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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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1 ReactionGrateful for the name of petroleum free moisturizer. (I use nasal "cones" to keep nostrils open and sleep on my side.
No CPAP for now.) Thanks!
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1 Reaction@mslw I was using ROExit brand but they no longer make it. I found a similar brand that I’ve ordered from Amazon - Cann ease Nasal Moisturizers : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007AZ4MSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_9iCbGbQX3ECPM
You might also try a local medical supply store if you have one near you. That’s where I first found it.
Thanks, John, for the name of the moisturizer you use.
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1 Reaction@mslw Thanks for the private message concerning the CPAP therapy moisturizer that I am currently using - I'll post it here per your request. It is a great suggestion to try but just not for me. Maybe others might want to give it a try or maybe they have already tried it and can share their experience with us?
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There are chemicals/preservatives in it (see label) that make food-grade coconut oil seem like a better choice. (Trader Joe's stocks it/very inexpensive.) I've been using coconut oil for 2 years, but was curious about what other people use. Please post this on our message board if you think others would benefit from it. Thanks!
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I have used an organic food quality coconut oil (stays in hardened state at room temp) that I purchased from Costco but it is way to greasy for me to use inside my nose...don't like the feeling. I like something with Aloe Vera because of the aroma in the nose seems to help with my breathing and keeping my nostrils open, probably because I have a deviated septum but I'm not sure. The RoEzIt brand had both Aloe Vera and Emu Oil which I really liked but it's no longer available.
It's been a little over 2 years since I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and started using a CPAP machine. This discussion and several others in the Sleep Health group were a blessing finding others with the same condition and learning what they have shared helps them. I finally have my AHI numbers close to 4 most of the time and about 25% of the time I surprise myself with AHIs between 1 and 2. I have been trying to figure out what I am doing those nights that give me the lowest AHI numbers. I think it's a combination of things related to which side I sleep on and how well I am able to breathe through my nose that night. I've been through a wide range of full face masks and they don't seem to make it better but can make it worse. I think it might be related to my nasal passages since I have a deviated septum. When I was first diagnosed the sleep medicine doctor said that fixing the deviated septum would not fix the sleep apnea but I'm just not sure so I'm planning to set up a consultation with an ENT doc to have them evaluate my breathing to see what they think.
@steve1948 @johnhans @bernese53 @thankful @menotpvcs @oldkarl and others - How is everyone else doing with their sleep apnea? Any new struggles, questions or tips to share?
One tip: Get a whole genome DNA analysis. Look for the genes that are for either or both Central Sleep Apnea and/or Obstructive sleep apnea. I have both. I may not be able, because of this, to stop using by bi-pap, but I can at least know why. Whether you have a deviated septum or not may be a moot point. Right now I don't have time to look for the OMIM.org numbers, but you can enter "Sleep apnea" or "Central Sleep Apnea" or "Obstructive Sleep Apnea" to find them. Nebula and Sequencing and others can do the analysis.
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1 Reaction@johnbishop- Greetings! All in all things continue to go well for me. I had my annual sleep Dr. appt. a few weeks back and he was very pleased. We are on our 1st trip away via aircraft and the beds in this resort are amazing.
I had .07 AHI and an overall score of 95 the first night here. Up to last night I hadn't broke 90 in almost a month, but generally in the mid to high 80's. My AHI has been between 1.2 and 2.5 on average. I grew a beard for this pass winter and my chin strap was causing me some angst so since we are in AZ and the temps are in the mid 80's and up I decided to shave this morning. Ahh, feels so good! We will see how things go tonight!
Happy Zzzz,s my friends! Jim @thankful2019
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1 ReactionThat’s great news Jim! @thankful
Hi John. I’ve been using my full face Cpap for three months now. I still struggle to fall asleep with it on. My sleep doc shared with me that it took him three months before he was able to sleep with his on. Then one night he slept for six hours. I did take a baby step a few nights ago and dozed off for about an hour with mine on. Does anyone else have this struggle in the beginning? I’m determined to start sleeping longer with it on. I know how beneficial it is! My husband has been using a full face Cpap for three years. He wore his the first night was was asleep within a few mins. I know everyone’s different. Frustrating!
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