Wakefullness

Hello....I have been using my CPAP nasal pillows for about two weeks now after being diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I have a great attitude and am determined to use it. However, I thought the really bad thing about apnea was the fact that you wake up throughout the night to start breathing again? Well....I have been waking up during the night for many reasons. Adjust the mask because it is too tight, adjust the mask because it is leaking out on nostril; wake up to detangle the cord or stop sleeping on the cord; wake up because all of a sudden I am congested and can't breath through the nose.....etc. etc. etc. I DO sleep with the mask, just not straight through. I am always waking up. Any ideas or thoughts here. Am I doing more damage than good?

I'm rather new to all of this too, have been using cpap for a bit over a month. I had the same problems the first 2 weeks or so and all i can say is HANG IN THERE - as I'm sure you will here over and over on this wonderful message board.
Its tincture of time - til you find the right mask, right way to keep it on, right pillow and just to get used to this new STUFF in your life.
Your positive attitude will help greatly - I know I was SO grateful to get my machine - I was literally slowly dying from OSA.
I sit here in the evenings and just pour over these posts and have learned an incredible amount of info. I was just about to pay OOP for another mask because my current one was slipping up and blocking my nose - and a kind soul (user name THERE) replied to my post and said to be sure and not use any face creams etc. Well heck! I'd been using face cream and lip treatment! No wonder the thing was slippin - and now I'm fine! And saved a hundred bucks!
Hang in there! We're all in this together!

O du Danier??? Jeg ogsaa!!

<SSS>

Hi there! I had the same thoughts, but during my second sleep study (titration), even as bad as my sleep was that night, they said that my O2 level stayed above 90%all night! So even though we might be waking up and not getting a truly restful sleep yet, the fact that our O2 levels are up is a very definite plus and prhaps an indication that we are going in the right direction!

- JB

My experience has been the same as all of you. The first few weeks my sleep was probably worse than before cpap. But soon you get the knack for adjusting the mask just right, to the point where you can literally do it in your sleep. You begin to grow comfortable with a specific mask and start sleeping longer each night until suddenly you find you're sleeping through the night. All this takes time, you are changing some pretty strong habits you have developed over a life time. But interestingly enough, stay positive, keep working at all the adjustments, and before long things will begin to get better. My last oxigenation test also came back 100% positive, which I think is one of the key things you need to accomplish. I'm still not feeling rested, but bit by bit I can feel things moving in the right direction.

Ron