Trouble sleeping

Ha! No newsflash for this group, huh?

Seriously, I'm about five weeks into CPAP and doing well, wearing it every night, hardly sleepy during the day BUT...

I used to lie down at night and immediately fall sound asleep and STAY asleep all night. I realize that I didn't feel refreshed in the morning and was shortening my life by de-sat'ing but ... I had no trouble falling asleep

Now, for about a week, I've noticed that I have trouble falling asleep at night. I don't think it's the mask because I'm OK with it other than the usual fiddling around and occasional leak (My husband has taken on the job of calling out "You're Leaking!!!"). Is this new trouble falling asleep due to the CPAP? Thanks for any insight you can offer.

Hi Rigby. At the beginning I had found it easy to fall asleep. Now it takes longer. I think there are several factors involved such as sleep position ( I was a stomach sleeper and now back or side), the sound of the air coming in and out can keep me awake for awhile, leaks will obviously annoy or sometimes even comfort of the mask. You will get used to it. If I wake in the middle of the night, I have no problem falling back to sleep. I think there is something to be said of the routine of getting ready for bed and filling the humidifier etc that kind of wakes me up in some odd way. Either way, I still find I have a better sleep by morning. Try not to concentrate on the mask when you go to bed but think of what you have to do the next day and you will be asleep in no-time. Hopefully!!

Rigby wrote:Ha! No newsflash for this group, huh?
I used to lie down at night and immediately fall sound asleep and STAY asleep all night. I realize that I didn't feel refreshed in the morning and was shortening my life by de-sat'ing but ... I had no trouble falling asleep

Now, for about a week, I've noticed that I have trouble falling asleep at night. I don't think it's the mask because I'm OK with it other than the usual fiddling around and occasional leak (My husband has taken on the job of calling out "You're Leaking!!!"). Is this new trouble falling asleep due to the CPAP? Thanks for any insight you can offer.

Rigby,

My sleep is all over the place since going on CPAP......

At first I couldn't get to sleep easily (I used to fall asleep within mins of hitting the pillow)

Then I would wake up but want to stay in bed (but was *not* in any way tired in the day)

Then started waking in the middle of the night & lying there for up to 2 hrs just thinking about life in general. (again, no tiredness in the day).

Then my wife started waking & tapping me on the shoulder in the night when I was on my back, to say roll over, your machine is straining

Then one night I worked to 3:30am woke at 9am (ahead of my wife) had a great day where I got all sorts of jobs done - then went to sleep (sort of) at normal time & thus far no problems.

Even before I was diagnosed with OSA I slept more consistently than I do now.

Bottom line though is that each day - I am alert, not drowsy, sharp minded, and happy as I can get.

So I have decided at this time to live with the erratic sleep.

Cheers DSM