Newbie: Helping your spouse get used to your CPAP usage.

[whatagoodboy]

Hello All!
I was diagnosed with OSA a couple of weeks ago, and have been coming to this great site every day for advice and helpful tips. I started CPAP therapy 8 days ago and all has not been well in my household. The machine is super quiet, I've had few mask leaks, but whenever I do, they wake both me AND my husband up. Frankly, I've been sleeping like poop and so has he. I'm a side/stomach sleeper and have had the typical problems with the FF mask I've seen mentioned around here. Ordered a CPAP pillow and hopefully that will help out some. Any tricks to help spouses settle into a routine? My husband has a great deal of trouble falling asleep and he lies awake listening to the sounds of my breathing with the mask and/or occasional air leaks. We're both trying really hard to adjust to the whole CPAP situation, but sleep has been scarce.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

[chunkyfrog]

White noise, like a small fan in the room.
I had a radio with different sound simulations, but could not use any water sound, as it made hubby need to piddle.

[rohdej]

Time was the biggest factor for my wife. The constant snoring meant I was breathing and alive, sort of alive... After i got my machine It took a while for her to get use to the idea that I was still breathing even if i wasn't snoring and to trust it.

[TASmart]

run a noise generator program on my computer all night, lately been using the box fan noise, does a really nice job of drowning out other noises, its comforting and better than the dual beds, dual room option.

[Okie bipap]

It took my wife a few weeks to get used to mine. She used to listen for me to stop breathing so she could poke me if I did not start breathing soon enough. After about three weeks , she finally accepted the fact that she didn't need to worry about me stopping breathing. I use a CPAP nightstand that keeps the machine out of site and helps block any noise the machine may make.

[Goofproof]

White noise, like a small fan in the room.
I had a radio with different sound simulations, but could not use any water sound, as it made hubby need to piddle.

Lets see, lives in a pond, sets on a lilly pad all day catching food, doesn't like water sounds! Get Bull Frog noise canceling waterproof earphones. Jim

[Soothest Sleep]

Would your husband consider using earplugs to block the sounds that are distracting him?

Jean

[palerider]

The machine is super quiet, I've had few mask leaks, but whenever I do, they wake both me AND my husband up.

the biggest thing for me, with a FFM was getting a mask liner, it made the mask more comfortable, and tamed the leaks, instead of SQEEEEEEFARTFART... they'd be 'ffffffffffffff' not even 'sssssssss'

padacheek.com makes the best ones, and the lady that runs the place cares more about helping people, than making a quick buck.

[Cardsfan]

My husband sleeps in the spare room, because of the cpap noises wake him up. At first it hurt my feelings, it still bothers me. But, when he said, "I need to get my sleep too", I can understand. He starts out in our bed, but the first time it wakes him up, he moves to the other room.

[chunkyfrog]

Hubby doesn't mind the wet hiney--just the sound of running water stimulates his bladder,
---Or was that his prostate?

[Goofproof]

Hubby doesn't mind the wet hiney--just the sound of running water stimulates his bladder,
---Or was that his prostate?

Are you sure you aren't sneaking a bucket of hot water in the bedroom? Jim

Bad Froggy!

[yaconsult]

Get a hose hanger to keep the hose out of your way and to make sure that it doesn't get pulled on when you change sleep position. This simple addition to your setup can make a world of difference! Without a hose hanger, every pull on the hose when you move will cause leaking and could wake you up.

[Omne]

Hello All!
I was diagnosed with OSA a couple of weeks ago, and have been coming to this great site every day for advice and helpful tips. I started CPAP therapy 8 days ago and all has not been well in my household. The machine is super quiet, I've had few mask leaks, but whenever I do, they wake both me AND my husband up. Frankly, I've been sleeping like poop and so has he. I'm a side/stomach sleeper and have had the typical problems with the FF mask I've seen mentioned around here. Ordered a CPAP pillow and hopefully that will help out some. Any tricks to help spouses settle into a routine? My husband has a great deal of trouble falling asleep and he lies awake listening to the sounds of my breathing with the mask and/or occasional air leaks. We're both trying really hard to adjust to the whole CPAP situation, but sleep has been scarce.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

After a few months we now have separate rooms. The sounds were a minor distraction to her but the pauses when I stopped breathing for a few seconds kept waking her up. With the CPAP equipment she could hear them a lot more. Or not hear them, whichever. At least she cared....

May not be ideal but we are both sleeping a lot better.