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Wake up after 3 or 4 hours with CPAP and can't go back to sleep
Hi,
I have been on CPAP (ResMed AirCurve BiPAP Auto) with nasal pillow mask for only a few weeks, and I can say I'm pretty comfortable sleeping with now.
I have noticed over the last few nights that I tend to go to sleep fairly quickly (while it was a struggle when I started CPAP) but only stay asleep for 3 or 4 hours. I therefore wake up at 1am or 2am, quite refreshed and feeling well. However, I struggle to go back to sleep with or without the mask. I tried taking melatonin, l-theanine, valerian root, ashwagandha but none helps me stay asleep more than 3 or 4 hours. So I just lay in bed for a few hours before I could fall back to sleep again, which I think is a waste of time and I woke up more tired.
Is this usual?
I am assuming 3 or 4 hours is matching a sleep cycle? I tried going to bed later like 10pm, 11pm, 12am but ended up waking up around 2am, 3am, 4am respectively.
RE: Wake up after 3 or 4 hours with CPAP and can't go back to sleep
Hello masonmiller407,
Welcome to the forum. I sometimes experience the same short nights of sleep. When it happens I get out of bed and read a paper book for an hour or two and then I’m able to go back to sleep.
I’ve also developed the habit of pressing the top bar button to stop the machine and then press it again to start it once more each time I wake up. This makes it easy to see my wake times on the OSCAR chart. These markers are helpful in that I will ignore any events that occur around the times that I’m awake.
RE: Wake up after 3 or 4 hours with CPAP and can't go back to sleep
I think for some, going to sleep / staying asleep issues comes with age. I take OTC sleep aids almost every night, and have been for some years now. My wife has issues as well, only her's are more severe. She takes prescribed meds to sleep.
Rarely can I go to sleep w/o taking something. When I do try, more-times-than-not, I end up just lying in bed for a few hours. I then get up and take my sleep aids.
Good thing I'm retired and can mess around like this.
RE: Wake up after 3 or 4 hours with CPAP and can't go back to sleep
Hello masonmiller407,
Congratulations on working through the first few weeks of your CPAP therapy. I do hope that this is a temporary condition for you. Four hours of sleep isn't really enough to prepare us to make it through our day.
RE: Wake up after 3 or 4 hours with CPAP and can't go back to sleep
(10-30-2019, 08:26 PM)encourage Wrote: I’ve also developed the habit of pressing the top bar button to stop the machine and then press it again to start it once more each time I wake up. This makes it easy to see my wake times on the OSCAR chart. These markers are helpful in that I will ignore any events that occur around the times that I’m awake.
I find this helpful for another reason, too: when I press the top button, the display will turn on dimly. I can clearly see, in big numbers, my cumulative sleep total for the night. If it’s low, I usually roll over and go back to sleep quickly. If I look at my phone and check the time, I have to wake a little more to focus, and always see messages from coworkers in the other hemisphere, etc.
RE: Wake up after 3 or 4 hours with CPAP and can't go back to sleep
(10-29-2019, 05:43 PM)masonmiller407 Wrote: Is this usual?
Well, experiences vary so much that there really is no "usual". We all adapt differently. Do some googling for Second Sleep. And also Sleep Hygiene. I had lots of problems falling asleep and staying asleep. After a while I started using Trazodone. I now take it only once or twice a week, and usually get between 8 and 9 hours of sleep a night.
You should be able to see an improvement as time goes by. We probably go through decades of untreated apnea before our first CPAP machine, so it takes a while to recover from all that.
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: Wake up after 3 or 4 hours with CPAP and can't go back to sleep
Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for your replies. I'll try your methods the next time I can't fall back to sleep. Last night, I took 5mg melatonin and I got about 5 hours of non-stop sleep, then woke up and was able to fall back to sleep quickly. So that's a good sign. Though 5mg is a lot and it caused me drowsy and foggy during the next day. I ordered 300mcg slow-release melatonin on Amazon yesterday, and it arrives today so I'll try it tonight.
RE: Wake up after 3 or 4 hours with CPAP and can't go back to sleep
Welcome to the forum!
I did that for quite a while too...say 4 hours sleep, get up because I had to go to the washroom, and then try to go back to sleep. It wasn't fun!
I'm carefully getting better. I make sure that the last thing I do is go to the washroom. I try and go to sleep the same time every night. About 11:00 pm works for me; up at about 6:00.
I've used holistic remedies for some time. Bach Flower remedies work for me. I get some relief using Rescue Remedy, and very occasionally White Chestnut. Rescue Remedy is a blend of about 4 or so Bach essences. If you don't like alcohol, don't use it. There's an alcohol base. I don't use it if I'm going to drive, or going to work. Bach flower essences have been around a long time; they're available at health food stores.
DaveL
compliant for 35 years /// Still trying!
I'm just a cpap user like you. I don't give medical advice. Seek the advice of a physician before seeking treatment for medical conditions including sleep apnea.
