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I'm a fairly new user too and have been struggling to go through the whole night without removing the CPAP mask. I found myself in the exact same situation you're in right now. Initially I would wake up feeling like I couldn't breathe and remove it and think "I'll put it back in a second", and then fall asleep again. I thought I could resolve that by sitting when I woke up, to give me a moment to think... but then I started removing it while not fully waking up.

First thing is: anxiety did get better over time for me.

But what worked best for me by far to avoid removing the mask was to get an o2 ring that vibrates when my o2 falls beyond a threshold (I got the Wellue o2ring). This did the trick for me because it wakes me up after removing the mask, if the oxygen falls.

It may not be great to be woken up, but for me it's much better than going the rest of the night without the CPAP. I do find that going to bed earlier makes up for some of that extra waking up.

Some other things that helped me:
- Find the right mask for you. For me it was by far the F30i (I need to use full mask), and I couldn't tolerate others very well.
- Find the right humidity settings. For me it was 4 but it's very variable for others.
- Make sure you don't get rainover - consider getting the tube cover for your tube.

I am not doing well and don't know how to proceed. I can't seem to be able to fall asleep with the mask on. I lie there drifting almost asleep and then suddenly wake up. Over and over. After awhile, maybe an hour and a half, I give up and take the mask off. I am uncomfortably warm because of the heated hose. I have even had to change clothes because I have been sweating. (I am way past menopause, so that is not it.) I have the hose at 82 to stop the rainout. I crept up one degree at a time and landed there.

I will add that I think I am immediately vividly dreaming as soon as I doze off even slightly. This seems to startle me awake? I'm not sure. Something is keeping me from truly falling asleep. I have had this happen in the past (years ago when I had restless leg syndrome very bad), but not recently until I started the CPAP.

Also, the vivid dreaming that startles me awake is getting worse, not better, as I keep trying the CPAP. Last night was very bad. I gave up at midnight ad took off the mask. Then I barely slept for the rest of the night because every time I started to doze off, I startled awake again. This went on for a long time. Don't know how long because I don't look at the clock.

Before the CPAP, my pattern the past few years was I would fall asleep listening to an audiobook, wake up, turn off the player, immediately fall back asleep, wake 2 or 3 times during the night then immediately fall back asleep again. I only had trouble falling asleep if there was something very stressful on my mind.

If the hose temp is too high, and you're till getting rainout, then set humidifier at less than the default 4. And drop the hose temp.
No sense is using it at an uncomfortable temperature.

Do you have any idea why you should be having vivid dreams when you use the CPAP and also without it?

onward60 wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 24, 2023 7:06 am

I only had trouble falling asleep if there was something very stressful on my mind.

Would you consider getting used to using CPAP as something very stressful?

ozij wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 24, 2023 12:22 pm

Do you have any idea why you should be having vivid dreams when you use the CPAP and also without it?

No.

I need to clarify. I am having trouble falling into a deep sleep with the CPAP on. I doze off and wake up and doze off and wake up. Someone said this explains the many central apneas that are showing up. I think I'm asleep but I'm not really asleep. I'm just dozing. I don't know what the word is for the transitioning stage. I'm saying dozing.

I am claustrophobic but do not perceive that the mask is making me feel claustrophobic. My conscious perception is that I have adjusted to the mask and it is nothing more than a minor nuisance, mostly because of having trouble getting sitting correctly in/on my nostrils. It takes a few tries. But once it's on and I'm breathing through the machine, I don't feel like the air is too strong or too weak or anything like that. I don't fall asleep long enough for it to ramp past 6 anymore, though.

BTW, this is a P10 week.

Just sharing my experience. CPAP does provoke my anxiety. I can nap during the day with it and wake up feeling wonderful. But then at night time I know I need the sleep so it just aggravates me. I missed 4 days in 2023 with my CPAP though, so consistency is key. Just keep being stronger than your mind and it will work out. I started in 2021 and it's been quite the rough ride, but I feel I am finally making headway into feeling relaxed with it and it is definitely doing its job. I am so thankful for this machine helping me get my life back.