Disappointed

I have used my new cpap machine for two nights now. I am very pleased that I have not had any major problems adjusting, I seem to be sleeping pretty well. I do wake up a bit because my mouth has dropped open, or because the mask feels a little funny, but it is not bad at all, and the second night was definitely better than the first.
In talking to some other people that also have sleep apnea, several have said that their daytime sleepiness was better right away after starting cpap. Although I think I probably do feel a bit better first thing in the morning (it is easier to get out of bed), I am still sleepy during the day, and in fact fell asleep during a business meeting this morning. Terribly embarrassing.
Would anyone else be willing to share their experiences with me? Did it take awhile before you felt back to normal after starting cpap? If so, how long? I know that I am no longer snoring like I was, so I would have to assume that the cpap is successful, but why am I still so darn tired during the day?
Thanks!
-Carol

Hi Carol,

Many people do get major improvement right away, however, from some of us it takes time.

In my case it's been a process that has taken time. I would say that I felt a little better every day. Was it a huge improvement right off? Absolutely not. I would say that after about a month the major exhaustion had lifted. Sure I was still tired, but nowhere near as bad. I did find myself still tired with no energy after six weeks so I talked to my doctor and she increased my pressure. After that, a couple more weeks, and a new mask that had a lot (and I mean a lot) less leaks, I woke up one more and I was even an itsy bit tired. Talk about awesome and shocking. I've had quite a few ups and downs since then. I finally got my new APAP last Tuesday and already feel 100% better. You see I was starting to feel tired again so I thought maybe I should get a machine so I can see what's going on. Maybe my pressure is too low or even high. Anyway, today I feel good. Yesterday I felt great, however, I also know I had a little bit more sleep.

Ok, some things that may help you:

1. You need to work on not opening your mouth at night. When this happens all your treatment is leaving your body with no benefits. You may want to try a chinstrap or even taping your mouth. Some of us have been able to train ourselves to keep our mouth shut.

2. Mask leaks will decrease the effectiveness of your treatment. My pressure is high...originally 14 and then 16. I have no idea what it's averaging right now. Anyway, I had a major problem with mask leaks until I got my fifth and last mask.

3. Good sleep habits. By this I mean trying to keep yourself on a good schedule during the week so you go to bed almost the same time. This will help your body get better adjusted. Also make sure you are getting enough sleep at night. Everyone is different. For instance, I need a good solid 8 hours of sleep a night. Now last night I got to bed a little later than I wanted so I ended up with a little over 7 hours of sleep. I feel ok, but a smidgeon tired. Now on the weekends I go to bed an hour later, however, I also get up later too.

I hope this helps. I was where you are at last September and now I'm doing good. It does take time in some instances, but it is so worth it.

Best of luck and let us know how you're doing.

Melinda

hi carol.
i too am still having problems after eleven months..i am tired all day and usually pass out watching television....i am a mouth breather and thinking of trying a full face mask,maybe this would help you too..

i am a mouth breather and thinking of trying a full face mask

Good idea, glenwood. Leaking treatment air out the mouth is like almost no treatment at all.

That's why I tape my mouth. So that I can use whatever mask I'm comfortable with. If I didn't tape, I'd have to use a FF mask all the time.

Glenwood, if you are still not feeling the benefits, you are either not getting enough pressure, not enough air because of leaks through mask or mouth, or not getting Deep Sleep, which is the restorative stage of sleep, that is very important to restoring your entire system and what is what really makes you feel better on CPAP. You might want to have a meeting with your Sleep Dr. to discuss this. It might call for another sleep study to determine it for sure, but if you can get it treated with the proper medication (there are several out there, and it took me three to find the right one), it will make a world of difference in your quality of sleep.