I'm 27 years old and I just started using my Resmed Air Sense 10, with full mask, a month ago. At first I immediately felt a change. I couldn't believe the energy I had. I run a restaurant so that's important to me. But as of lately, I have been waking up with the heavy tired feeling I used to without the machine. It's frustrating for me. I don't know what it's like to be normal tired and not just apnea tired so maybe this is part of the adjustment process. Some days I will wake up like a bolt of lightning and that energy stays all day until I get home. Some days, like today I just feel tired with a slight headache and as the day will progress I will get more and more sleepy. I guess I just need to hear that this is all part of the adjustment process. I am definitely used to the machine and am always eager to wear it! Could it be a tightness issue? I do like the mask a little tight. I have gotten so used to it that I can almost not feel it as I'm drifting off to sleep. Help please!!!!
Hello, I would suggest you start tracking your progress either using Resmed tracking program myAir or download another program such as SleepyHead. That way you can see how your apneas issues were from the previous night. Perhaps on the days were you have a headache and are more sleepy your AHI numbers are higher? Or perhaps your mask was leaking more on those nights? Mask seals can be difficult, usually not too tight but not too loose works best. Whatever is comfortable for you that is not causing leaks and is not causing pressure sores to your face is great. Perhaps if you start tracking your results for awhile you can correlate a pattern to how you are feeling.
Gandalf, I am soooo glad to hear that you are eager to use your machine and make it work for you. I've slept with one since the late 90's and dedicated to it and helping others use theirs. I can't help you wih the software suggested by "Sleep" as my doctors and equipment providers really nixed the idea of my having access to my data. I'm going to have to rectify that, right away, and would encourage you to do the same. Two thiing you've said make me think you are still experiencing apnic events. The first is erratic-off-again-on-again sleep results. The second is a headache in the morning. Prior to the CPAP, I had daily headaches and the more I tried to sleep the worse were the headaches. I have a full beard and moustache and have no sealing/leakage problems when the mask is properly situated. On that subject your use of the word "tight" makes me wonder that your mask's sealing surface, while padded, has no tightness adjustment other than to squeeze the padding? My first nasal mask was of that type and was disaster for me I could almost never keep it adjusted. Even a haircut changed the fit. My sleep doctor, hearing my complaints, prescribed a full-face mask. Again, bad move. I can't recall how, but finally got fitted with a ResMed "Mirage." Hooray! Its upper mount is adjusted to rest on your forehead, tightened via straps around the top of your head. But the beauty of the design is that the triangular mask portion "floats" over your nose. Two lower straps hold the bottom of the mask body close to your nose but not touching. The mask seals with a soft, thin, flexible, "bladder" that extends under air pressure against your face. The result is that their is very little pressure around your nose, and the seal is great, adapting to the contours of your face My final two suggestions are that you route the hose for your maximum comfort. Bring the hose up vertically between your pillow and the headboard (or affix it to the headboard) such that the hose arches over your head to your face. That way, with the hose swiviles, you are free to roll on your side, turn your head, etc. without having the hose tugging on the mask. The last is the ramp. I don't bother with that delay knowing if the mask sealed. I equilibrate my lungs and body to the machine by immediately inhaling a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling, and I'm off to sleep. (I apologize for the length.) Good luck!
A 27 year shouldn't be waking with a tired feeling and a headache. I can't believe ANY doctor would discourage someone on therapy from not self-monitoring. I doubt they are monitoring for you. Your Resmed machine had a feedback function where it sends in daily feedback you can monitor through their site. No point in talking about possible fixes to your issues without know why the issues are occurring. Check your feedback via the RESMED site. You have to know what is going on before you can fix it.
I check my progress thru the ResMed site, but it's pretty hard to decipher. It was really only valuable when I couldn't solve my leak problem, but the F10 mask was the answer to that. For me, the ResMed site is mostlly useless as I regularly sleep past noon. Apparently, ResMed doesn't believe people ever do that, and a couple hours of the previous days readings are tacked on to the next, thus confusing the results. Sleepyhead s/w allows me to actually see each session completely.
