I was just diagnosed with Sleep Apnea, and will soon be using the CPAP. What I was wondering was if anyone cared to share their experiences with getting used to sleeping with the mask and hoses attached to you. I welcome any thought and comments you care to share.
New to this whole thing
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CollegeGirl
- Posts: 1038
- Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:49 pm
- Location: VA
Sherie,
First of all, welcome. You've already made great strides toward good health by getting your diagnosis and being willing to start CPAP therapy. And this forum is a wonderful resource full of helpful, knowledgeable people. You've come to the right place.
Now, to answer your question. I actually acclimated to all of it pretty quickly. When the sound of the machine bothered me, I would just tell myself it was the ocean going in and out, and - when I couldn't fool myself with that - that it was the sound of me actually breathing normally for the first time in my life while I was sleeping. I think how you approach it can be everything.
The hose can be a pain to adjust to having around, but there are solutions for getting it up and over your head and out of the way. I use a 3M Command Hook Cord Bundler for this (you can see a photo of it at http://cableorganizer.com/cord-bundler/ ) and it works perfectly to keep the hose up and away from my head/neck. Do a forum search for "scrunchie" and you'll find other posters' ideas for achieving the same thing.
Adjusting to the mask, well, that's the hard part. Each person has different masks that are comfortable for them. There's not really any way of predicting what that's going to be for you.
For many people, nasal pillows offer flexibility in sleeping position. If you are a side or stomach sleeper, a nasal pillows system may be your best option. Two of the best out there (and by "best," I mean consistently liked by our posters) are the Headrest and the Breeze. I use the Headrest myself. You can do a forum search for "Aura" (that's what the Headrest was called until the company changed its name), "Breeze," or any other brand of nasal pillows that appeal to you to see what posters here think of it.
If you are a mouth breather, however, you may want to look into full face masks. I like the Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask, myself, but, again, everyone has their own personal favorite.
Feel free to post any questions you have. Hope I haven't overwhelmed you with too much information! And again, welcome.
First of all, welcome. You've already made great strides toward good health by getting your diagnosis and being willing to start CPAP therapy. And this forum is a wonderful resource full of helpful, knowledgeable people. You've come to the right place.
Now, to answer your question. I actually acclimated to all of it pretty quickly. When the sound of the machine bothered me, I would just tell myself it was the ocean going in and out, and - when I couldn't fool myself with that - that it was the sound of me actually breathing normally for the first time in my life while I was sleeping. I think how you approach it can be everything.
The hose can be a pain to adjust to having around, but there are solutions for getting it up and over your head and out of the way. I use a 3M Command Hook Cord Bundler for this (you can see a photo of it at http://cableorganizer.com/cord-bundler/ ) and it works perfectly to keep the hose up and away from my head/neck. Do a forum search for "scrunchie" and you'll find other posters' ideas for achieving the same thing.
Adjusting to the mask, well, that's the hard part. Each person has different masks that are comfortable for them. There's not really any way of predicting what that's going to be for you.
For many people, nasal pillows offer flexibility in sleeping position. If you are a side or stomach sleeper, a nasal pillows system may be your best option. Two of the best out there (and by "best," I mean consistently liked by our posters) are the Headrest and the Breeze. I use the Headrest myself. You can do a forum search for "Aura" (that's what the Headrest was called until the company changed its name), "Breeze," or any other brand of nasal pillows that appeal to you to see what posters here think of it.
If you are a mouth breather, however, you may want to look into full face masks. I like the Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask, myself, but, again, everyone has their own personal favorite.
Feel free to post any questions you have. Hope I haven't overwhelmed you with too much information! And again, welcome.
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DreamStalker
- Posts: 7509
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:58 am
- Location: Nowhere & Everywhere At Once
I started CPAP about 3 weeks ago and CollegeGirl pretty much hit all the major points right on. I would emphasize that the hardest part will be to find a mask that will be comfortable for you and since we all have different faces it is difficult to know which one is best. That said, hopefully you have a great sleep care professional willing to work with you in finding out which mask(s) are likely to suit you best. You may want to have some Ayr's saline gel handy in case the tip of your nose reacts unfavorably to the nasal pillow system (Breeze and Aura) should you try any of those out.
CollegeGirl is also right about hanging out here on this forum as you will learn as much as you want and/or more than you want about CPAP. Finally, you will know things are going well if you notice a significant increase in the frequency of dreams and waking up rested and refreshed. Good luck and stay in touch ...
- roberto
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): nasal pillow, CPAP, Aura
CollegeGirl is also right about hanging out here on this forum as you will learn as much as you want and/or more than you want about CPAP. Finally, you will know things are going well if you notice a significant increase in the frequency of dreams and waking up rested and refreshed. Good luck and stay in touch ...
- roberto
_________________
CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): nasal pillow, CPAP, Aura
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