CPAPtalk.com

Thanks for the responses-

Okay, I have a confession to make; I ALREADY took a nap without it. I felt okay. However, I have decided that I will NOT nap without it anymore.

Apnea is a funny thing; there are no visible outward symptoms (can't think of any except yawning, falling asleep while driving, being a zombie, but nothing overtly "medically noticeable" if you know what I mean). We don't take oral medications, no special diet, no daytime adaptive equipment, etc. It can be easy to NOT take it seriously.

Janknitz mentioned two things that affected me: the "death of a thousand cuts" and "slippery slope"----so now I am taking it more seriously. I want to get into good habits of using my cpap every time I sleep.

So thank you again for all your wisdom; this newbie appreciates it.

Heather

Good to hear, Heather - sometimes a graphic, no-holds-barred response is what works best.

cheers,
xena

It seems to me that falling asleep while driving is a pretty serious outward symptom. The people who share the road with you might appreciate it if you didn't have that particular symptom.

You might get away with it if you nap semi-erect (no...your body! ) Sitting up, or in a recliner just halfway down. I do that occasionally and my wife reports no snoring or audible events.

I nap on long flights, too. Same drill.

You made the right choice Heather, good luck

despite all the advice I gave in this thread about not sleeping without the machine, I have done that for a few naps this week (my unconscious mind is starting to fight back, the foolish animal thing). I definately have a little but detectable heart pain when I do this. proof I think that sleeping without the machine is bad for ya. memo to unconscious mind : p*&!$ off.

Captain_Midnight wrote:I rarely nap, but when I do, I mask-up and do it right.<P>
The exception? If I'm on a long, transcontinental flight (as a passenger), I'll permit myself a 5 or 10 minute dog nap, so long I'm sitting upright. Usually, I stay awake; however.

It just registered with me that I'm planning to travel to Japan later in the year--a very long flight and I always snooze when they turn down the lights. This will be my first time since starting CPAP. Should I worry?

Carmen; you may be caught up on your sleep debt enough you will need to take a book.

A one hour nap without CPAP is probably at least a little harmful to you. It's probably not as harmful as sleeping 8 hours without CPAP. The most likely result is a little harm to you every time you do it. The harm will probably accumulate over time to some extent.

It's a bit like smoking just one cigarette after you stop smoking. It's not as bad as pack a day, but it's still bad.

A CPAP-less nap could also be the thing that triggers a stroke, heart attack, seizure, or whatever.

I think most of us CPAPers soon find that we either can't sleep well, or wake up feeling bad without CPAP after we've done it a while.

archangle wrote:I think most of us CPAPers soon find that we either can't sleep well, or wake up feeling bad without CPAP after we've done it a while.

There have been times when I've woken at 5 - 6 in the a.m.... took the mask off and went back to sleep for another few hours. I feel the same when I wake up... not better, not worse. Actually, I would be happy if I felt worse, but that's not the case. Maybe one size doesn't fit all.

PS Never had a driving incident or anything slightly serious.

I have preferred and tended to use the CPAP for naps, but Monday I was particularly weary and after work, lay on the bed awake for half an hour. Next thing I knew, the phone rang and I startled awake violently, but wasn't awake or functioning. I felt horrible and even 2 hours later had a tight feeling in my chest. I suspect I was deeply into OSA and probably should have headed to the minor emergency clinic.. but was alone and didn't feel I could drive for over an hour.
Irony- I hadn't used the spare CPAP Monday that I keep at work for days like this week seems to have; and the payoff seems to be needing a CPAP nap, not a breathing hiatus. Guess what I'll be doing every time I snooze?! Breathing, thank you, with my helper. A believer

I would never nap without my CPAP because I want my body/mind to equate sleep with the machine. To not sleep with it even for a few minutes or an hour would break the connection I have worked hard to make.

I woke up with a nasty headache because I fell asleep last night on the way home from out of town (DH was driving)
I need to get me a small machine that will plug into the lighter.

chunkyfrog wrote: I need to get me a small machine that will plug into the lighter.

Agree with this, or even one better. Since you never know when you'll doze off, I always carry around my portable machine and hose up when ever possible just to be safe. Lately it's been on the City Bus, Taxi Cab rides, airport terminal, and in the Costco Food court. Think I'm also going to start wearing the sleep googles as well, because I'm just not appreciating all the funny looks people are giving me ...

What Blackspinner said. What's the point of taking a nap if you don't sleep well??? You won't feel anymore rested after an hours nap than you did after a night's worth of sleep pre-cpap.

Spinory wrote:Is there any reason that I HAVE to use my cpap when I take a nap?

Overall my numbers have been good and I feel better already after 5 nights so I figured a nap without would be okay?

I have read on the forum that you should ALWAYS use your machine so I'm just curious. Thanks!
Heather