Thank you to everyone for being so helpful to me a few weeks ago.
Here's the update: I received my CPAP (set at 11) last Saturday and I got both the Swift and the Activa masks (have the BS Respironics full face comfort from my titration … gonna burn that one this fall).
I used the Swift the 1st night and it was tough (think it was more my nerves and expectations vs. anything else)
I used the activa the 2nd night and it was much better. I felt like I slept for the most part but still woke up every 90 minutes or so feeling somewhat disoriented with the mask on my face but was able to fall back asleep.
Last night, the 3rd night, I went back to the Swift and it was much better than the 1st time (got my mouth breathing under control) but still seemed like I woke up often … saw what time it was … fell back asleep … similar to the 2nd night.
Having said all that, I have been tolerating the masks pretty well and have been committed to leaving them on the entire night. But, I can't say I feel any different … but I am realistic that my body may be severely sleep deprived and Rome wasn't built in a day. But the good news is I DO NOT fear going to bed with my mask on ... more excited that I may actually wake up feeling refreshed which has yet to happen. Hopefully my waking up is simply getting used to the mask (not apneas). Any thoughts?
When did everyone start to realistically notice a difference? how gradual was it? what can I expect? Again, I have not had an issue tolerating the concept of the mask ... just seem to be sleeping in shorter clips. But, I am definitely dreaming More than before so I interpret that as a good sign.
Thanks to all.
-Steve
remember me? I have an update ... looking for some insight
6 posts
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Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
Hi, Steve. Welcome back.
First off, you probably know that everybody's experiences and results are individual, just like how people feel about different masks. I can only speak from experience. The first thing that made me realize that I was improving was, even though I was waking in the mornings feeling tired, someone asked me, "Do you still feel fatigued, though?" When I thought about it, I realized that I had no fatigue anymore. I was tired, which a lot of members explained is a "sleep debt" that you pay back for being REM deprived for so long, and that too shall pass. But the annoying, irritable fatigue was gone! And I was also asked to consider the possibility that my sleepiness could just be the desire to want more of that great rejuvenating sleep that I was finally getting. That was food for thought.
My first real realization was about a little over a week into therapy. I woke up one morning (and I hadn't slept through the night yet, rarely still do) and I just had this overwhelming sense of being awake. No morning stupor or feeling like I hadn't slept enough. I got so excited, I went running around the house like a crazy person, looking for people to tell how great I felt. I was so hyper that I truly wore myself out from the excitement over it.
I have never since had such a blatant indication that the therapy was working, but have continued every day since to feel better and better. I feel so good now that I really don't even want to consider giving therapy up, even though it's a possibility I may not need it since some weight loss and very low AHI's, in the zero point something ranges most days. Since the improvement in my energy level, I have become a different person. I exercise now (something I hadn't done in decades), I eat well, drink tons of water and never run out of energy. I now take a little longer to fall asleep as I'm not exhausted at bedtime and I wake up earlier, ready to go for the day. My BP is a lot better and my migraines are non-existent.
The therapy works if you are compliant, and you sound like you are. I, too, never went a full night without my mask and machine since day one. I still rarely sleep through a night, but any night of waking due to adjusting a mask or whatever the case may be is still a hundred times better than the pre-CPAP nights of waking all night and never getting that quality type of sleep I get now.
So keep up the great work. Your attitude is great and that is essential. Know that there will be ups and downs, but if you stick with it, you will one day look back and thank the heavens you got on therapy. I know I do.
First off, you probably know that everybody's experiences and results are individual, just like how people feel about different masks. I can only speak from experience. The first thing that made me realize that I was improving was, even though I was waking in the mornings feeling tired, someone asked me, "Do you still feel fatigued, though?" When I thought about it, I realized that I had no fatigue anymore. I was tired, which a lot of members explained is a "sleep debt" that you pay back for being REM deprived for so long, and that too shall pass. But the annoying, irritable fatigue was gone! And I was also asked to consider the possibility that my sleepiness could just be the desire to want more of that great rejuvenating sleep that I was finally getting. That was food for thought.
My first real realization was about a little over a week into therapy. I woke up one morning (and I hadn't slept through the night yet, rarely still do) and I just had this overwhelming sense of being awake. No morning stupor or feeling like I hadn't slept enough. I got so excited, I went running around the house like a crazy person, looking for people to tell how great I felt. I was so hyper that I truly wore myself out from the excitement over it.
I have never since had such a blatant indication that the therapy was working, but have continued every day since to feel better and better. I feel so good now that I really don't even want to consider giving therapy up, even though it's a possibility I may not need it since some weight loss and very low AHI's, in the zero point something ranges most days. Since the improvement in my energy level, I have become a different person. I exercise now (something I hadn't done in decades), I eat well, drink tons of water and never run out of energy. I now take a little longer to fall asleep as I'm not exhausted at bedtime and I wake up earlier, ready to go for the day. My BP is a lot better and my migraines are non-existent.
The therapy works if you are compliant, and you sound like you are. I, too, never went a full night without my mask and machine since day one. I still rarely sleep through a night, but any night of waking due to adjusting a mask or whatever the case may be is still a hundred times better than the pre-CPAP nights of waking all night and never getting that quality type of sleep I get now.
So keep up the great work. Your attitude is great and that is essential. Know that there will be ups and downs, but if you stick with it, you will one day look back and thank the heavens you got on therapy. I know I do.
L o R i
You are doing this well after only a couple of DAYS???!!!
Dang thats GOOD! I am jealous.
It sounds like you are adapting quite well and the mask rotation seems to be working for you.
Of course trying to sleep with a bunch of hardware strapped to your face is going to take a bit of adapting to, even under the best of conditions, and that alone will disturb your sleep for a bit.
You also might have some "sleep debt" to make up for.
Just keep at it. And don't be discouraged if you do take a bit of a step backwards in adapting. That can happen too sometimes, for a bit.
Dang thats GOOD! I am jealous.
It sounds like you are adapting quite well and the mask rotation seems to be working for you.
Of course trying to sleep with a bunch of hardware strapped to your face is going to take a bit of adapting to, even under the best of conditions, and that alone will disturb your sleep for a bit.
You also might have some "sleep debt" to make up for.
Just keep at it. And don't be discouraged if you do take a bit of a step backwards in adapting. That can happen too sometimes, for a bit.
Remember:
What you read above is only one data point based on one person's opinion.
I am not a doctor, nor do I even play one on TV.
Your mileage may vary.
Follow ANY advice or opinions at your own risk.
Not everything you read is true.
What you read above is only one data point based on one person's opinion.
I am not a doctor, nor do I even play one on TV.
Your mileage may vary.
Follow ANY advice or opinions at your own risk.
Not everything you read is true.
I am back with last nights results.
Put on my Activa and felt like I was playing with the adjustments to much and the seal didn't feel right and I guess the pressure was annoying me and for some reason the suction felt more intense that it did 2 nights ago. After 30 minutes, I ditched the Activa for the Swift.
Fell asleep fairly quickly but once again was up after 90 minutes ... fell back asleep pretty quickly .. woke up maybe 2 hours later and felt frustrated ... was up for maybe 45 minutes and then fell back asleep feeling somewhat irritated and then took my mask off at 7am and slept for maybe 1 hour without it.
At one point it felt like I was snoring/gasping ... but my guess it was more likely mouth breathing? any thoughts? I have been taping my mouth shut which doesn't really bother me.
At any rate, I felt like I definitely was up a lot more last night than the previous 2 nights ... I can't say I feel that much worse (don't feel great ... haven't felt great in years) ... sometimes I think I feel a different kind of tired if that makes sense ... other times I wonder if it's the same tired I used to feel and therapy is not working. Having said that, I am going to get back on the saddle tonight and see what happens.
My guess is even 3-4 TOTAL hours of un-interrupted sleep on CPAP in 2 separate clips could be as good as 8 hours of sleep pre CPAP? anyone have thoughts on this? I still feel like I have a head fog/headache … but, maybe a little different than before. Maybe I am over thinking it. Who knows.
Thanks,
-Steve
Put on my Activa and felt like I was playing with the adjustments to much and the seal didn't feel right and I guess the pressure was annoying me and for some reason the suction felt more intense that it did 2 nights ago. After 30 minutes, I ditched the Activa for the Swift.
Fell asleep fairly quickly but once again was up after 90 minutes ... fell back asleep pretty quickly .. woke up maybe 2 hours later and felt frustrated ... was up for maybe 45 minutes and then fell back asleep feeling somewhat irritated and then took my mask off at 7am and slept for maybe 1 hour without it.
At one point it felt like I was snoring/gasping ... but my guess it was more likely mouth breathing? any thoughts? I have been taping my mouth shut which doesn't really bother me.
At any rate, I felt like I definitely was up a lot more last night than the previous 2 nights ... I can't say I feel that much worse (don't feel great ... haven't felt great in years) ... sometimes I think I feel a different kind of tired if that makes sense ... other times I wonder if it's the same tired I used to feel and therapy is not working. Having said that, I am going to get back on the saddle tonight and see what happens.
My guess is even 3-4 TOTAL hours of un-interrupted sleep on CPAP in 2 separate clips could be as good as 8 hours of sleep pre CPAP? anyone have thoughts on this? I still feel like I have a head fog/headache … but, maybe a little different than before. Maybe I am over thinking it. Who knows.
Thanks,
-Steve
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Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
Steve,
I think you are right. 3-4 hours of CPAP sleep is far better than any amount of sleep for someone with OSA without being on CPAP. If you are getting into the 3-4 sleep stages, that is what is important. If I'm correct, those are the stages you need to get into before you will start to feel your energy level come back. I am so far from being an expert, and hopefully someone else on this site will step in and give you more detailed specifics and correct me if anything I say in this regard is incorrect. Maybe an auto machine as opposed to a straight CPAP? Are you using your ramp button when you go to sleep initially?
You are refreshing my memory when you talk about a different type of tired and brain fog. You have to realize, you've only been on therapy four nights? That is so new. Most people, except the lucky minority, don't get instant help. Sometimes miracles do happen, but not to most people. I would try, though, to not remove your mask when you sleep unless you seriously are in agony. It is important not to sleep without it and be compliant, even when you nap. And I don't understand how you can be mouth breathing if you have your mouth taped. I must have misunderstood that part of your post.
Try to do this. Don't dwell on what is not happening right now, but rather try to pull out the positive and what is happening for the better. For instance, is the fatigue gone? Do you not feel like you need a nap throughout the day when you used to before? Things that have improved, dwell on those things. Attitude is 90% of doing well. The other 10% is being compliant.
You will eventually sleep more hours through the night. I still rarely sleep through an entire night because I'm still always aware of something mask-related or CPAP-related, but I still feel so much better now. Look, if we have a choice of waking all night due to having untreated OSA that not only damages our health but robs us of energizing sleep, wouldn't you rather still wake up a few times a night but feel better in the morning due to the therapy? I would.
Hang in there. I know it will get better. IT TAKES TIME and compliance. You will get used to it.
I think you are right. 3-4 hours of CPAP sleep is far better than any amount of sleep for someone with OSA without being on CPAP. If you are getting into the 3-4 sleep stages, that is what is important. If I'm correct, those are the stages you need to get into before you will start to feel your energy level come back. I am so far from being an expert, and hopefully someone else on this site will step in and give you more detailed specifics and correct me if anything I say in this regard is incorrect. Maybe an auto machine as opposed to a straight CPAP? Are you using your ramp button when you go to sleep initially?
You are refreshing my memory when you talk about a different type of tired and brain fog. You have to realize, you've only been on therapy four nights? That is so new. Most people, except the lucky minority, don't get instant help. Sometimes miracles do happen, but not to most people. I would try, though, to not remove your mask when you sleep unless you seriously are in agony. It is important not to sleep without it and be compliant, even when you nap. And I don't understand how you can be mouth breathing if you have your mouth taped. I must have misunderstood that part of your post.
Try to do this. Don't dwell on what is not happening right now, but rather try to pull out the positive and what is happening for the better. For instance, is the fatigue gone? Do you not feel like you need a nap throughout the day when you used to before? Things that have improved, dwell on those things. Attitude is 90% of doing well. The other 10% is being compliant.
You will eventually sleep more hours through the night. I still rarely sleep through an entire night because I'm still always aware of something mask-related or CPAP-related, but I still feel so much better now. Look, if we have a choice of waking all night due to having untreated OSA that not only damages our health but robs us of energizing sleep, wouldn't you rather still wake up a few times a night but feel better in the morning due to the therapy? I would.
Hang in there. I know it will get better. IT TAKES TIME and compliance. You will get used to it.
L o R i
6 posts
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