How did you get used to CPAP?

Hi @tim1028, Kudos to you if you've only been using the CPAP for a month and even though you are struggling now you are looking for ways to make it work. I've been using a CPAP machine since December 2018 and I still sometimes have one of those days but I think it was around the 1 year mark that I started getting a better nights sleep. I've always used some form of a full face mask that covered the nose and mouth or was up against the nose and covered the mouth. The first thing that I think really made a difference for making the mask feel a little more comfortable was recommended to my by my Mayo sleep medicine PA on a follow exam around the 4 month mark when I was really struggling. I was using a ResMed AirFit F20 at the time but was having trouble with it hurting the bridge of my nose. The PA recommended a cloth cover that fit over the mask and keep the silicone off of my nose and face. I got them at CPAP Comfort Cover: https://cpapcomfortcover.com/.

Since 2018 I've tried many different masks trying to get a more perfect one. I think the problem really is that everyone's face is a little different and sometimes it takes awhile to find a match that works for each of us. I think this is where a good sleep medicine PA or care team can help you if you can work with them. The ramp up feature is great and I used it a lot starting out. If I woke up with too much pressure, I could restart my CPAP and it would start at the lower pressure again so I could get back to sleep.

Another thing that helped me was a CPAP hose stand that I could put on the floor or under the mattress at the top of the bed. It would hold the hose above the head and keep it from getting in the way when I would roll over during the night.

You might find this discussion helpful to read what others have shared on their CPAP journey.
--- Cpap and getting better sleep: What's your experience?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cpap-and-sleep/.

Are you scheduled to have a follow up appointment with your sleep medicine doctor or care team? It would be a great time to make a list of questions to take with you to see if they might have some suggestions.

I have long covid and was finally scheduled for sleep study. Though I never had problems with sleep apnea before covid that I know of (?) my test came back that I have obstructive sleep apnea and I also have somewhat Central sleep apnea at this point.

I was put on a CPAP with what I just call a nasal sling kind of, unfortunate that I don't open my mouth during sleep at all and so I can do just a nose thing. This is just a thin silicone tube with a whole cut in it that goes over my nostrils only.
I am in my fourth week and I've already passed the test for medicare. My first night on CPAP I used it for 10 hours.
My pressure is set between 5 and 10 and my understanding from my DME is at night time I'm always at 10. When I put it on and I'm on 5, (I don't use ramp) I can't breathe so well. This morning when I woke up I could breathe great with it on. For like 30 minutes at which point my awake pressure should have dropped to 5 by then but when I looked the pressure was at 8.5 still
and I could breathe great. Now if I can just get my sleep doctor to increase my pressure range to higher than 5-10 five isn't enough for me to have it on when I'm awake and they say when I'm asleep I'm always at the max they have set of 10 so clearly I need higher pressure.

I'm still in my first 30 days so what do I know right?
Here's what I know. Except for two days when my machine wasn't working correctly, I have used it every single night for at least 8 to 10 hours since the day I got it. I use the respironics dreamwear headset where the tube comes out the top of my head. The nasal pillows don't work for me even tho.yhe DME wanted me to use them for some reason. I have ZERO air leaks, and I am very very claustrophobic! My advice is going to be to keep trying different headsets and different pillows nasal pillows slings masks whatever until you find one that works because since I've used CPAP for less than a month now my life has changed. My long covid has changed. Don't give up. Now if I can just get my sleep doctor to change my pressures...

Thanks for your suggestion and helpful information about your experience. Yes, some folks seem to get benefit and easily accommodate to CPAP usage right out of the gate. I hope you can get your pressure settings adjusted correctly to the higher pressure.

Those cloth covers are a gimmick and cause so much air leakage that the machine won't deliver proper treatment. It will make your AHI appear really low though due to the leakage .

Finding a comfortable mask is very important. When I began using a CPAP I gave myself a month to get used to it. One night I refused to use it, but after that I chose to use it without fail every night for 24 years. Eight years ago I was happy to get an AutoPap. Pressures which adjust to need are more comfortable. My old ResMed S9 is quieter than new machines and it does not stink. It is so compact that it fits neatly in my suitcase when traveling abroad. New machines are cumbersome, stink, and look as though they were designed by the same committee which designed camels! Beware about accepting a machine which stinks of glue or chemicals because that oder will always be there. And it may be toxic to inhale for a third of one’s life. That’s why I continue using my eight year old machine, though Medicare would have replaced it after five years. Hope it will continue working well. Just in case I have a refurbished S9 for backup.

I do not use ramping, preferring to have pressure set from 8-16. When I drift off to sleep the pressure will automatically rise to the need.

Through the years I’ve had lots of bad masks. One even blew air into my eyes, but nothing better was available at the time. I’ve tried on nasal pillows at my DME’s office, but they felt as though they would blow out my ear drums. Nope! Now I’m using a ResMed Micromirage which covers just my nose. For forehead comfort I added a folded wool flannel pad across the two suction caps. The padding works nicely.

Hope my Pap journey has been helpful. Also hope the AutoPap makers will improve their creations to again become as good as my old ResMed S9 is. According to the idea of progress products are supposed to improve, not get worse. Wishing you well as you adjust to your Pap!

Sorry you think the cloth covers are a gimmick. I've found them quite useful and definitely not a gimmick for me. Leaks can be caused by the pressure being too high also, some leakage is expected and normal according to my sleep medicine care team. The leakage has not affected my AHI either way. If you have any kind of silicone average or just don't like the feeling of the mask on your nose or face, the cloth covers can help you when using the CPAP. More people quit using a CPAP just because they hate the feeling on their face. I struggled with that for over 4 months and thought about quitting the treatment prior to finding the cloth covers. I can't say they are for or will work for everyone, but if you are struggling to keep using a CPAP, it's another option and it's not expensive.

Perhaps that was your experience. I know many who have found that using those covers prevents 'rain-out' because they help to insulate the hose against cool bedroom air...which most of us prefer. In my own case, I simply cover my hose with my cover. I place my sheet across myself, then lay my hose across my midriff, and then place the cover over the hose. The weight of the cover helps to keep the hose in place, and the cover serves the same purpose as the cloth 'sleeve'.
Improper fit, inappropriate geometry, unsupported hose, displacement/deformation of the pillow/mask, these all contribute to leaks.

Wear your headgear and mask during the day. Get used to the fit. During naps, wear it as well. Practice sleeping while awake. Don the headgear and mask, and try different positions while the machine runs. When you experience leaks, note the position of your head, and try to imprint this onto your mind so that when you sleep you will avoid the positions that cause displacement or deformation of the mask.

Getting used to CPAP therapy takes many people many weeks, usually by trying different masks, sleep positions, and even altering the prescribed therapy settings. I mean, it has to work at some point, or you're just wasting money, time, and health. If the prescription isn't working, then the machine is wrong, the mask is wrong, your use of it is wrong, or the prescription, itself, is wrong. Most CPAP users will eventually fiddle a bit with their settings and often fine that they find a sweet spot. Don't be afraid to experiment now and then to see what the effect is on your quality of sleep and your confidence.

Wow!
I am so lucky!
1993 was the year that I was first diagnosed with severe sleep apnea at age 50. SEVERE sleep apnea.
This was way before CPAP and sleep apnea became trendy.
Dr. Roslyn Cartwright at Rush Hospital, was one of the first pioneers in this study of sleep apnea. She said that I fooled her
She thought my being 6 foot two, 220 pounds, and athletic, would preclude me from having a blocked airway.
Oh, Contraire, that first study showed that I had severe sleep apnea.
I love my CPAP machine and my headgear with nose pillows. In the past, when I only had time for a 10 minute nap, I will still use my CPAP machine. I have gone through six, seven, or eight machines during those years. Last night I slept for 10 or 11 hours.
I do not use the ramp setting. A technician told me how to adjust my machine. I started last night at 11 CFM, and woke up this morning at 16.2 CFM as the machine adjusted to what I actually needed during the night.
The little pillows that go in my left nostril and right nostril do the job. I have padded the two straps that hold the pillow onto my nostrils and the hose comes over my head from the wall behind me. This allows me to read for half an hour or so before I drift off.
Those hard plastic triangular devices that fit over the nose and mouth were designed by someone who never had to use them.
Reading the above comments was really interesting. And prompted me to comment also.

I needed CPAP enough that when put it on in a week can not sleep without it. was having over 64 events an hour. thank God for sleep.