DanM

Hi Anniem. Have you tried wearing the treatment while not in bed and trying to sleep? For some people, taking the machine to another room and wearing treatment while doing something like watching television or reading can help lower the anxiety level at bedtime. The practice also helps you adjust to the feeling of the air pressure. As for your mask, Sleep is correct. Headgear that is too tight can cause discomfort and can actually contribute to mask leak, while too loose can cause leaks and lack of adequate treatment pressure. The mask should be snug but not tight. If you continue to have problems, contact your equipment provider and ask to try a different mask. Best wishes, and please let us know how you are doing!

Hi DiplomaticWhiteLemur4170. If you had an in-lab study, your physician should be able to tell you whether you had any deep sleep. If you did not, there is really no way to know what stages of sleep you are experiencing and how long you are staying in those stages without another sleep study that actually measures brainwave activity. Feeling better and less brain fog is a good sign though! Hopefully you will struggle less with issues related to comfort and mask adjustment as time goes on. If you continue to have these issues after another few weeks, it might be worth considering whether you need to try a different mask to see if something else might be more comfortable for you. Best wishes!

I agree that you are moving in the right direction by getting your husband set up for a sleep study. Please be careful about having him use a machine that may not have the right prescribed settings for him. Incorrect amounts of air pressure can sometimes cause other issues. Best wishes, and please let us know how the sleep study turns out, and all the best for both of you as you move ahead!

Hello. I agree you should speak with a sleep physician about your experiences. It is possible that you need to be tested for sleep apnea. There is also a condition called sleep paralysis, where people describe similar experiences. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has some information on sleep paralysis here that you might find helpful or interesting.

Hello. I encourage you to talk to the equipment supplier about the problem you are having. If they are unable to help, then I would say contact your physician. If your machine settings are correct, your airway should remain open during exhalation. Let us know how things go!

Hi BrightPearNightingale3287. It is safe for someone to wake you if you are not breathing. As for it being beneficial, it is difficult to say. There is definitely benefit to breathing again when you are awakened, but the interruptions to your sleep caused by the sleep apnea and/or by someone having to wake you are not so helpful. Weight gain and medications can both have an impact on sleep apnea. I encourage you to talk to your physician about a new sleep study to see if your apnea has worsened and whether it might need to be treated. Best wishes, and please keep us posted!

Hi Carlton. Please let me know what you would like to know more about, and I will see if I can help. Thanks!

Hi Al. Welcome to MyApnea.Org. Glad to hear you are persisting with treatment and feeling better. My experience was similar to yours when I was diagnosed, and I sleep like a baby with my treatment. It was definitely a love-hate relationship early on, but I cannot imagine being without treatment now. Best wishes, and Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

Hello UnderstangingBlueVioletGorilla8096. I agree with wiredgeorge that 2.8 is considered within normal limits. It is not uncommon for some patients to have an AHI that varies with disturbed sleep. The machine algorithms detect breathing, but they cannot detect actual wake from sleep. When you wake up and fall back to sleep, it is not uncommon to have a short respiratory event related to sleep onset. If you are having restless sleep and arousing and falling back into sleep, the machine might be detecting these events. Hope this helps!

Hi Natalie, and welcome to MyApnea.Org. I'm glad to hear you started back on your treatment. I find it difficult to function if I don't wear my CPAP. I just feel tired and sleepy most of the day, but mornings are the worst if I cannot wear it for some reason. Hopefully, your doctor will adjust your machine so that you feel like you are not gasping for air. As for feeling tired, you might still be adjusting to your new machine and settings and the morning tiredness is temporary. Please let us know how things progress, and good luck!