Recently diagnosed, and having trouble adjusting

Got my CPAP about a month ago, and really having a hard time adjusting. On my second mask, feels a little better. Always had a hard time sleeping to begin with, so been taking melatonin for a few months and helps most of the time. But as soon as that mask goes on, takes me even longer to sleep again. Sometimes I find myself trying to wait until I am very tired before putting it on, I am sure others tried this move, but of course it does not work cause most of the time you just don't use it. Glad I found this forum. Hoping to get some information and advice on how to ajust.

Thanks.

When I first started, had similar problems falling asleep with the mask, noise, smell, etc. So I went to bed without it but set alarm to ring 1 to 1.5 hrs later, got up, groggy, slipped mask on and back to sleep. After about 1 month of this, was then able to fall asleep with the mask on.

Whatever you do, don't give up....it will come! Good luck.

Best of luck to you. I'm glad you joined the forum and posted. Unfortunately many things we do for our health can be very difficult and getting used to CPAP is a big one. The usual suggestion is to wear the mask during the day while doing something relaxing to get used to the feel of the mask on your face. Did you have problems getting to sleep before CPAP? One of my suggestions is to take on of the PM pain relievers with benadryl for a week or two. Bear in mind that benadryl has a long half life and may leave some people a little groggy in the morning, also it may mess with your sleep arcitecture. Thats why I only recommend it short term. This is a very controversial remedy, but I found it helpful. Staying up until you're tired is good sleep hygiene if you keep a regular sleep/ wake schedule. You can review sleep hygiene and make sure you're not missing anything glaring- like caffeine too late in the day, or eating a heavy meal less than three hours before bedtime. Something I found helpful was a really relaxing CD with headphones in bed. I never hear the end of the thing- it always puts me to sleep. My favorite is Illumination by JS Epperson- It says for Peak Performance, but I find it relaxing. You can buy individual numbers on Amazon to try it out and there are lots of other sleep cds out there. Don't discount relaxation exercises while in bed - the one where you tighten up your muscles then relax is a good one.
Hang in there- it's a process and will one day be second nature. Putting on my mask now is like crawling into a cocoon and my signal to go to sleep.
Start with developing good sleep habits. I used to think strap on the mask, use it 100% of sleep time and all will be well. Gut it out. But that doesn't work. Be kind and patient with yourself. Work up to a full night with the mask if you need to- you can start with saying I'll wear it for an hour, go on from there.
Keep posting. It is difficult. You're dealing with a lot of new stuff- a diagnosis of a chronic illness and a treatment that can be hard in the beginning.
Sorry to be so long winded. I just want to encourage you.

Mary Z has very good advice. I just want to add a word of encouragement. It does get better with time.

It helps to tell yourself that you must wear the mask every time you go to sleep, no exceptions ever.

cobrawolverine - interesting moniker
Good advice above; you might add in your equipment -see Newbies link in my signature. If you have any specific challenges with your equipment or wearing your mask, we can offer better suggestions knowing what you're using.
This is an awesome forum, as I'm sure you realize. Don't be shy about using it- there's enormous resources in the experience of the members. Keep coming back. earl

You've come to the right place. I suggest reading the success stories thread. Many of the "big posters" have blogs about their experience that is very helpful.

Sometimes you just have to take baby steps. IMHO, attitude is the most important. If you believe you overcome the bad stuff, then you'll get to the good stuff - feeling better!!!

Hang in there!

Welcome to the forum.

Please add your equipment to your profile so we can see easily at a glance what you are using.
If you don't know how....this explains it. wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

Hopefully you will have a machine that offers full data and we can then point you to some software so you can see what we are all talking about when we talk about our reports.

Sleeping with this alien thing being stuck on our face can be a real challenge for some people. I can assure you that you aren't alone and many have been exactly where you are right now.
Add in the fact that you admit that you already had a problem sleeping gives you a double whammy.
You might find this link an interesting read. Robysue has had some major insomnia battles and she has documented some of them in her blog. http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... er_19.html

If you can isolate specific things that seem to be hindering you then someone can offer specific ideas on how to make the adjustment go easier.

Mary Z wrote:The usual suggestion is to wear the mask during the day ...

Hi,

That is a great list of suggestions. I'd like to add one more that works for me. I used to fly small airplanes years ago, and had a chance to fly a few jets. That was a real rush. When starting on CPAP, I'd just visualize one of the flights that I flew years ago, and the mask was just part of the visualization...I thought of it as the O2 mask. That took the negative feelings of CPAP away and replaced them with the great feeling of flying 500 MPH on the deck. Someone else once told me that they did a lot of diving, and would use the same trick to visualize going on a dive, and the CPAP mask became a scuba mask. Anything that you can visualize to take yourself away from the CPAP machine and put you in a different frame of mind can help your get into that relaxation zone and fall asleep.

-john-

I reember when I had a crown put on a tooth. It felt so odd in my mouth - must have run my tongue over it a thousand times those first few days. At some point it became my new normal, and I was no longer hyperaware of it. It can take a while for any new sensations we have to deal with to become our new normal, but if we experience the sensation enough, it will likely happen. My adjustment period wasn't smooth - even threw the mask against the wall a couple times in the middle of the night. Getting the most comfortable fit possible reduces the frustration. My nights had been so utterly miserable and downright scary when I'd wake up choking and unable to catch my breath, that the mask and machine became a security blanket for me - removed the fear and dread from falling asleep. Like someone else said, it has become a signal that it is ok to go to sleep. Like many others, I still have some nights when sleep doesn't come easily, but even those without sleep apnea have those nights. Hang in there.

Thanks for the advice everyone, been doing lots of reading. Been doing better with the mask. So far, the best advice that seems to be working for me is
"It helps to tell yourself that you must wear the mask every time you go to sleep, no exceptions ever. "

Usually, when I tell myself I have to, it motivates me so I usually end up doing it. I can see I am wearing the mask more now which is great. Once I get used to it, I am sure it will be old news.

Thanks again everyone. I came to the right place.