Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
Hi Everyone,
After much deliberation, and thanks to this forum I chose to invest in Airsense 10 Auto. Last night was the first time I was using the therapy but could not sleep a wink. My doctor has prescribed pressure of 10. Auto set for 4-20 did not work for me so I changed the minimum pressure to 9. Still I could not sleep. Yet, the AHI reading is 0. What is it that I am missing here? I am attaching the SllepyHead data here. Could someone please help!
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RE: Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
you are doing well. Keeping the mask on all night is a big first step. give yourself time to adjust. You could run min 6 max 8 for a week, if you feel that you need to get use to the pressure.
RE: Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
(10-05-2017, 02:09 AM)ajack Wrote: you are doing well. Keeping the mask on all night is a big first step. give yourself time to adjust. You could run min 6 max 8 for a week, if you feel that you need to get use to the pressure.
Thank you, Ajack. But I am not being able to sleep at all! How is my AHI showing 0? Does this mean I had no apnea events and I am okay?
RE: Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
if you didn't sleep at all, nothing is counted while you are awake. the results mean nothing. You have been tested and have sleep apnea, nothing has changed. The goal is to get the AHI as low as possible, while getting a good nights sleep. You will be more tired and will probably get some sleep tonight. If you get another 0.0 tonight, we may do a reset on your machine.
10-05-2017, 06:44 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-05-2017, 06:56 AM by HalfAsleep.)
RE: Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
You wouldn't be the first newbie who didn't sleep all night...
I can't address the AHI issue since I'm a newbie myself, but I do recommend "practicing" during the day. Use the CPAP while you're watching TV or surfing the net. Get used to the various sounds and what they signify.
Every hour or so while you're experimenting, take the mask off and either turn the CPAP off or get SmartSet to do it for you. Whenever you do this, A10A will give you a brief report on the session. Press Home to see this.This will get you used to leakage, mask fit, rough AHI, what happens when you snooze. Instant feedback.
Also get an account at Resmed for MyAir. For my purposes right now, this may be more helpful than Sleepyhead 'cos it doesn't overwhelm me with data. It gives me an idea where to focus for now. The stats upload from your machine; no work from you.
I am almost completely focused on how to interact with my mask at the moment. What happens if I fidget, how to keep my mouth closed, how to tell if the mask's leaking, how to keep it on.
Personally, I'm only using the AHI stat on my machine as a very rough guide for now. I just care that it's down from my sleep test, and continues in a downwardly direction.
10-05-2017, 07:04 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-05-2017, 07:05 AM by jaswilliams.)
RE: Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
The first two or three nights will be awful until you get used to the mask the noise the air the pressure etc...
Keep it up and your sleep will improve over time.
Jason
RE: Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
Hi Manju
Welcome to the Forum. I read your posts re looking for appropriate machine. Congrats in buying the absolute right choice. Others more experienced with using the Autoset to gauge your settings will chime in, no doubt. I just wanted to say that the situation will improve and having bad firsts nights are not uncommon.
My machine was prescribed and provided by the NHS so I had no real choice otherwise I would have bought the 'For her' from all the info and advice here. That said, the CPAP Resmed A10 Elite is doing great for me now after all the initial too high pressures causing copious awakenings, aerophagia, CAs etc etc. Slowly and surely by degrees, all that settled down with the fantastic help on this forum provided by all the kind human beings here.
And actually luckily for me, in retrospect, it did not take that long all things considered. I was given a FFM which did not suit at all. Leaks could be measured on the richter scale (ok maybe slight exaggeration). The breaks in my sleep was still making me a zombie. With all the info garnered here from reading many posts, I changed to the pillows, started reducing my EPR sorting out the CAs and then slowly reduced my pressure settings causing the aerophagia to all but disappear. I now sleep with a soft collar on my left side mostly. I still wake up sometimes on my back but mostly with no serious apnea numbers and no real large leaks.
Every ones journey is different but the trends are there as physiologically we are sort of similar. We need to keep our necks straighter and not droop down to our chests when we drop off-soft collar helps with that and apt masks calm those leaks. Supine sleeping causes obstructions and side sleeping serves to prevent. Some talk of a CPAP pillow to help-think there are memory foam ones and buckwheat ones-I have not used either but others will tell of their positive experiences.
At 6 months therapy I am returning to group exercise classes which I had dropped out of due to sheer exhaustion from untreated apnea. Having always been a slim petite lady, I had gained a phenomenal amount of weight during the years of untreated sleep apnea which I am determined to get rid.
Please do not lose heart, keep with it and you will see that it can and does improve.
Apnea Infant.
Sleepyhead in 5 easy steps
Beginner's Guide to SleepyHead
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
The best suggestion I can give here is to use your CPAP while watching TV, Reading a book, playing a game, something that you enjoy. This is just to get your body used to using the CPAP. It does take time for most people.
Fred
RE: Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
Your chart clearly shows where you changed to a minimum pressure of 9, with EPR at 3 (9/6 pressure). You only used the machine for about 1-1/2 hours at that pressure, and will need more time to determine if this is effective for you. The respiratory flow rate looks smoother after you made that change, and the pressure stayed much more stable. We will see how it works out, but the good news is it is not causing a problem. Your next job is to relax and try to sleep.
RE: Absolute Newbie: Can't sleep with ACPAP
Hi Manju,
Although a nice yellow happy face and an AHI of 0 is nice to see, it would not be considered accurate especially if you are not sleeping for most of the night.
If that 0 continues to show up, unplug your machine, wait a few minutes and plug back in.
I think this is a matter of you getting used to the feel of a mask and the feel of pressure. For some it is easy and they adapt quickly, for others like yourself, it just takes time.
Be patient and try not to get anxious over this.
Some things to try is to keep a pretty steady schedule as far as going to bed. At least an hour or two before that, take your machine out to a living room and plug in, put your mask on and read or watch TV. This helps to get used to the feel of everything. It is hard for some to adjust having some foreign thing attached to our face every night, so be patient and give it time.
Stay with your present setting for awhile to let things settle. Good Luck.
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