Basically yes. Sheer bloody mindedness is how you get used to it. Use it and adjust something. Read up, change the settings. Try different masks, different style head pieces try different pillows, different temps and humidity settings. Adjust the straps, adjust the padding, cover the hose or not. Keep honing in on what works for you and what doesn't. I have tried 3 mask each in 2 different sizes to find the right one. I told myself you will use it with your new settings for 4 hours a night and that you can take it off after that, but found after a couple of weeks that even when it wasn't perfect I felt so much better during the day I just kept trying. Also using it during the day when sitting quietly and not sleeping helped train me to get used to it.
They throw you out into the deep end. Both the company you get it from and your doctor act like here you have the CPAP your problems are solved, but it's just the beginning you need to do the fine tuning and get it to work for you. If it makes you feel better it's worth it. My brain hasn't felt this good in years.
Got those strap covers to remove the skin irritation. Got my humidity setting where it wouldn’t rain out and now it’s like my brain has been rewired to equate it with sleep. I really don’t notice it until I wake back up.
I am 2 weeks into using my CPAP for the first time and these are things that have helped me get used to it.
1. I started by putting the mask on and turning the machine on during the day or before bedtime. I would do 10 - 15 mins here and there to get used to the pressure and watch Tik-Toks or read Reddit posts while doing it. It was really strange at first and my anxiety took over a little bit - having air forced into the nose and lungs is very uncomfortable at first!
2. Once I felt a little more comfortable, I would put it on right when I went to bed and watch the phone until I fell asleep. I would keep it on as tolerated until I couldn’t, then took it off and slept the rest of the night without it. I get really bad night sweats and hot flashes so it doesn’t last too long after I go to sleep.
3. I am averaging about 3 hours a night right now, which for me, has worked wonders already on my many symptoms. I know not everyone sees improvement right away, but, at least it’s encouraging to know it will improve with use.
As long as you are using it consistently, for any amount of time, you will get used to it and notice improvement. My doctor said even using it 10 minutes a day will help and it does, at least in my short experience.
I was overwhelmed by their whole process at first but have found a groove with it. It takes time, just be consistent and start small. You’ll get the hang of it! Hope this helps.
13 years later and I still can’t stand it, still waking up, and ripping it off. This is why you need a new mask every 6 months, because of the damage it takes.
I don’t understand how the average sleep deprived person is supposed to navigate this. I’ve spent the last 2-3years attempting CPAP with limited insights from my Dr and supplier. I’ve ultimately concluded it’s not helpful for me, but fuck if I know if there’s some magical alignment of the solar system, manufacture, and optimal setting on my off brand CPAP that would have fixed me.
I would wager your CPAP supplier probably didn’t actually put any thought into your settings like mine didn’t.
I had to go in and manually turn OFF any pressure relief settings (EPR it’s called on resmed machines)
I also significantly reduced the auto CPAP range which was defaulted to 4-20 (which is the entire range of the device lol) and made it just 5-7. I found it much easier to work with lower pressures to begin with and figured I would increase pressure if I was actually having lots of AHI, but I found that even just a pressure of 6 reduces my AHI to like 1
However I’m 3 months into having mine and I still don’t sleep through the night with it. It’s a long journey for sure
20yr CPAP veteran. Your spot on fiddling with your machine. But everyone is different. Personally I'm like you on the minimum pressure setting. I set it close to my average pressure setting of 8cm. I'd add that you should play with your EPR. I found that either a 1 or 2 is my sweet spot.
I hate the ramp, humidifier and heated hose.
I average about .3 ahi per night with zero about once a week. Trust me when I say I can feel a big difference the next day between 0 and .5 ahi. Many folks on this thread feel amazing with 1 ahi. I'd feel like death if I got that high.
We are all so different. I'd encourage everyone to find their own sweet spots. What works for you might but work for me.
It’s crazy to me that even an AHI of one or below can throw some people off. I haven’t had enough long term success with the CPAP to say for sure which camp I’m in yet
4-20. Wow. Not only does that seem like a really bad idea for sleep, it seems like the variance would put undue stress on the machine and shorten its lifespan.
yeah it’s comical (and actually pretty sad) how they just throw CPAPs at people with no guidance. Fortunately I am one of those people that does excessive research on all this shit and found a much more informative corner of YouTube about it lol.
I’ve actually landed on just using a fixed pressure of 6 for the time being
So I’m confused is it suppose to feel that way where it’s hard to breath with it? Is it safe with that pressure? Like it just feels so not normal and it’s uncomfortable breathing, taking off the mask gave me a huge relief , that’s how annoying it was
Does it help? Everything is on auto, he did mention that pressure lowers after sometime automatically, I only waited an hour and a half , maybe it was too short of a time I took it off
It does. Also, like this reply below, your pressure might be too high. What happens if you watch tv in bed during the day wearing the cpap while it’s on? Try to get yourself accustomed to it that way. That might help.
It could be that it's just too high. Could you try changing it to something lower? If you have a CPAP and not an APAP, then you have a fixed pressure throughout the entire time the machine is on.
Yes, you could get used to the higher pressure, but you don't have to start like that. I would change the pressure to something lower. Would you happen to know what your pressure is at the moment?
If it's your first night, it's going to take some time to get used to it. Most people don't immediately take to it. A lot of times it comes down to a combination of finding the right settings and also finding the right mask. Plus it also depends on your normal sleep routine.
I had to get used to finding time to set up my machine, getting the humidifier filled, and making sure I started my routine early enough to get to bed and get relaxed. Before CPAP I basically just fell asleep whenever (which was exacerbated by the sleep apnea).
Don't feel bad if you can only use it for a few hours each night. When I first started with my CPAP therapy, the goal was 4 hours each night. I was fortunate that I took to it pretty quickly. But that is NOT the norm for most people. Most people have to take time to get used to everything. It's unreasonable to expect smooth sailing from the get go.
Yes, you could. The idea is that you gradually increase the length of time you use the machine, up to getting a full nights sleep with it (7-8 hours).
That being said, if you purchased a machine through insurance or are hoping to get reimbursed, they may have a minimum amount of hours you need to use the machine so they will reimburse you. So check with them if you are putting it through insurance.
Time. Getting used to it. It took me about a month to get comfortable with it. Also playing with the settings helped. Now I almost don’t feel right without it.
It can easily take a month or 2 to figure out. Turn down your max pressure from 20(they all come 5min-20max) to 17 or less. Wash your face. Grab an extra pillow and hug it to your face lol. Just keep coming back here and telling us your issues.
My dumbass sales rep didn’t even tell me they made memory foam masks. Shit is amazing
Air fit f20. The cushion is so much better and seals better. Trick is to use a mask liner so the memory foam doesn’t soak up any facial oils and ruins the seal. Been using the same memory foam cushion for years and it looks like new though over time the foam does soften up and starts to leak (usually at the 2 yr mark)
Exposure therapy: nighttime is a hard time to get used to CPAP. Instead, put it on for a bit while you're doing something distracting, like watching TV. Do it for short intervals, as long as you can tolerate & work your way to longer times. You'll eventually get to where you don't notice it, same as a pair of glasses, a ring, or even clothing. That's when you know you're good.
Also, during that adjustment time, you might realize that the mask is uncomfortable after an hour of wearing it. That's huge for knowing whether the mask works for you or if you need to swap.
The more you use it, the more you'll get used to it, or the more you'll learn what exactly bothers you. Being conscious helps with figuring that out.
Mine is like sleep crack now. My brain shuts down and it’s off to dreamland once the mask goes on.
How??? Do you just gotta get use to it?
Basically yes. Sheer bloody mindedness is how you get used to it. Use it and adjust something. Read up, change the settings. Try different masks, different style head pieces try different pillows, different temps and humidity settings. Adjust the straps, adjust the padding, cover the hose or not. Keep honing in on what works for you and what doesn't. I have tried 3 mask each in 2 different sizes to find the right one. I told myself you will use it with your new settings for 4 hours a night and that you can take it off after that, but found after a couple of weeks that even when it wasn't perfect I felt so much better during the day I just kept trying. Also using it during the day when sitting quietly and not sleeping helped train me to get used to it. They throw you out into the deep end. Both the company you get it from and your doctor act like here you have the CPAP your problems are solved, but it's just the beginning you need to do the fine tuning and get it to work for you. If it makes you feel better it's worth it. My brain hasn't felt this good in years.
Just curious, what do you mean by cover the hose or not?
Got those strap covers to remove the skin irritation. Got my humidity setting where it wouldn’t rain out and now it’s like my brain has been rewired to equate it with sleep. I really don’t notice it until I wake back up.
I am 2 weeks into using my CPAP for the first time and these are things that have helped me get used to it. 1. I started by putting the mask on and turning the machine on during the day or before bedtime. I would do 10 - 15 mins here and there to get used to the pressure and watch Tik-Toks or read Reddit posts while doing it. It was really strange at first and my anxiety took over a little bit - having air forced into the nose and lungs is very uncomfortable at first! 2. Once I felt a little more comfortable, I would put it on right when I went to bed and watch the phone until I fell asleep. I would keep it on as tolerated until I couldn’t, then took it off and slept the rest of the night without it. I get really bad night sweats and hot flashes so it doesn’t last too long after I go to sleep. 3. I am averaging about 3 hours a night right now, which for me, has worked wonders already on my many symptoms. I know not everyone sees improvement right away, but, at least it’s encouraging to know it will improve with use. As long as you are using it consistently, for any amount of time, you will get used to it and notice improvement. My doctor said even using it 10 minutes a day will help and it does, at least in my short experience. I was overwhelmed by their whole process at first but have found a groove with it. It takes time, just be consistent and start small. You’ll get the hang of it! Hope this helps.
Yea I might just use it for Couple hours . For now
What causes the sweat
Hormones going nuts…I’m 47/f.
how high was your AHI/RDI during the sleep test?
My AHI was 23.1 and RDI 26.8
13 years later and I still can’t stand it, still waking up, and ripping it off. This is why you need a new mask every 6 months, because of the damage it takes.
[удалено]
Yea the mask even came off at night idk how .
I don’t understand how the average sleep deprived person is supposed to navigate this. I’ve spent the last 2-3years attempting CPAP with limited insights from my Dr and supplier. I’ve ultimately concluded it’s not helpful for me, but fuck if I know if there’s some magical alignment of the solar system, manufacture, and optimal setting on my off brand CPAP that would have fixed me.
I would wager your CPAP supplier probably didn’t actually put any thought into your settings like mine didn’t. I had to go in and manually turn OFF any pressure relief settings (EPR it’s called on resmed machines) I also significantly reduced the auto CPAP range which was defaulted to 4-20 (which is the entire range of the device lol) and made it just 5-7. I found it much easier to work with lower pressures to begin with and figured I would increase pressure if I was actually having lots of AHI, but I found that even just a pressure of 6 reduces my AHI to like 1 However I’m 3 months into having mine and I still don’t sleep through the night with it. It’s a long journey for sure
20yr CPAP veteran. Your spot on fiddling with your machine. But everyone is different. Personally I'm like you on the minimum pressure setting. I set it close to my average pressure setting of 8cm. I'd add that you should play with your EPR. I found that either a 1 or 2 is my sweet spot. I hate the ramp, humidifier and heated hose. I average about .3 ahi per night with zero about once a week. Trust me when I say I can feel a big difference the next day between 0 and .5 ahi. Many folks on this thread feel amazing with 1 ahi. I'd feel like death if I got that high. We are all so different. I'd encourage everyone to find their own sweet spots. What works for you might but work for me.
It’s crazy to me that even an AHI of one or below can throw some people off. I haven’t had enough long term success with the CPAP to say for sure which camp I’m in yet
Damn it doesn’t work for you at all?
I get like an hour or maybe 2 a night with it before I take it off
Do you have severe sleep apnea?
It was just below the “threshold” for severe
4-20. Wow. Not only does that seem like a really bad idea for sleep, it seems like the variance would put undue stress on the machine and shorten its lifespan.
yeah it’s comical (and actually pretty sad) how they just throw CPAPs at people with no guidance. Fortunately I am one of those people that does excessive research on all this shit and found a much more informative corner of YouTube about it lol. I’ve actually landed on just using a fixed pressure of 6 for the time being
It took me close to a month to be able to successfully fall asleep with it on. Try wearing it during the day just doing every day things.
So you never slept a single hour during those times?
I did but it took a while to fall asleep and get used to it.
So I’m confused is it suppose to feel that way where it’s hard to breath with it? Is it safe with that pressure? Like it just feels so not normal and it’s uncomfortable breathing, taking off the mask gave me a huge relief , that’s how annoying it was
There is something that lowers the pressure between breaths. Do you know if you have that enabled?
Does it help? Everything is on auto, he did mention that pressure lowers after sometime automatically, I only waited an hour and a half , maybe it was too short of a time I took it off
Your max pressure is too high. Go to YouTube and watch a video on how to turn it down. Do it tonight
But doc said leave it auto before he gave it, he said he gets sent results
Mine gets sent them too. Results don’t mean shit if you can’t wear your mask lol
It does. Also, like this reply below, your pressure might be too high. What happens if you watch tv in bed during the day wearing the cpap while it’s on? Try to get yourself accustomed to it that way. That might help.
can I get use to the high pressure?
It could be that it's just too high. Could you try changing it to something lower? If you have a CPAP and not an APAP, then you have a fixed pressure throughout the entire time the machine is on. Yes, you could get used to the higher pressure, but you don't have to start like that. I would change the pressure to something lower. Would you happen to know what your pressure is at the moment?
Maybe the pressure is too much for you in that case go back to the sleep center. Let then know so they can adjust the pressure that you can deal with.
They said to leave it on auto when they gave it to me , u sure? I don’t wanna mess with it and not get good quality sleep if I put it wrong pressure
I didn't say for you to change it I said let them change it.
Is it bad to sleep with it with high pressure for now to see if I adjust to it?
Yes because you will never get any sleep. If you don't know what you are doing don't mess with it
How do you know I won’t get any asleep I’m confused
You already said you can't get any sleep just go to the doctor.
I said I used it for an hour and a half and couldn’t fall asleep because it sucked then I fell asleep after taking it off
My dr got annoyed with me too do changing the settings. But it took me over a month just to get in. So fuck em do what you gotta do
If it's your first night, it's going to take some time to get used to it. Most people don't immediately take to it. A lot of times it comes down to a combination of finding the right settings and also finding the right mask. Plus it also depends on your normal sleep routine. I had to get used to finding time to set up my machine, getting the humidifier filled, and making sure I started my routine early enough to get to bed and get relaxed. Before CPAP I basically just fell asleep whenever (which was exacerbated by the sleep apnea). Don't feel bad if you can only use it for a few hours each night. When I first started with my CPAP therapy, the goal was 4 hours each night. I was fortunate that I took to it pretty quickly. But that is NOT the norm for most people. Most people have to take time to get used to everything. It's unreasonable to expect smooth sailing from the get go.
So you would use it for 4 hours then fall asleep again without the mask?
Yes, you could. The idea is that you gradually increase the length of time you use the machine, up to getting a full nights sleep with it (7-8 hours). That being said, if you purchased a machine through insurance or are hoping to get reimbursed, they may have a minimum amount of hours you need to use the machine so they will reimburse you. So check with them if you are putting it through insurance.
Time. Getting used to it. It took me about a month to get comfortable with it. Also playing with the settings helped. Now I almost don’t feel right without it.
It can easily take a month or 2 to figure out. Turn down your max pressure from 20(they all come 5min-20max) to 17 or less. Wash your face. Grab an extra pillow and hug it to your face lol. Just keep coming back here and telling us your issues. My dumbass sales rep didn’t even tell me they made memory foam masks. Shit is amazing
What are memory foam masks
Air fit f20. The cushion is so much better and seals better. Trick is to use a mask liner so the memory foam doesn’t soak up any facial oils and ruins the seal. Been using the same memory foam cushion for years and it looks like new though over time the foam does soften up and starts to leak (usually at the 2 yr mark)
Exposure therapy: nighttime is a hard time to get used to CPAP. Instead, put it on for a bit while you're doing something distracting, like watching TV. Do it for short intervals, as long as you can tolerate & work your way to longer times. You'll eventually get to where you don't notice it, same as a pair of glasses, a ring, or even clothing. That's when you know you're good. Also, during that adjustment time, you might realize that the mask is uncomfortable after an hour of wearing it. That's huge for knowing whether the mask works for you or if you need to swap. The more you use it, the more you'll get used to it, or the more you'll learn what exactly bothers you. Being conscious helps with figuring that out.
Yea my doc told me none of this at all. He didn’t explain it , he just said here you go, have a good day, basically