Poll: How Long to Adjust & Start Sleeping Restfully?

[Muse-Inc]

This is some assurance for newbies that we all vary in adustment to CPAP therapy and that some must make additional changes initally or along the way to ensure we get restful sleep.

While I stopped my 8-10 per night pee trips on Night 1 (meaning reduced sessions of extreme hypertension), it took me a few more days to adjust and start sleeping restfully...this rapid adjustment seems to be rare. After losing about 53#s, I started losing therapy air via mouth puffs and had to change from a pillow mask to the RespCare Hybrid mask to prevent that loss of therapy air.

[Section1]

Once I was able to find some masks that don't bother me at night, I was able to start sleeping well through the night. It took me about a month to find a mask I could use. I should have started looking right away and saved some misery.

[Autopapdude]

It took me approximately a week to get comfortable with the equipment. I was so sleep deprived that the first night on Cpap, I slept 8 hours, and felt great the next morning. There were adjustments the first week in terms of mask soreness. When I started, masks were horrible and my nose was a bleeding mess--they were much worse than are available now. Also, the machines (my first was a Respironics Solo) were so loud, it was like an airplane taking off. Autopaps were rare, and my first autopap didn't come into existence until 2001 for me. There are a lot of good choices in equipment now, and compliance is a lot easier.

[LinkC]

I dreamed my first night on CPAP. Don't remember the last time I did that pre-CPAP. (Not sure if that's a memory or a dreaming issue... lol)

But talk about an incentive! It was a few weeks to get leaks and mask comfort under control before I felt rested. Even then it wasn't consistent, so I started a quest for the perfect mask. That took several months. Now I rarely have a night above 1.0 AHI, and have several "0" nights under my belt! I feel better than I have in 5 years!

And I dream quite often...

[Scarlet834]

It was just shy of 2 weeks, including a mask switch and an option you didn't have--my pressure was increased slightly, then bingo, night and day.

[Muse-Inc]

...option you didn't have--my pressure was increased slightly...

Forgot pressure change

[Maryland_Mike]

It was immediate for me. My titration study was the first time I had worn a CPAP and I was refreshed like I hadn't been, maybe, ever. Even my vision was better. I hated going without for the week or so while I waited for my "real" equipment to arrive.

It's been two months now and I'm beginning to take things for granted, and getting picky about the comfort of the silicone against my face. I'll get over it, though. I was so sick and tired before CPAP that I'd be willing to put up with a lot of discomfort to keep the apnea away.

[rise&shiner]

It's taken me a month to find the right mask. The longest I was able to use a mask was 3 nights befiore I gave up on the masks because of the leak rate was so high and wasn't getting any sleep. I just finished my 5th night of using my 6th mask. by the third night I was able to get the mask to fit comfortably where I did not wake up because of leaks or being too tight or having tghe nasal pillows fall out. Just waking up when nature calls which is just down to 2x which is way better than it was before I started treating my osa.

[Cygnusia]

As some of my posts chronicled, it took me a few mask trials before I found one that works for me. I do still occasionally fight with it, but I'm starting to find ways around the problems.

[twokatmew]

It was about three months for me.

I was titrated incorrectly and put on CPAP at 7cm. Several masks and machines later, I'm now on auto bipap with an IPAP of 11.4 to 16 and finally starting to feel better. I dream almost every night and actually look forward to firing up the machine.

[gmwnmx]

After I brought my cpap home, I got restful sleep from the very first night. I have now been on the machine for 7 days, and I am in love with it. I know it is hard for some people to adjust to sleeping with all that junk on the face and all the hassle of dealing with it. For me, it was a huge relief to sleep after so many years that I readily accept the mask and all the hassle.

[gmwnmx]

I just joined the group yesterday so I see that other people post info on their machine and mask and setting, etc. I will do that soon. I lucked out and was comfortable from the get-go with my mask and setting. I know this doesn't happen for everyone, so I know how lucky I was in that regard. Good luck is something that hardly ever happens for me, so I'm really grateful.

[SuperGeeky]

I have found no relation between time in CPAP Therapy and my recovery. It's in constant flux, depending on stress, diet, upkeep and maintenance of equipment and allergies.

Sliding back to Day One is not unrealistic and most probable if brain cells do not get enough oxygen

Sleep oooh so well tonight....


SG

[Colombia]

I've been on my machine for ten nights. My energy level has increased and I no longer
sleep in the afternoon. I'm still dealing with high "leak" rates.

I started with an AHI of 16.3 and it's holding around 5.0 for the past three nights.(4.7 last night)

[hiker0001]

Three months in and I'm still trying to find a mask that works for me. No relief yet.