Sleep apnea

seanlennon2015

Hi

I was recently diagnosed with a mild case of sleep apnea, and started cpap treatment straight, i am finding it hard to last very long with it on it seems that i am only getting about 2 hours maximum with it on before having to yank it off , and if i do fall asleep with it on it seems that i maybe taking off without even noticing it ...

Has anyone any tips or suggestions on how to cop, i really want to get a good night sleep and feel so refreshed ..

Any help would be very much appreciated

CabanSail

I have been down that well worn path myself. It's not easy but it can get better.

My own story is that I was diagnosed in Ireland with sleep aponea and had a CPAP machine. Had the same issue and could only last a short time. I did try forcing myself and got almost no sleep. The mask really annoyed me. I got to the point where I felt the cure was worse than the disease.

When I was living back in Australia my sleep aponea was getting worse. I was falling asleep at work a lot and driving was becoming a concern. I got on a list to see a specialist in sleep medicine. It was a long wait. When I did get to see him he got me into an overnight sleep study. First one I went to there was no machine, they just monitored my sleep, or lack there of. I had ECG, Respiration, Pulse Oximetry, EEG and audio recorded. No surprise they came back to tell me that I did have sleep aponea. The next study, shortly after, had the same monitoring but this time while on CPAP. This time I found it very hard to sleep as the mask annoyed me. I did manage a couple of hours but the diagnosis was that CPAP was not sufficient. Back again for a third study where I was given a trial on BiPAP. This time they did not use a mask but instead they gave me some nasal prongs. That worked. The nasal prongs have minimal contact. The set I got was the Fisher & Paykel Opus. (Photo below)



There have been other struggles but that was to do with getting a machine.

My first set has become worn after a bit over a year of use. I have just ordered a new set. This time I went for a different type which is new on market. It has gel pads on the contact to the mose. I have used them three nights now an they are a bit more comfortable. This set is the Respironics Nuance Pro. (Photo below)





The other thing which makes a big difference is having a heated hose if you have a humidifier. Otherwise water can rain out and it becomes annoying. My first (hired) machine had one as standard. My own machine does not but it's a an option which I have just ordered.


There is also a guy in the US who is a sleep technician. He has a website and a dedicated Sleep Aponea Forum. I have found some of the advice there quite helpful.

Good luck. It is worth it when it works.

houseplant

Hi. I have just this week been diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea. I have been constantly tired for almost 10years, no matter how much i slept. I've had blood tests and tried everything.

I'm told I will need a cpap machine, which I hope to get soon. Does anyone have any experience with sleep apnea and the cpap? Will it change my life as much as I'm hearing? There's very little info about it on boards, I presume it's pretty much unknown. All advice welcome.

Gremlinertia

Houseplant, you may possibly be better served by posting here https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057038487&page=19 in the Sleeping and Dreaming forum.

Locking thread as it's two years old