Waking up REALLY early

I just started using my CPAP three days ago. Each morning I have awakened really early, like around 4:00 AM or so, and have not been able to go back to sleep. Is this just a part of the normal transition period? According to the APP I am doing well as far as the parameters it monitors, but I would really like to be able to sleep a little bit later.

What time do you go to sleep? Sometimes people used to getting e.g. 9-10 hrs don't realize that when Cpap is working, they'll need a lot fewer hours.

What APP?

Can you post Oscar results of a couple of nights?

Are you taking any meds at all that might have some impact?

jegel8487 wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 5:59 am

I just started using my CPAP three days ago. Each morning I have awakened really early, like around 4:00 AM or so, and have not been able to go back to sleep. Is this just a part of the normal transition period? According to the APP I am doing well as far as the parameters it monitors, but I would really like to be able to sleep a little bit later.

welcome to the zoo!

could you give us some more details? what machine and mask are you using?

sorry if you've already filled this out in the equipment profile, but forum has continuing problems and won't display the equipment like it used to.

i'm asking what machine so we can tell if it is compatible with a free software program called oscar.

good luck!

Three days?
I would say you are doing quite well.
Stick around--guidance is free of charge.

Julie wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 6:52 am

What time do you go to sleep?

3:00 a.m.

jegel8487 wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 5:59 am

I just started using my CPAP three days ago. Each morning I have awakened really early, like around 4:00 AM or so, and have not been able to go back to sleep. Is this just a part of the normal transition period?
...

The first night I used CPAP I woke up a good half hour before my alarm clock the next morning, and waking up wasn't the extreme struggle I had become accustomed to. As the months progressed I averaged 7-8 hours per night depending. Nowadays if I get less than 7.5 hours i notice it but it's nothing like it once was when sleeping for 8, 9 or 10 hours netted no rest whatsoever. Sounds as though you are adjusting to getting actual sleep.

@ Julie - You have mentioned above that folks need fewer hours of sleep when on PAP therapy. Why is that?

clownbell wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 5:40 pm

... mentioned above that folks need fewer hours of sleep when on PAP therapy. Why is that?

Definitely doesn't hold true for me. Sleep exactly the same as before CPAP.

To the OP: I think it's just a matter of getting used to the machine and that new thing (mask) on your face. In the beginning I would sleep 3/4 hours, take the mask off and go back to sleep. After a few weeks the 3/4 hours went to 5/6 hours and then 7/8.

You are doing really well!


L/Summer

SummerTime wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 11:42 pm

clownbell wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 5:40 pm

... mentioned above that folks need fewer hours of sleep when on PAP therapy. Why is that?

Definitely doesn't hold true for me. Sleep exactly the same as before CPAP.

Yep. When I first started I could easily sleep 10-14 hours. There was a lot of catching up to do before it settled back down to 7-8 hours. That lasted almost two months.

Now I'm up for leg cramps - oh, well. Time to hit the bike.

clownbell wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 5:40 pm

@ Julie - You have mentioned above that folks need fewer hours of sleep when on PAP therapy. Why is that?

When you're not addressing apneas, the events are waking you up all night. You may not remember being woken up but it's happening. Not only are you being awoken, but the sleep disruptions may also be interfering in the normal cycling through the sleep stages.

Prior to CPAP therapy, I had chronic insomnia, needed an alarm, often snoozed through it, and needed an afternoon nap.

Since (adjusting to) CPAP therapy, I fall asleep in minutes, my alarm is set for 8 hours later but I'm always up before it. Haven't taken a nap in over 3 years.

Julie wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 6:52 am

What time do you go to sleep? Sometimes people used to getting e.g. 9-10 hrs don't realize that when Cpap is working, they'll need a lot fewer hours.

What APP?

Can you post Oscar results of a couple of nights?

Are you taking any meds at all that might have some impact?

I usually went to bed between 10:30 and 11:00PM and would wake up anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30 AM. I have the ReSMed AirSense 10 and am using their APP. According to it I have a good mask seal and very few events per hour. I have a nasal mask. I did not have the usual symptom of a person with sleep apnea. I always felt good and well rested when I got up. The only reason that I had a sleep study was because of abnormal lab results. Since I started using the machine and am waking up so early I do not feel that well rested. I don't think that the meds I take would have an impact.
Thanks for your response. I hope I am responding correctly.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 12:22 pm

Three days?
I would say you are doing quite well.
Stick around--guidance is free of charge.

Thanks.

Your body is simply adjusting to this whole new experience. For most people, it takes a good long time to become fully adjusted. Just keep at it, and you will find it becomes second nature.

You'd be surprised which meds (OTC included) may have an effect.

I have been on a ResMed S10 for about 18 months. The machine is working great, all parameters are optimized, and my AHI is typically ~1. All along, I have been waking up between 4-5 am with mask on for a total of usually 6 hours. Sometimes I drowse back to sleep if I listen to relaxing music.

I was concerned, so last Fall I consulted a highly regarded clinical sleep psychologist who specializes in cognitive behavior treatment for insomnia. Her conclusion was that I did not have enough symptoms to be diagnosed with insomnia.

You may hear of medical studies in the news regarding what is the minimal amount of sleep for good daily function. Some of these claim that less than 6 hours is correlated with later development of dementia, however, it is only a correlation, meaning it is difficult to prove a definitive connection.

But in general, 6 hours of sleep seems to be the magic number, especially in those who are over age 60 since sleep time diminishes in the elderly.

There was a study by Prof. Eckert from Australia (https://www.neura.edu.au/staff/assoc-prof-danny-eckert/) who has found that sleep apnea patients with normal BMI have a low arousal threshold, and are most likely to be the least compliant with CPAP treatment. This means that such patients are more easily aroused from sleep by various physiology and environmental factors. I believe I fit into this category.