Naps...be careful

I know this topic has been discussed before. I just thought I'd give my own experience. 2 times in the last week I have been awakened at around 4:30 or 5am (After about 5 1/2 hours of good Bipap sleep) and I just lie there with my mask on for the next 40 minutes or so trying to go back to sleep. Not being able to fall back asleep, I take the mask off and lie there only to fall back asleep with my mouth taped for another 2 hours or so.

Man oh man do I feel TERRIBLE when I wake up. Headache, groggy, feeling like I never slept at all the prior night. Just like pre Bipap days.

Well I knew I was feeling better after 3 months of compliant bipap, but I didn't realize just how much better until this little set back. I can only assume that little 2 hour naps can be every bit as dangerous as a whole night without cpap. I can only say, if you are thinking about taking a nap without cpap...don't. It's just not worth the risk...and the OSA hangover afterwards.

Best regards,

Scott

Heh.

I had a similar thing happen (though not with my xPAP on) yesterday morning... I woke up about 5:40 (I get up at 6), and figured, hell, 20 minutes is 20 minutes and went back to sleep... BIG MISTAKE. I must've been in REAL DEEP sleep when the alarm went off 20 minutes later because oh my god did I feel groggy as hell, heh.

What you are describing is exactly what has been happening to me.

I go to sleep at 10:00 and wake up about 3:30 or 4:00. My mask seems to have gotten very uncomfortable by then. Next I'll adjust and adjust, then get frustrated and toss my mask off. and go back to sleep till my normal wake up time of 5:15. I then need 2 big cups of coffee to wake up enough to start work. By early afternoon, I'm so tired I cant see straight.

After work I'm taking a 1 hour knapp w/out my cpap.

This seems to be my normal day.

had a similar thing happen (though not with my xPAP on) yesterday morning... I woke up about 5:40 (I get up at 6), and figured, hell, 20 minutes is 20 minutes and went back to sleep... BIG MISTAKE. I must've been in REAL DEEP sleep when the alarm went off 20 minutes later because oh my god did I feel groggy as hell, heh.

What kind of mask are you wearing. As far as comfort issues are concerned, I am very comfortable with my Swift. It is just that at least this week, I have been waking up and can't get back to sleep. If the mask were uncomfortable like what you are experiencing, I know I absolutely would have a hard time getting back to sleep.

I can tell you, I think I would be better off getting 5-6 hrs of bipap sleep and then getting up, then gettting 5-6 hours of bipap sleep and then another 2 of non- bipap sleep. The o2 desat. is the problem and if you have severe OSA, then even in that 2 hours, you are harming yourself rather than helping.

I think the key is..DO NOT EVEN GIVE YOURSELF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SLEEP WITHOUT CPAP. I also think finding the right mask is the most important part of the equation and that no time/money should be spared in the search for the right mask. You cannot put a price on your health. In your case, I would try every mask until you find one that is comfortable.

Because I have a mask I like, I usually have very good 7-8 hours and wake up with no pain, irritation etc. But this recent set back has reminded me just how bad I felt before and just how nasty this illness is.

biggabritt wrote: I go to sleep at 10:00 and wake up about 3:30 or 4:00. My mask seems to have gotten very uncomfortable by then. Next I'll adjust and adjust, then get frustrated and toss my mask off. and go back to sleep till my normal wake up time of 5:15.

It may be that you need a second mask, not to completely replace your current one, but so you have something different to switch to when your mask just isn't cutting it. There are some people who do switch masks regularly at night- they start with one and if they wake up & feel they need, they use their second favorite mask. The second mask is usually a different style, like using nasal pillows and then switching to a regular nasal mask.

I am a big advocate for having more then one mask you can use at all times for everyone on xPAP. Think of your mask as would a pair of shoes, do you wear the same pair of shoes every single day? Or do you have different pairs of shoes for those times when one pair just doesn't feel right on your feet? Are there times when even your most comfortable shoes are uncomfortable? I know for me, I have occasional nights where my favorite mask just doesn't feel right & the best thing I do is go with plan B- my backup mask. I spent a lot time early on trying to readjust my mask on nights like that, but all I ended up with was a mask that was completely out of adjustment & a bad nights sleep...and usually switching to another one at some point anyways-lol. The funny thing is the next night, my favorite mask usually works fine and I go back to using it for months before I have another 'bad mask night', but back when I would try to make too many readjustments before switching, it could take several nights before I got my favorite mask tweaked just right.

Yep! I have only been on this CPAP stuff for a couple of weeks. On about the third night I did not use it because my nares were too sore and next morning I woke up with real bad hangover/flu-like symptoms ... this stuff is definitely addicting.

- roberto

Ok, I keep saying I snatch my mask off during the night, sometimes without knowing it, but sometimes because I just can't stand it touching me another second. It's not the mask - it's me. When the meds for my RLS and PLMD begin to wear off after about 4 hours, in that state between wake and sleep, I feel irritated and hypersensitive to things that are touching me (twisted blanket, edge of pillow against shoulder, etc). I can shift around and if things touch me not at the exact same place, I'm fine. Guess I need to get another mask, because that middle of the night switch would work for me. Glad it was mentioned - so obvious I missed it.

Kathy

sorry for a dumb question, but why is it bad to nap without the CPAP? As in why do we feel bad afterwards, and is there a health risk to napping without one?

[quote="z754103"]sorry for a dumb question, but why is it bad to nap without the CPAP? As in why do we feel bad afterwards, and is there a health risk to napping without one?

christinequilts wrote:Think of your mask as would a pair of shoes, do you wear the same pair of shoes every single day? Or do you have different pairs of shoes for those times when one pair just doesn't feel right on your feet? Are there times when even your most comfortable shoes are uncomfortable?

Thank you, christine!!! You know how much I've always loved your "shoe" example.

That's excellent advice to have another mask ready if the old favorite just doesn't feel right sometimes.

Just found out how true it is about two masks. I visited the Grandkids and they like to crawl in bed with me when I'm there-I didn't think the Hybrid would work with two Grandkids so took along the old Flexifit 406. It was great for two nights then when I got home the Hybrid was waiting. I initially thought switching between two masks would present a problem "adjusting" between the masks-didn't turn out that way though.