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Cpap and getting better sleep: What's your experience?
I was in the hospital for pneumonia and while I was getting a nebulizer treatment the therapist asked if I use a Cpap at home, at the time I didn't have one. Now mind you I was only sleeping for 2 hrs a night during my pneumonia bout (2 weeks) and the therapist asked if I were open to using a BPAP (what they call it in a hospital) it was a large machine and I said of course. Upon using it I still only slept for 2 hours but it was a very restful 2 hours of sleep and was welcomed. I told my Pulmonologist and got set up for a sleep study, and it is all history. I sleep more restful (have much less visits to the bathroom at night) and use it religiously. Medicare covered my testing and machine. After my test my doc told me I stopped breathing x amount of times a minute, and was restless (tossed and turned) an ungodly amount of time during my test. On the follow up test (with the Cpap) the number decreased significantly. My sister snores like a constant thunder storm and she went for a test and got her Cpap, and now she doesn't snore at all and tells me she sleeps much better.
There are two ways to use the machine, with a nostril mask (so to speak) and a full mask (you usually see on TV movies). The latter is what I use, I couldn't get use to the nostril application, and if you were to catch a cold, I don't know how well it would work, but I use the mask never the less. Hope this helps, and do read the instructions about your machine.
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I have been using the Philips CPAP machine with a nose cradle successfully for 4 years. I was given a ResMed Air Sense 10 Autoset and had a parched mouth (as if someone had put a hair dryer in my mouth) and kept waking up every several hours. After 7 days, I switched back to my Philips. HAS ANYONE had this problem with the ResMed Air Sense 10?? Last night I used my Philips once again - I did NOT have a parched or dry mouth and slept well. I was using the same mask and headgear for both machines. I really want to like the ResMed Air Sense, as it has some great features and is easier for traveling. Any suggestions? I have had 3 calls with ResMed customer service, and the same number with my medical provider. The last ResMed suggested that my provider send the machine to them to be checked.
Here are a few observations three months into my husband using a CPAP:
- My sleep quality is much better. Thankful.
- Any kissing, chatting or even cuddling next to him are not the best with the CPAP mask on (it's also not anyone's most attractive, with tubing going in various directions on your head, to be honest). Kind of awkward, though he's learned to talk a little more clearly now if he needs to speak to me after starting the machine. The CPAP cuts out some spontaneous cuddling and chatting. Guess I miss that.
- I sometimes get the chilliest spurt of air coming from the mask area on his face going right into my face or otherwise toward me if he's on his side facing me in the bed and I'm on my side facing him. Not sure what the cooling mechanism is in play, but I have to cover myself with covers or roll over to shield myself from freezing.
Is all this for a greater good? You bet.
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3 Reactionsthx i’m happy for you and your sister. Are you using Resmed machine and mask?
@lisalucier- I understand and the same was fustrating to me even though I was the one wearing the Cpap.
For some reason my wife liked the white noice that my machine/mask made and found it very soothing.
I am often a early riser and generally have 8 hrs or more time logged in on my Cpap by 6 so I remove it and then the cuddling begins....!
Being retired helps a lot in that situation, but one needs to be creative in these situations!
Happy Zzzz's... Jim @thankful
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3 ReactionsInteresting you mentioned the white noise of a CPAP, @thankful. I was previously using a white nose machine at night primarily to block out my husband's snoring noises to try and get some sleep. When he started on the CPAP, I didn't need to use the white noise machine anymore, as the CPAP's low, steady noise sufficed.
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4 ReactionsThanks for sharing!
Have a great day!
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1 Reaction@lisalucier- Lisa great to hear that! We all have enough noise in our lives and so glad to hear that your husbands Cpap was able to replace your other white noise. I know you both will look back at these new things that take getting used to as a turning point of better health & relationship. Jim @thankful
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2 ReactionsHi, all - just as a follow-up to previous discussions about my husband starting on a CPAP, one thing I'm finding is that the air he's exhaling while wearing it comes at me like a cold Arctic blast (much more air coming out in a stream than his usual exhale, and freezing cold). I have to turn to my other side away from it in bed or literally put some covers beside my face so it doesn't hit me. Brrr.
Wondering if anyone else found this with their CPAP usage? If so, is there anything that can be done about this? Setting change? Not using it correctly somehow?
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2 ReactionsHi Lisa @lisalucier -- Yuppers! That's one of the joys of the CPAP mask/hose. There is the exhale vent on the mask connector. Some of them vent down or to the sides. Mine goes the same direction as the elbow of the connector so I can direct it. I have a CPAP hose holder that I lets me move the hose around easy and position it to minimize or direct where the air is directed. Another thing I've tried is to loosely wrap a piece of soft cloth around the elbow connector on the mask to muffle the outgoing air a little. You could probably use a safety pin to hold the cloth on it by just pinning the cloth...or a piece of tape. I used a piece of an old t-shirt - clean of course! 🙂
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2 ReactionsIs it CPAP or BIPAP and does he have a heated humidifier or heated tubing? On CPAP you can change the setting (it's in the menu that users don't have access to unless they watch YouTube videos) to C-Flex+ rather than C-Flex. The plus is a comfort setting that stops or reduces the amount of airflow from the machine during exhaling. Heated humidifier and/or tubing helps some also. If he is using Auto CPAP he already has the built-in exhale comfort setting so I'm lost. I sleep alone so I have not had issues with cold Arctic blasts, lol.
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