Always Tired

I have been using a CPAP machine for 2 1/2 years now and still am always tired during the day. I rarely sleep more than 4 1/2 or 5 hours without waking up. I use two different masks, alternating every other night -- a nasal pillows mask and one with a triangular piece of plastic that fits over the nose. Two sleep specialists tell me that the apnea is being treated, and all I need to do is get more sleep. The problem is that I invariably wake up at least once during the night. If anyone has any suggestions on how to get a good night's sleep, I would welcome them.

I only sleep about the same amount of hours you do,and I do wake up once a night.
But,it is a great improvement on how I was sleeping before cpap.

I get tired also(age I suppose-60)but not nearly as exhausted as I was before.

Are you on any blood pressure medication? That could be a cause of being tired.
Others will chime in with more suggestions.

Good luck to you
Marie

Baltimore,

A fellow Marylander??
Welcome!


Linda

I think most suggestions for good sleep hygiene would help.

1. don't drink any caffeine after 4 p.m.,this includes tea, caffeinated sodas
2. no strenous activity prior to bedtime, exercising, jogging, etc.
3. keep the room cool.
4. do not watch TV or read in bed. Only sleep and have sex in bed, otherwise your body will associate being awake with being in bed
5. do not go to bed until you are sleepy
6. try to establish a regular time to go to bed
7.check your medications to see if some might cause insomnia and ask your doctor about taking them in the morning instead of at night
8. make sure your mattress and pillow are comfortable for you. A sagging mattress will not a good night's sleep make.
9. there should be nothing distracting in the room, if possible --a loud ticking clock, restless pet, (if spouse is a restless sleeper they may need a sleep study too)
10.Take a hot bath or use your hot tub before betime. This relaxes the muscles, and makes you feel all warm and cozy.

These are not any that I have found per se on any website, just ones I've run across over the years, and have found from personal experience affect sleep.

Also if you wake up in the night and can't get back to sleep for 1/2 hour, get up and read, watch TV, play solitaire on the computer or browse cpaptalk forum. Try going back to bed about 1/2 to 1 hour later. Don't stay in bed if you are awake.

Maybe your pressure is wrong. If it is too low then you would not get the therapy that you need. Also, if your masks are 2.5 yrs old, maybe they are leaking and not giving you the therapy that you need. Just a couple of thoughts...

I also think that the pressure might be wrong. We change over the years; even daily events can change how we sleep. I've been following mine for the last few weeks, and most days I average 10-12 pressure. One day I averaged 15. One day I averaged 8.4. Just depends on what I've done that day - did I get exercise, did I have too much caffeine, do I have a slight cold or allergy which might be stopping up my nose a bit more than ususal, am I sleeping on my side or back or stomach - anything can cause changes.
See if you can rent an autopap for a few weeks, and download the data. You might find that the pressure that was set several years ago is not the pressure you need now.
Oh, and I'm another Marylander - out in Frederick.
Debbie

The two Sleep Doc's verify recently that you are not having anymore apneas? If so that I wouldn't suspect your CPAP Therapy being the culprit. There are alot of other possible causes and effective treatments. Although like was said earlier. An AutoPAP would allow you to verify with software at home how well your PAP Therapyis working. Am I understanding correctly that once you wake up you are unable to get back to sleep? What seems to wake you (Bathroom, PAP Pressure, Mask Leak or uncomfortable)?

1). I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome...Have you every had Mono or Cytomegalyvirus?

2). Vitamine B defficiency?

3). Anemia?

4). Iron Defficiency?

Reasons 2-4 can be checked by your General Practioner but are not checked by sleep docs? These are easily treated with the correct OTC Meds.

I agree that the blood pressure meds (if you are on any) could be the cause as well. But don't just discontinue any prescribed medication. Again check with your General Practioner.

If nothing can be nailed down as the cause you may consider having your General Practioner consider a sleep aid such as ambien. It works very well and I doubt you will wake up at all on a dose of 10 mg. Otherwise maybe consider a trial of Provigil to help you stay awake during the day. This may just keep you up enough during the day time so that you will be tired enough to sleep all night. Both medications can be used for a short period of time to simply develop/correct a normal sleep/wake cycle or they can be used long term to manage the symptoms.

Let us know what you find out cause there are alot of us hose heads with the same problems.

You can have more than 1 sleep disorder at the same time!

Ask your dr about a multiple sleep latency test.(I think that is the name but it may be off) These are done at the sleep lab during the day. Check out some of the sleep sites on line for specifics. You could have another sleep disorder. Many of us do. I have "idiopathic hypersomnia". This means I fall asleep during the day even when I recieive the correct amount and type of sleep at night. The idiopathic basically means it is not narcolepsy or one of the other sleep disorders and the doctors have no idea why. It is now usually treated with Provigil, a wonderful though expensive drug. It has been treated with other stimulent drugs, like Cylert, pseudoepinephrine, etc which often raised the bloodpressure or caused liver changes.

My sister tells me she has been diagnosed with an enzyme deficiency (carnitine) which also causes tiredness and fatigue. So there is a cause for your sleepiness, so keep looking. Good Luck!

I am on an auto-titrating CPAP machine now. In answer to your question, I think that the tight fit of the mask wakes me up. I have tried any number of masks, always with the same reaction. They need to be tight enough not to leak, but leave big marks on my face/nose and, I think, contribute to my waking up at night.

jdschooler wrote:The two Sleep Doc's verify recently that you are not having anymore apneas? If so that I wouldn't suspect your CPAP Therapy being the culprit. There are alot of other possible causes and effective treatments. Although like was said earlier. An AutoPAP would allow you to verify with software at home how well your PAP Therapyis working. Am I understanding correctly that once you wake up you are unable to get back to sleep? What seems to wake you (Bathroom, PAP Pressure, Mask Leak or uncomfortable)?

1). I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome...Have you every had Mono or Cytomegalyvirus?

2). Vitamine B defficiency?

3). Anemia?

4). Iron Defficiency?

Reasons 2-4 can be checked by your General Practioner but are not checked by sleep docs? These are easily treated with the correct OTC Meds.

I agree that the blood pressure meds (if you are on any) could be the cause as well. But don't just discontinue any prescribed medication. Again check with your General Practioner.

If nothing can be nailed down as the cause you may consider having your General Practioner consider a sleep aid such as ambien. It works very well and I doubt you will wake up at all on a dose of 10 mg. Otherwise maybe consider a trial of Provigil to help you stay awake during the day. This may just keep you up enough during the day time so that you will be tired enough to sleep all night. Both medications can be used for a short period of time to simply develop/correct a normal sleep/wake cycle or they can be used long term to manage the symptoms.

Let us know what you find out cause there are alot of us hose heads with the same problems.

Yes, I live in the Baltimore metro area. Thanks for the welcome!

LDuyer wrote:Baltimore,

A fellow Marylander??
Welcome!


Linda

Baltimore, I know you said you had tried a number of masks. Is the ResMed Activa nasal mask one you've tried yet? Most people who use it are able to keep the straps very, very loose yet it seals exceptionally well. It's one of my favorites.

I suppose you've already determined if you might be leaking treatment air out your mouth or even as puffs from between closed lips?

No, I haven't tried it yet. It was recommended to me, though, and I do plan to check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.

rested gal wrote:Baltimore, I know you said you had tried a number of masks. Is the ResMed Activa nasal mask one you've tried yet? Most people who use it are able to keep the straps very, very loose yet it seals exceptionally well. It's one of my favorites.

I suppose you've already determined if you might be leaking treatment air out your mouth or even as puffs from between closed lips?

Yes, I take Cozaar (50 mg) each day for hypertension. Does that cause tiredness? I don't remember hearing that before.

Marie wrote:I only sleep about the same amount of hours you do,and I do wake up once a night.
But,it is a great improvement on how I was sleeping before cpap.

I get tired also(age I suppose-60)but not nearly as exhausted as I was before.

Are you on any blood pressure medication? That could be a cause of being tired.
Others will chime in with more suggestions.

Good luck to you
Marie

Janelle wrote:I think most suggestions for good sleep hygiene would help.

4. do not watch TV or read in bed. Only sleep and have sex in bed, otherwise your body will associate being awake with being in bed

Wife read that and now goes to sleep before sex... Thanks...

Jeff,

I take Cozaar (50 mg) each day for hypertension. I do not recall hearing before that it causes fatigue. Do you know that it does?

jdschooler wrote:The two Sleep Doc's verify recently that you are not having anymore apneas? If so that I wouldn't suspect your CPAP Therapy being the culprit. There are alot of other possible causes and effective treatments. Although like was said earlier. An AutoPAP would allow you to verify with software at home how well your PAP Therapyis working. Am I understanding correctly that once you wake up you are unable to get back to sleep? What seems to wake you (Bathroom, PAP Pressure, Mask Leak or uncomfortable)?

1). I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome...Have you every had Mono or Cytomegalyvirus?

2). Vitamine B defficiency?

3). Anemia?

4). Iron Defficiency?

Reasons 2-4 can be checked by your General Practioner but are not checked by sleep docs? These are easily treated with the correct OTC Meds.

I agree that the blood pressure meds (if you are on any) could be the cause as well. But don't just discontinue any prescribed medication. Again check with your General Practioner.

If nothing can be nailed down as the cause you may consider having your General Practioner consider a sleep aid such as ambien. It works very well and I doubt you will wake up at all on a dose of 10 mg. Otherwise maybe consider a trial of Provigil to help you stay awake during the day. This may just keep you up enough during the day time so that you will be tired enough to sleep all night. Both medications can be used for a short period of time to simply develop/correct a normal sleep/wake cycle or they can be used long term to manage the symptoms.

Let us know what you find out cause there are alot of us hose heads with the same problems.