Having Trouble

I have been using the cpap for a little over a couple of years but stopped using it at night. I having allot of trouble falling to asleep with or with out the mask. When i sleep with it i feel great but just can not get used to it. I have the Swift FX mask and only used another nasal pillow but something just does not seem right. Should i fall to asleep quicker with the machine? What could i try to help with using the machine again?

I don't think the machine helps you fall asleep quicker at all. At least, that has not been my experience. But it should help you to get better quality sleep once you do fall asleep.

Sounds as though you need to figure out what is keeping you awake, and work on that. But keep wearing your mask! At least what sleep that you get will be good sleep, and you won't compromise your health.

See if you can find some articles on "sleep hygiene". I've read a lot about pre-bed routines, not using electronics right before bed, and setting up your room to be relaxing. And then there is limiting caffeine and not exercising late in the day. I use aromatherapy and relaxing music to help me fall asleep.

Try to identify exactly what is stopping you.
Is the silicone not holding a good seal? Does anything hurt?
Do you need motivation?

tleitch wrote:I have been using the cpap for a little over a couple of years but stopped using it at night. I having allot of trouble falling to asleep with or with out the mask. When i sleep with it i feel great but just can not get used to it. I have the Swift FX mask and only used another nasal pillow but something just does not seem right. Should i fall to asleep quicker with the machine? What could i try to help with using the machine again?

Hi tleitch,

Sorry to welcome you under these circumstances but wanted to issue one anyway.

If you could kindly use the link in my signature to fill out your equipment profile, it would be greatly appreciated. That way, members can better target their advice to your situation.

If I am understand your situation correctly, you have trouble falling asleep with the mask but when you are able to, you sleep well? I don't normally have problems falling asleep with the mask but when I do, I find listening to podcasts helps. Have you tried doing something like that?

Anyway, if you could provide more details about your situation, that would greatly help.

Again, welcome.

49er

tleitch,

Welcome to the forum.

You write:

I having allot of trouble falling to asleep with or with out the mask. When i sleep with it i feel great but just can not get used to it. (emphasis added)

and

Should i fall to asleep quicker with the machine? What could i try to help with using the machine again?

You say you you feel great when you sleep with the mask. You can use that to motivate yourself to use the machine every night. Remind yourself each night that it's going to be just as tough to get to sleep with or without the mask on your nose, but that if you tough it out and put the mask on, you will feel great the next morning.

But note: Your problems falling asleep are insomnia problems. The CPAP fixes your OSA problem; it won't fix your insomnia problem. You need to work on figuring out why you have trouble falling asleep in the first place since you say you have trouble getting to sleep. You might want to check out the link Taming the CPAP-Induced Insomnia Monster in my signature for a bunch of self-help ideas on where to get started on dealing with that issue.