Grrr...no sleep :(

pandatx wrote:I hate the Ambien. One time I ate in my sleep and it freaked me out. I was taking a small dose of Klonopin but my sleep dr said to do the 1/2 and Ambien instead.

The one reason Ambien (shorthand re: Z-Meds) replaced most other hypnotics as a general sleep inducing medication was that it doesn't affect or hook the same GABA receptors that the Benzos (ie. Xanax) do. In my way of thinking Benzos are shotguns, where Ambien is more of a deer rifle. Mainly, it's designed to not affect the nerve receptors in the lower spine. Therefore Ambien will not calm restless leg symptoms and certain lower body convulsions. etc, whereas Benzo, like Xanax, are sometimes recommended for those disorders. I'm not a doctor but this was the way it was explained to me. Also: Z-meds are supposed to allow one to go into deeper stages of sleep and remain there less disturbed for longer periods of time. That info is something from the web so take with a dose of salt

I don't know about my mom, but I have. I had emergency sinus surgery 2 years ago for polyps w/sinus infection (and ended up with a staph infection from the surgery....good times). At the time, the ENT said "maayyybe" my sense of smell would return and I was so hopeful, but it didn't. Now I'm hoping maybe CPAP will help (although my husband keeps saying he has no idea why I think that...I guess I just made it up out of wishful thinking). You know, 'cause CPAP will fix everything, right? Lol.

I'm not sure if the aromatherapy will help you if you can't smell it. It might calm you, but it won't really accomplish what I was suggesting - giving you a calm focus while falling asleep.

I don't know what your experiences are with yoga. I am a yoga instructor (not currently teaching) At the end of classes I always talk my students through a guided relaxation while they are in savasanna. Perhaps you could practice your own guided relaxation? Slowly contracting and releasing all your muscle groups one at a time is an easy one. I have a bag full of tricks for these, if you are interested and need more ideas you could PM me. Since the noise of the breathing is bothering you, I suggest not concentrating on the breath as we so often do in yoga. I'm afraid it will just emphasize the sound.

Hey Yogakitty, I've been doing yoga for years and years. My mom is a yoga teacher and still teaches (she's 73). I'm going to do the certification this Fall. I love yoga. I do it at least 5 days a week I'm super familiar with meditation too. And yogic breathing. Yoga Nidra helps me a lot at night.

Panda;

I'm been following your saga here for the last few weeks. My main complaint that got me to the sleep doctor was insomnia so I am very familiar with sleep meds.

You certainly need an adjustment period and it sounds like you are starting to get to your baseline of sleeping habits. Naturally you need to let your body get used to the set-up but there are plenty of medications out there that can help you other than Ambien. My husband goes completely off his wheels on Ambien so much that his doctor instructed him to list it as an "allergy" though it might more technically be classified as an adverse drug reaction.

I wish you the best. I'm rather new to CPAP and it has vastly improved my sleep. I know you have gotten great advice here on this board but stay on your sleep doc also if you think sleep medications will help. Some people just need them for a couple of weeks while they get accustomed to CPAP and the mask.

Thank you so much! xoxo

Last night I tried to do it without any sleep meds and that breathing sound was so distracting, and the hose bothered me (there's no place to put it without it dragging on the mask, the noise of the hose against my headboard, etc) and trying to get the mask in the right place, etc...so actually I started feeling quite anxious so then I became even more and more awake. I finally took 1/2 and Ambien. Still awake. Then I put my Ipod in and put on some relaxation music and when I could't hear the breathing the rest of the stuff didn't bother me and I finally fell asleep. I slept good for about 3 hours but then woke up and pulled the mask off. I wish I'd just left it on and toughed it out. I might have fallen back asleep, maybe I was just rolling over, you know?

Oh well, tonight is another chance. I'll start right off with the music

pandatx wrote: Last night that breathing sound was so distracting, and the hose bothered me (there's no place to put it without it dragging on the mask, the noise of the hose against my headboard, etc) and trying to get the mask in the right place, etc...so

Zen of the Mask-the rhythm

Zen-direct experiential realizations toward obtaining an awakening.
The practice to discover, through daily, or in this case, nightly,
experiences that will lead one to ultimate enlightment.

All things are brought to each of us, for a reason.
Why OSA???

In OSA therapy, the mask, is everything.

rhythm-a regularly recurrent quantitative change in a variable biological process
<a circadian rhythm>

the rhythm of expectations-
My confidence in cpap is confirmed, I no longer question, "is it working?"
I know that each night and the next morning, I will be better.
I feel the change on my bike. Pushing bigger gears up familiar hills.
Pushing my mileage, pushing my endurance, pushing my enjoyment,
confident that each nights rest will bring the blessed recovery.
I hear it in my music. My guitars are fun again. I remember the old songs,
I learn new songs and remember each of them, and improve on them, daily.
....ah, to remember, I can remember, slight details, again.
I don't question if it is going to happen, I expect it to happen.

the rhythm of breathing-I go to sleep, listening to and feeling,
the rhythm of Grace, my machine.
It is the rhythm of life. I welcome the sound, the sound of my breathing,
in sync, w/a machine, in sync w/my new life, flowing through a hose.

the rhythm of routine-I live in the rhythm of the routine of cpap.
The care and feeding of Grace each evening.
Slipping into my Papcap and mask, plug in my hose, hit the blue light,
feel the rush of 12.5cm......
The morning routine of mask cleaning, data recover and analysis.

the rhythm of life-In response to my first Zen of the Mask chautauqua,
someone suggested that I "become the mask."
Good suggestion. I have become one w/the mask.
Sometimes I wake and don't feel or realize I'm wearing the mask or
breathing through it. I don't think I could sleep now without the mask.
I had a dream, where the actions in the dream were coming through the
hose and out of my mask. Sometimes when the stresses of the day
clog my brain and I can't seem to let go of all that "noise", I let myself
go into my mask to see all the things, the mask,
is going to bring me the next day....the next day of my new life.
Zen of the Mask

Yin/Yang of life-
MY choice to embrace or reject, the mask, and in so doing,
chose quality of life.

I have chosen quality of life.

Hello Pandatx,

Another step toward success, well done!

When I instruct in CPAP, the second most important point I try to make is tube control. Just a few minutes spent figuring out how that tube is going to move, will pay big dividends when you are trying to sleep. When you change sleeping positions, the equipent needs to accomodate you, not the other way round.

Some people take a very flexible bungee or rubber bands linked together and anchor the tube above and out of the way. They do, by the way, sell "hose buddies" and other commercial products for this purpose. Prior to purchasing anything though, you might try to fashion something yourself. Just make sure when you're moving about, that the tube does not pull on the mask. A pulling tube causes leaks, leaks = dry air, dry air = swelled up sinuses, swelled up sinuses = flow limitation/CO2 build up and off comes the mask.

You're doing great! Please keep posting! Have a great day!

Jim

So sorry you still are not sleeping well. I know a lot of members here advocate draping the hose over the headboard but I didn't like the look of that and got a neotech velcro tube holder. I clip it to my sheets right on the edge of my mattress/sheets right around waist or hip level then lay the tube up under the covers kind up the middle of my body (some other member mentioned between their cleavage). I find this keeps any tension off the tube and I leave enough slack in it to turn over either way.


http://www.neotechproducts.com/product-catalog/neogrip

Thank you!