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New CPAP User Having Anxiety Insomnia Fear of Sleep Apneas - Achilles76 - 06-09-2020
Been suffering anxiety since end of April.
Got diagnosed with home sleep test for sleep apnea by Lofta end of May. Got Airsense 10 Auto. 4-20cm Pressure range. Nasal pillows.
Before that I had my sleep under control with sleep hygiene routine to get 4-6 hours of sleep.
Adding CPAP for a week now is rough. Thought I was getting it then I slid back.
I never know if I'm all the way asleep or not. I feel like it is such light sleep. I've only had a couple good nights.
Tried 2 hours last night. Couldn't sleep. Got up. Went back to bed after taking ZZQuill at 5AM. Did 4.5 hours on the machine on ZZQuill. Never really knew if I was asleep. Upped my pressure to 5.6 from 5. I started at 4 a week ago.
Can't get rest. If my anxiety is high then my apneas spike my heart rate high when they happen. If I am relaxed I go back to sleep.
I've tried ZZQuill, Valerian, small doses of Ativan.
Its so hard to relax and get rest. I don't know what to do or where to turn.
I'm scared to sleep. I'm scared of apneas spiking my anxiety and heart rate.
I get a shock when falling asleep. Early onset apneas?
RE: New CPAP User Having Anxiety Insomnia Fear of Sleep Apneas - SarcasticDave94 - 06-09-2020
Welcome to Apnea Board. First thing, download OSCAR the free report tool for CPAP machines. You will need to make sure you have a standard or SDHC SD card installed in the upper left slot of your ResMed CPAP machine before sleeping. The SD can be any brand between 2-32 GB. This is the storage device needed to transfer data from the CPAP to your PC. This is needed so we can see your sleep data and suggest things to help out. This is step 1.
Step 2 is consider that the pressure of 4 is very likely too low to provide a comfortable amount of air. Most adults need at least 6 to not feel air starved. This can create more stress and anxiety if the pressure is low and uncomfortable.
Step 3 is get the sleep study detailed report, if you had one. Post that data here too. Make sure to redact out your personal info.
RE: New CPAP User Having Anxiety Insomnia Fear of Sleep Apneas - Achilles76 - 06-09-2020
Sorry
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RE: New CPAP User Having Anxiety Insomnia Fear of Sleep Apneas - mesenteria - 06-09-2020
Hi. Some anxiety, some hyper-arousal, over significant alterations to what we take for 'normal' is ....normal. It's normal to have some concern, and for it to interfere with your rest. This will take time. However, if it persists, as it seems it might be doing, you ought to consult your health care provider and ask for a referral. You might benefit from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or some other dissociative techniques which will desensitize you to your acute worries.
One way to train yourself to relax is to ponder the results you see in your chart. Your AHI total for that day is truly exceptional. Some would sell you their four weeks of paid holiday to get a week's worth of those numbers. You have to trust that the brilliant engineering that has gone into decades of PAP machinery, and in recent years the powerful software that governs their service to you, is really caring for you, monitoring you, and providing you with what you need to sleep, to sleep, perchance to dream.
Don't wait too long to get some help. The people on whom you will eventually rely would rather not have a 'basket case' to deal with, and you'd rather not present them with one.
Yes?
RE: New CPAP User Having Anxiety Insomnia Fear of Sleep Apneas - SarcasticDave94 - 06-09-2020
OK one thing you may consider trying is to adjust pressure up to 7 if you want EPR of 3. EPR reduces the pressure setting by subtracting from the set number. It can't go below a total of 4, so 7 (pressure) minus EPR of 3 will equal 4 the lowest you can get. A different way to say it, if you want the full benefit of EPR of 3, the pressure needs to be at 7. Maybe this will enhance comfort. Easy to say, but try to relax.
RE: New CPAP User Having Anxiety Insomnia Fear of Sleep Apneas - Achilles76 - 06-10-2020
Thank you
I have a question. If my EPR is 3 and my minimum is raised can the EPR still go to 4 even if my minimum pressure was raised above 4?
RE: New CPAP User Having Anxiety Insomnia Fear of Sleep Apneas - SarcasticDave94 - 06-10-2020
If you want EPR of 3 to be fully effective, the pressure needs to be 7 due to the math. Do this, take 7 as the pressure, minus 3 EPR, this equals 4 as the exhale pressure. The pressure of 6 and EPR 3 should be 3, but would still be 4 because the machine can't go below 4. 3 would be very low and likely cause air starvation. I would actually think anything under 6 could cause air starvation; applicable to most I'd believe.
Examples:
Pressure 7 EPR 3 Exhale on 4
Pressure 8 EPR 3 Exhale on 5
ETC.
It is always set pressure minus EPR number to get exhale pressure. EPR is either Off, 1, 2, or 3. So EPR is of 4 choices of strength, then you decide on Full Time or others like on Ramp, etc. You probably want it to be full time.
RE: New CPAP User Having Anxiety Insomnia Fear of Sleep Apneas - Sleeprider - 06-10-2020
EPR subtracts 3-cm from your CPAP pressure, so with the Autoset, IPAP is the CPAP pressure and during exhale, the pressure drops by 3-cm. When you set the minimum pressure to 7.0 with EPR 3, your pressure starts at 7.0/4.0, and rises and falls with a constant difference (pressure support) of 3-cm. Once your pressure rises above the minimum that pressure support is maintained as 8/5, 9/6, 10/7 etc. This constant pressure support is a good thing that is less disruptive to sleep, and supports your airway against obstruction. It is the EPAP pressure that prevents obstructive apnea, and the pressure support that makes therapy comfortable and avoids flow limitation and hypopnea.