randomCPAPguy

Man, this is why I generally can’t stand message boards or online forums...I’m just trying to be helpful in offering a solution to a problem I’ve seen posted on multiple forums without a good solution. You are nitpicking about semantics. I never described a PAP machine as diabolical; the entire point is that for many people, like myself, your sleep patterns and ability to wake up with energy is altered when using a PAP machine. This is what is meant by “artificial” because you are using an external process to regulate pressure, and that is contrasted from your body’s natural sleep habits. In terms of losing 1.5 hours, or as I alluded to, could be less depending on some tinkering and your own individual trade-off and preference, I think it’s unnecessary to point out the obvious, which is that the machine will not work during that time.

There always needs to be some kind of defensive knee-jerk reaction to everything. It disappoints me that this is the very first response to my post. I don’t think you added anything to this discussion but did plenty to draw attention to yourself and advanced knowledge, however irrelevant it is in this particular topic.

Hi,

I’ve never really posted, though I have read through some sleep apnea forums to try to find a solution to feeling extremely groggy from your CPAP or APAP machine. I have a ResMed Airsense 10 that I started using 6 months ago. I definitely have enjoyed the benefits, but I found that I was sleeping through alarms and taking hours to feel normal again. Prior to my ResMed machine, I could literally wake up at any time with an internal alarm clock in my head if I knew when I needed to be up. So, after realizing this new problem, I started putting triple Keurig doses (yes, cold black un-fresh coffee) next to my bed ready to go, multiple alarms, etc. I read on several forums about some mobile apps that help to get you out of your deep sleep gradually using progressively increasing sounds and white noise. I tried all of these, but none of these really worked (and in addition, the alarms woke up others in the house.) I would often fall asleep even after downing the coffee, turning on lights, etc.

I don’t know all the science behind it, but I know these machines get you into a really deep sleep state, and it is somewhat artificially regulated because it’s not the same sleep you’d get naturally. I believe I read that the sleep cycles are fixed for something like 30-45 minutes.

So here is the solution I found:

I went on Amazon and bought a Smart Wi-Fi electrical switch. There are many on there, and I’m not trying to peddle any brand. I believe the one I bought was called Sieges. The switch is a simple on/off circuit that you can control with your mobile device, and you can also set a schedule. So, if I want to wake up at 7:00 AM, I set the schedule on the smart switch to shut off (hence turn off the machine) at around 5:30....I’m sure I could experiment more to find the range of possibilities, but that may be for each individual. At 5:30, my ResMed shuts off, though I still sleep just fine and don’t wake up. During that time, though, my sleep seems to transition to a more natural state. Then a low volume alarm or smart phone vibration at 7:00 wakes me up and I am much more alert, ready to start the day like I was prior to using my machine.

Hope this helps.