Awful night last night..need encouragement :)

i got my machine 3 weeks ago.

I am fully committed to it (untreated AHI was 120 with an oxygen drop to 48%...)

While i began treatment our company announced they were closing doors, i was being laid off etc. Stress and anxiety went through the roof. What i found helped a lot was music. Put music on that you like and let it take over your mind. helps me fall asleep.

BTW, i found a new job really quickly, my stress level dropped significantly and my cpap usage has gotten easier.

Good luck, it takes time but you will get it.

You might also go ahead and really consider trying a FF mask. You might find that not having to worry about some of the other issues like your mouth make it easier.

Either way stick with it and find something that works. It will pay off in the end.

Hi DreamingofSleep,
I know how you feel, see this previous post. It has lots of good advice similar to what you have recieved so far.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85881&p=781624#p781624

I have now been on CPAP for almost 5 weeks now and am definitely feeling better but there may be some bad nights. I am sleeping just 4 hours a night but those 4 hours are far more restorative than I was getting without CPAP. When you start getting those suffocation feelings just take the mask off and relax and do something you enjoy to take your mind off of it. There are no timelines on when you have to do this. This is not a race, it is a journey. I started out by sleeping in the living room. This may sound wierd but I do not associate the living room with sleep, so that way I would not feel like I had to fall asleep with the mask on. So, I would watch tv until I could just not keep my eyes open and then put on the mask and I would eventually drift off. And what do you know, 3 or 4 hours later I would wake up without the least bit of stress, indeed, I woke up with a huge grin the first time it happenned.

viewtopic/t87347/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=86 ... 49#p785749

Since then I have been able to transition back to the bedroom without any of those issues. In fact, I can not even imagine at this point tryig to go to sleep without the mask on. Sherrif Buford probably never thought he would hear me say that!!

Take the ambian a while and get use to the mask / machine. Soon you won't be able to sleep without it.

Good luck

Greg

Cavmdc wrote:Soon you won't be able to sleep without it.

Good luck

Greg

Remember this: You already can't sleep without it. That's how you got it in the first place.

There will come a time when you don't want to face a night without it. If there comes a time where you do have to face a night without it, you will remember just how much you don't want to attempt to sleep with out it. I recently had a machine problem and discovered just how useless my DME truly was. This has left me very driven to obtain a backup machine. Four nights with a jacked machine and then having a working one last night... It was the wierdest sensation hooking up and the air started flowing right-- well it was like seeing a friend you haven't seen in a very long time. I'm a bit disturbed by the actual attachment to a piece of equipment, but I slept for 9 hours last night. I started this journey a year and a half ago.

Point of all that was this:

Hang in there. I suggested trying the FF mask earlier because I originally had issues like you describe and honestly, went to a full face mask and they all went away. Going in to this adventure I really wanted to stay away from FF but in the end it is what has worked best for me. You can always pretend you're a fighter pilot in some odd Top Gun scenario.

YMMV but no matter what you choose, stick with the overall program and get some sleep.

Just want to say, thank you! You guys are wonderful. I really look to this site for information and encouragement. RT and their office not that available and interested I am using a chin strap now...but didn't have it tight enough last night, so was awake a lot with leaks. Tonight I'll tighten it more...weird feeling clenching my jaw closed..I have a question about this and teeth grinding..will post it separately. Just want you all to know you are awesome and helpful.

Thanks so much,
Dreaming

Wow...more posts!! I just want to say again, thank you, thank you!! I am proud to be a member here amongst some really find folks!

Dreaming

Admiral_Schmidlap wrote: Since then I have been able to transition back to the bedroom without any of those issues. In fact, I can not even imagine at this point tryig to go to sleep without the mask on. Sherrif Buford probably never thought he would hear me say that!!

Hi Admiral: I haven't read this thread in a while, and I was High fivin' myself as I read your response! Then I read the above quote. I knew you'd get the hang of the mask! Sometimes there's a big mountain to climb when we first start out. Once you get to the top, it's downhill all the way. But it's on the other side of the mountain, and you'll never go back to the original side of the mountain. Maybe the four hours is all you need You may start to sleep longer, but like you said, if you are feeling good... you're on the right track! If I get over 5 hours, I know I can run down an older scoundrel (will never catch the young ones... I let the rookies go after them! ), and knock down any door.

You've made my day! Lets have a beer! Might have to drink yours... since you aren't here!!

Sheriff