Whistling Winds of Discomfort

SleeplessinKC · Post by **SleeplessinKC** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 7:59 am

OK. I've been on CPAP therapy for exactly one week. Love my new machine and Swift interface seems to be getting comfortable to wear. Just one problem. I cannot sleep through the night. It seems that I awaken consistently every night at around 2:30 AM (which is approximately 2-4 hours into my night's sleep). When I awaken, my sinuses feel downright cold, dry and windy AND SORE! This condition has caused me to immediately turn off the machine for relief. Sometimes I try turning the machine back on and continuing therapy for the remainder of the night, sometimes not. When I do restart therapy, I have re-awakened later in the morning with the same feeling. Of note, my humidifier is currently set at "2".

Can someone help me figure out what is causing this problem? I thought that it might have been due to mouth breathing so now I am wearing a chin strap, but that isn't helping. Could this be because my humidifier setting is too low?

HELP!!! I need to get past this hump to achieve sleep nirvana.

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 8:06 am

I found that during the first few weeks of treatment, I woke a few times per night, often at about 0200 and again around 0315. This magically went away after a few weeks.

Regarding the cold, dry air, I'd suggest turning up the humidity a notch and making sure that you have an insulating sleeve (polar fleece or Thinsulate) covering the hose from the flow generator to your mask. Also, if your mask has a long hose that is part of the mask and attaches to the main hose from the flow generator, insulate it as well.

Good Luck!

littlebaddow · Post by **littlebaddow** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 11:43 am

I experienced similar things in the early days and I think WillSucceed is spot on. For me, over a few weeks, waking up during the night diminished (though it still happens from time to time). As I started on a machine without a humidifier, changing to one with a heated humidifier made a huge difference to comfort, even to the point where I'd prefer a few drops of moisture getting up my nose
Make adjustments and persevere & chances are the problem will diminish over time.

littlebaddow · Post by **littlebaddow** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 11:43 am

ps you might try removing that nasty looking thing from your eye

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 8:50 pm

Uh, you do know you are supposed to wear the Swift on the NOSE, not the eye?...........Otherwise that avatar is one of the better pics of someone using CPAP.

Sure sounds like your humidity is to low. Try cranking it up and add the insulating sleeve or Aussie heated hose.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:10 pm

All I know for sure is -- resistance is futile.

SleeplessinKC · Post by **SleeplessinKC** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:46 pm

It's about time you realize.........I'm not like you. I am part of the Borg. No not that Swedish tennis player from the 80's, the other Borg. Our superior collective consciousness allows us the ability to function much more efficiently than you mere humans. One benefit of functioning at such an advanced state is that we're not limited to the intake of oxygen through unreliable biomechanical orifices you call noses and mouths. We have the ability to "breathe" through any part of our lifeforms, or all of them, simultaneously. Unfortunately, you mortals are still light years behind our species, suffering from malformed, malfunctioning membranes filled with mucous and unnecessary flaps of flesh. GET A GRIP! Replace your defective pieces of biological weakness with prosthetic appliances. What you see in my "avatar" (as you call it) is a truly revolutionary device that allows me to concentrate my mind-altering powers directly into your brain as you READ THIS MESSAGE. That's right, go ahead, look at my avatar again...just a little bit longer, until we can determine your exact position in our time space continuum....and once we do WHAM!!! POP!!! KABLOOIE!!! No more earth!

I laugh to think you actually believe I have this disease you call APNEA. HAHA!!! I am P-E-R-F-E-C-T! I only post questions here to lure you poor mindless humans into easy submission.

No where were we, how about answering my poll question about The Best Chin Strap?

HAAA-HAAA-HAAA-HAAA!!!!

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 11:36 am

SleeplessinKC wrote:... GET A GRIP! Replace your defective pieces of biological weakness with prosthetic appliances. ....
HAAA-HAAA-HAAA-HAAA!!!!

yada yada yada...Yet another "superior" alien species wanting to take over the earth. And if the earth is so slumming it, why do all these aliens want to take it over? AND why or why, haven't you gotten the Swift surgically implanted yet?.......

BTW, no chin strap is better than ANY of them. Since I finally made my mouth guard/ tongue guide, I have tossed away the chin straps and its a whole lot more comfortable. Alas, its does take Borg level skillsets to MAKE the mouth appliance. ( the worlds conquering flying around Borg, not the tennis player)

Kemm · Post by **Kemm** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 2:24 pm

I also had the problem with cold sinuses, etc, even with my heated humidifier set to the max. The Aussie heated hose has solved the problem completely and many of us highly recommend it. I don't know how to post a link to their website, but I'm sure someone will! Good luck.
Kathy

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 6:31 pm

Clickable link to the site that has the wonderful heated hose:
sleepzone.com.au

I have one that I use along with my heated humidifier. Super nice.

Whistling Winds of Discomfort

Whistling Winds of Discomfort

First few weeks

Restistance is futile...or will up your pressure anyway

assimilated

Heated hose

Machine	Mask

Machine	Mask