Sleep with vs. without CPAP

[WinterLily]

I've noticed that my sleep feels like it's the same with or without the CPAP. Just about the same number of hours, some phases with dreams, some without, all as usual.

The feeling in the morning/daytime after CPAP is way different though- more energy, more clarity and focus. Tonight I pulled off my mask after about an hour while half-asleep, and seemed to sleep "well" the rest of the night (with dreams and everything). But now I'm totally regretting it and have been super tired all morning.

Has anyone else had this experience, where treatment didn't seem to make the sleep itself different, but changed how you feel afterward?

[Julie]

The whole point is to feel great (or at least better) the day after you sleep well, not to be conscious of sleeping one way or another. Obviously if you wake many times, can't get back to sleep, have to pee, feel mask is uncomfortable or leaky, then how you sleep will eventually affect how you feel the next day and presumably how your stats look, but unless any or all of the above occur more than 1/10 nights you'll generally feel ok. Sometimes you may feel you've slept well, but don't feel that great the next day.. but again, unless it becomes a habit rather than a one-off, I wouldn't worry too much. Once you've been on Cpap a while, one night (or a few hrs) without it shouldn't radically change how you feel the next day, but within a few days you should be aware of the difference. But, your actual sleep should not feel different on Cpap or otherwise.

[bwexler]

It sounds to me like OSA might have been an appropriate diagnosis in your case and CPAP is actually making a positive difference for you.

[August]

The thing I notice the most between treated vs untreated sleep is that I can go 8+ hours on CPAP without needing to go to the bathroom, but if I try to sleep on my own for even an hour (a nap for example), I'm up within 40 minutes using the bathroom.

On the weekends I get a chance to take a nap with my daughter and I've resigned myself to just using the CPAP during naps as well as nighttime sleep as well.

[Too tall]

My sleep efficiency went down 10% when I started the CPAP. I have an 8 AHI and the sleep doctor told me if I could tolerate the CPAP, don't worry about it. I get up the same amount to go to the bathroom and the CPAP is a total drag on my sleep. I feel worse with it on the next day. So why do I wear it? Had AFIB and a catheter ablation and I'm using it as a precaution. Doc said, ablation is 70 to 80% success rate without apnea, 30% with it.

[WinterLily]

Obviously if you wake many times, can't get back to sleep, have to pee, feel mask is uncomfortable or leaky, then how you sleep will eventually affect how you feel the next day and presumably how your stats look

Thankfully only 1 awakening per night or so with the machine! Still working on some leaking, and the subconscious wish to take off the mask. I've even left myself a note on the machine not to turn it off and take the mask off, haha

[WinterLily]

It sounds to me like OSA might have been an appropriate diagnosis in your case and CPAP is actually making a positive difference for you.

Definitely looks like it!

I can see why a person might be in denial for many years about having it. Those little awakenings are so unnoticeable, I was very surprised at my sleep study results before getting the CPAP (lots and lots of RERA's, some hypopneas), thinking the sleep had been good all night.

[WinterLily]

My sleep efficiency went down 10% when I started the CPAP. I have an 8 AHI and the sleep doctor told me if I could tolerate the CPAP, don't worry about it. I get up the same amount to go to the bathroom and the CPAP is a total drag on my sleep. I feel worse with it on the next day. So why do I wear it? Had AFIB and a catheter ablation and I'm using it as a precaution. Doc said, ablation is 70 to 80% success rate without apnea, 30% with it.

It's definitely important for health! I hope that new, more comfortable treatments are going to be developed over time. My DME rep has told me when she first began to work in the field, they had super uncomfortable masks and loud machines, which has been improving - but unfortunately not as fast as one would hope

[WinterLily]

On the weekends I get a chance to take a nap with my daughter and I've resigned myself to just using the CPAP during naps as well as nighttime sleep as well.

That's a good idea. I've noticed that naps with the CPAP lead to less grogginess than naps without it.

[bwexler]

My sleep efficiency went down 10% when I started the CPAP. I have an 8 AHI and the sleep doctor told me if I could tolerate the CPAP, don't worry about it. I get up the same amount to go to the bathroom and the CPAP is a total drag on my sleep. I feel worse with it on the next day. So why do I wear it? Had AFIB and a catheter ablation and I'm using it as a precaution. Doc said, ablation is 70 to 80% success rate without apnea, 30% with it.

Are you using software?
If you are, have you done anything to fine tune your settings?
If not, why not?
If you were to generate some Sleepyhead reports and post them here,you might get some suggestions to tweek your settings and improve your therapy and your results.

[cnaumann]

I sleep great without my machine. I wake up with ringing ears and a dull headache, I can't concentrate, and fall asleep in the afternoon, but there is nothing like that low-oxygen sleep!

[TyroneShoes]

I see no diff between CPAP sleep and non-CPAP as far as the actual sleep experience. Where the difference lies relates to how alert I am the next day, but it feels about the same.

I actually have a harder time getting up with CPAP, but I don't think it is because I am tired as much as that I am coming from deep, restful sleep instead of strangulated light sleep, and the transition is larger.

I love to sleep, or more accurately I love falling asleep. That may play into me forgetting to put the mask on about once a week, for a couple hours. I'd like to stop doing that. Part of the reason may be that there seems to be a whole ritual involved with getting ready for bed, while not using the mask is just a matter of "let me rest my eyes for just a moment".

The "Power Nap" app is helping a little bit; keeps me from sleeping too long without the mask, if I actually use it.