pm

Zees, what a cool avatar! I think if that were hanging over the bed as a mobile, a lot of people could gaze at it and be soothed to sleep easily. Mesmerizing. I really like that. And the "gears" one Mikesus uses.

Zees Pleez · Post by **Zees Pleez** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 3:28 pm

rested gal wrote:Zees, what a cool avatar! I think if that were hanging over the bed as a mobile, a lot of people could gaze at it and be soothed to sleep easily. Mesmerizing. I really like that. And the "gears" one Mikesus uses.

Yeah, well I figured I sort of let the cat out of the bag as to my being one of those "chanchurmantra freaks" so I might as well set an avatar. If I was really brave I might use this one:

I got PIMed for some specific suggestions and figured I would go ahead and post my reply:

You might try this one:

http://www.deepsoundsleep.com/index.htm

It is specifically for improving sleep, costs less than $20 and has a full refund guarantee. I have not used that one. Most of the meditations I listen to are spiritual in nature and don't try to make you sleep. It is a side effect that you learn to "go there" easily.

If you are interested in the spiritual aspect, read on...

If I were looking for a CD on sleeping or meditation, this is probably where I would look (there are a couple of titles specific to that):

http://www.bighappybuddha.com/reai.html

And if I lean a little far to the East for your tastes, here is another site that has spirituality of many origins:

http://arebookstore.com/

Hugh Jass · Post by **Hugh Jass** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:16 am

A couple of years ago a bought a CD on Ebay which supposedly helps to change your brain waves to a delta phase which makes it easier to sleep.

It was a subliminal message CD that included a track for the delta wave change.

I have to say it helped me. My wife tried it and with similar results.

I just checked out ebay and don't see it anymore, but found somethings that look similar.

You want something that helps your brain switch to the delta wave pattern.

It may help you.

http://search.ebay.ca/insomnia-delta_W0 ... ageZsearch

Regards and good luck.

ps: The harder you try to sleep, the harder it is to do. Let it come naturally. If you go to bed and can't sleep, get up until you feel sleepy again. Also, hide your alarm clock (I have a piece of paper over the time).
I found for me it was a race to fall asleep, checking the time every 10 minutes and getting frustrated that I was still awake. The frustration and anxiety would keep me awake even longer.

Now I don't know and I don't care about the time when I fall asleep, and now I fall asleep fairly quick on most nights.

Zees Pleez · Post by **Zees Pleez** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:45 pm

Hugh Jass wrote:ps: The harder you try to sleep, the harder it is to do. Let it come naturally. If you go to bed and can't sleep, get up until you feel sleepy again. Also, hide your alarm clock (I have a piece of paper over the time).
I found for me it was a race to fall asleep, checking the time every 10 minutes and getting frustrated that I was still awake. The frustration and anxiety would keep me awake even longer.

Now I don't know and I don't care about the time when I fall asleep, and now I fall asleep fairly quick on most nights.

Don't go to sleep; let sleep come to you. Might sound like metaphysical babble, but it works for me. I do a nothingness or breath meditation. Thinking of nothing is really hard, so sometimes you concentrate on the breath to give your mind something to do that won't lead anywhere too interesting. When other thoughts come in, you don't follow them. Meditation is typically done sitting because it is really hard to stay awake if you do it lying down.

seanconnery · Post by **seanconnery** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:01 pm

Falling asleep is just that, 'falling'.

The only additional thing I might add to the above is what Lao Tse said,

"Try to float in water, you will sink, try to sink, you will float"

....try and stay awake

Falling asleep

Falling asleep

Fibromyalgia may be more central to your issues --