CPAP, Exhaustion, and Stress

I started CPAP two weeks ago and it just happened to coincide with a particularly stressful time at my normally stressful workplace. I've found that during the "start-up" phase of CPAP, my overall tiredness level has gotten worse and stress at work has turned my usually low-key self into an angry and depressed piece of work. I've got plenty of sick and vacation time built up and am considering a two-week "get used to CPAP without additional stress" stay-at-home vacation and get some home projects done. Have others had particularly difficult times "getting started" with work or daily life stress interfering? I've managed to keep the mask on all night, but still feel awfully tired and I'm still fighting with my insurance company -- They've denied my claim for a data-capable machine and I'm in the process of fighting for it. I may end up paying the $300 difference to upgrade and do away with that particular stress. Have others of you needed to take a break from work to jump start the process?

hi jimlux:

No time off from work, but it took a while to get things just right, esp w/ my pressure setting. It had to be bumped up a couple different times in the first couple weeks. After that I was okay. Generally it takes a while to get used to it, the whole sleeping with a mask strapped on your face thing. MOST of it is psychological, though. Once asleep your nerves kind of turn off and you don't really "feel" the mask at all (NOTE- I am not a doctor, that statement is just my opinion based on experience) Practice and distraction help to alleviate this. Practice wearing your mask with the machine on while you're awake watching TV or reading or whatever- that will give you time to adjust to how it feels and play with strap tension, etc.. Distraction helps, too, like listening to music or white noise.

Hope that helps!

I have yet to call in sick after a "bad" night's sleep, which still happens every once in a while. So far I've just grinned and beared it the next day, but it was really, really tough. I might do that in the future so I can recover. If you have the time and are willing to use it, I don't see why not.

I didn't have any problem adjusting at all and didn't mean to take time off but I started a cold the day after I got my machine and since it was during the first flush of the swine flue I was told not to darken their door until I was bug free. In fact they put me into a paid for taxi - $50 worth !
What with feeling lousy and the cold medication making me sleepy I never really noticed the adjustment much.

I found exercise and yard work helps relieve my stress after work. I sleep better at night as well if I go to bed at the same time of night and wake up at the same time in the morning that includes vacation and weekends. Take a vacation, relax and get into a routine that you will follow when returning to work. Remember work stops when you punch out to go home at night. Try not to bring your work and stress home with you.

I consider the $200 that I was out of pocket for a data capable auto-PAP to be an excellent investment. I don't regret it at all.

You want your introduction to CPAP to be as stressfree as possible. If you've already gotten caught in a vicious cycle of stress-at-night, more stress-at-work, more stress-at-night, etc, I'd probably suggest that you take a few nights off of CPAP and start over. And yes, if you're having trouble, I think it makes sense to re-introduce your CPAP when the stakes aren't so high. Knowing that you don't have to go to work the next day may be all you need to relax into it.

Do what you need to do in order to be successful!