New User Exhausted Next Day

Hello, I'm new to the CPAP world this will be my third night on my machine. Yesterday and today I was/am exhausted, more than without the machine. I will keep using it because I know (hope) that eventually the treatment will work. I'm curious as to other people's experiences when they started.
I didn't meet the requirements during the sleep study during the first half of the night to use a CPAP there, but the second part I sure did, so I was given an AutoPAP.
The first night it seemed as if I slept ok, woke up feeling ok, but as the morning & day went on I was sleeping at my desk more than ever. Today I woke up tired, also sleeping at work.
Is this a normal thing when first using the machine? On average how long does this last?
I would greatly appreciate any help.

Thanks

My machine is: ResMed AirSense 10 Autosense 10-20 with a ramp of 6 humidifier set at 6
Mask: F&P Eson nasal mask

Hi - do you know for sure that you don't sleep with your mouth open all night, losing the Apap air? If you do that, you won't feel better and your numbers will be high. But there could be lots of other reasons you don't yet feel well (apart from trying to make up for years of not being well all at once ). The best way to check what's going on from many aspects of what happens overnight is to download SleepyHead (free) software reports to Imgur.com and leave a link here in this thread so we can take a look. It may be that pressures need tweaking, your mask needs changing, sleep position adjusted, etc. so SH is the quickest way to find out.

It took me a few weeks to feel the full benefits. i was so sleep deprived, it took time to catch up.

HDG1962 wrote:Hello, I'm new to the CPAP world this will be my third night on my machine. Yesterday and today I was/am exhausted, more than without the machine. I will keep using it because I know (hope) that eventually the treatment will work. I'm curious as to other people's experiences when they started.
I didn't meet the requirements during the sleep study during the first half of the night to use a CPAP there, but the second part I sure did, so I was given an AutoPAP.
The first night it seemed as if I slept ok, woke up feeling ok, but as the morning & day went on I was sleeping at my desk more than ever. Today I woke up tired, also sleeping at work.
Is this a normal thing when first using the machine? On average how long does this last?
I would greatly appreciate any help.

Thanks

My machine is: ResMed AirSense 10 Autosense 10-20 with a ramp of 6 humidifier set at 6
Mask: F&P Eson nasal mask

You won't be able to feel the benefits until you get your therapy tweaked......using software. That includes getting your pressure(s) dialed in, leaks minimized, getting enough sleep and many other things. If you're only getting the minimum number of hours per night, that's not nearly enough.
It also takes time......weeks, months......to pay off your sleep debt. And, again, probably a minimum of 7 hours or more per night.

And, if your pressures are bouncing around all night and you're frequently waking up, it could be the pressure changes bumping you out of your needed sleep stages and into lighter ones.


Den

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Julie wrote: The best way to check what's going on from many aspects of what happens overnight is to download SleepyHead (free) software reports to Imgur.com and leave a link here in this thread so we can take a look.

It does take time for the body to adjust.....follow Julie's advice...

Clinician. manual
keep following the links and then Scroll down to Section Three your machine is there just follow instructions and they will email it to you.
https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/docs

Free Sleepyhead software:
http://www.sleepfiles.com/SH2/?TestingVersions

Here, in order, will show you how to take sleephead images and post them to Captalk.com:
https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead/shorganize
https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepy ... screenshot
https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/tips/imgur

Here are some links that will help...

Jane Jetson's comment about catching up on your sleep after being sleep deprived for so long is supported by a number of studies.

I've been on CPAP for a few months now and some days were far worse than when I just slept without CPAP. Those were the nights where I got sleep with xPAP but it wasn't consistent sleep. I felt like absolute crap and sitting at my desk during the day was awful. As a PE teacher the opportunity to get outside took away some of this, I found I could function in an active environment.

My AHI numbers have been consistently below 5 for over a month now and while I feel different during the day I ofyen still feel tired. I see this as my body trying to catch up on the sleep it has missed for so long. At this point, while writing this post I could happily fall asleep at the computer and when I've finished I'll go to bed. The tiredness that I'm feeling does not feel fatigue based (and we all know about that) but more like, let's get to sleep! It's a delicious feeling and maybe my body is starting to respond well to xPAP therapy.

So, off to bed now. I know I'll wake after 2 hours but then get back to sleep again to give me the 8 hours or more that I know my body needs.

It takes a while for most. And some tweaking. They have given you the resources above to take control of and monitor your therapy. The key is optimizing your therapy, which could take months or years through the doctors, is to expend the effort to educate and take control yourself. It took me about three months to get it "right", and then several weeks of consistent therapy to feel consistently better. There are still bumps in the road, but I feel WAY better overall than I did six months ago. Good luck.

I'm two years in and still feel wiped out. AHIs under 1; used "Sleepyhead", set the pressure up, set the pressure down.........

You may have to learn to live with it; the "gold standard" isn't so golden for many of us.

The first month your mind needs to accept this as safe to use. It may not allow you to sleep deeply because you have this strange thing on your face and it knows you have a history of trying to die in your sleep.

You are trying to build a new habit. It takes time.

Thanks everyone, all of the input is greatly appreciated. I will download the Sleepyhead on the main computer and go from there.

My doctor didn't say anything about tweaking the numbers or following on line. I am going to try sleepyhead so I can maximize my benefits.

Jane Jetson wrote:My doctor didn't say anything about tweaking the numbers or following on line. I am going to try sleepyhead so I can maximize my benefits.

Many of the doctors don't even know about Sleepyhead, or know that we all monitor our own sleep with the software, and tweak our settings to maximize the therapy. It is really kind of shocking how underinformed they are about this condition. I have by far gotten the best input and advice here.

That is sadly true. I think I was the first patient that my doctor had seen diagnosed with sleep apnea and she is in her 50s. She was so impressed with the improvements that she is going to look out for other patients that may have it. No one cares as much about your health as you. That is doubly true for his profit motivated sector of health care. An AHI of less than 5 is considered treated but I can notice a world of difference in my nights near 1.0 and my nights closer to 4.

HDG1962 wrote:Hello, I'm new to the CPAP world this will be my third night on my machine. Yesterday and today I was/am exhausted, more than without the machine. I will keep using it because I know (hope) that eventually the treatment will work. I'm curious as to other people's experiences when they started.
I didn't meet the requirements during the sleep study during the first half of the night to use a CPAP there, but the second part I sure did, so I was given an AutoPAP.
The first night it seemed as if I slept ok, woke up feeling ok, but as the morning & day went on I was sleeping at my desk more than ever. Today I woke up tired, also sleeping at work.
Is this a normal thing when first using the machine? On average how long does this last?
I would greatly appreciate any help.

Thanks

My machine is: ResMed AirSense 10 Autosense 10-20 with a ramp of 6 humidifier set at 6
Mask: F&P Eson nasal mask

From one new user to another (I'm now on my 15th night), you have to give it time. 2 nights ago was the first time I was able to sleep over 6 hours with the mask on.

Just don't give up and I'm sure it can only get better (that's what I'm telling myself).

It does get better. The first month is just getting used to sleeping with it. As long as you stick to it, it will become second nature. It takes time, and a mask you can live with.