Help with CPAP Machine

Okay so I was told I had mild sleep apena and they gave me the dumb CPAP machine.  I have had it  for almost 2 months now but I can not sleep with this thing.  They tried sleeping pills and anxiety pills to help me get to sleep at night but I always end up waking in the middle of the night and taking it off I have used it maybe a total of 2 weeks.  Any suggestions on what to do?  My paperwork was resent to the insurance company today so hopefully I will be scheduling my surgery soon.

Hi Nicole!  I am in Walton, KY.    I also have a CPAP machine.  I found myself taking mine off in the middle of the night for a couple of weeks, but have been using it 6 months now, and can't sleep without it now.  Maybe you could try making a chart and start out just a couple of hours a night at first and build up from there.  Do you have a comfortable face mask?  I also have Dr. Tom, and my surgery is scheduled for 12/17/07.   By the way, you have a beautiful daughter!    Maureen  

Thanks Maureen.  My baby is my motivation for everything I do and the main reason I want this surgery.  I think the reason I have so much trouble with this dumb thing is because I have to sleep on my stomach and I can not really get comfortable doing that with this machine.  The face mask is fine it is just so darn irratating to wear it!

i have the same problem, i find mine hanging every where when i wake upi just cant stand the darn thing, i do find it helps to put menthol in the water compartment , keeps the nose from drying out so bad.

Hi Nicole,

I had to use the dreaded CPAP too and I can't tell you how happy I was the day I turned the thing back in a couple of  months after surgery!!!

I'm thinking along the same lines as Maureen here....make sure the mask is comfortable.  I had one that I thought was comfortable....but it was after doing a little research online and buying a different one that I was finally able to sleep through the night with it on.  If you're a stomach sleeper, then maybe you need one that has the hose going up over the top of the head?  It might be worth looking into a little more.   Other than that....all I can say is that it's just something you've got to do in order to get what you ultimately want.....surgery.   It's SO worth the annoyance of having to use the darn thing.  When I look back over the past year since I had surgery and see how different....better....my life is now.....it was more than worth it!!    

yeah i guess when you look at it this way this small annoyance is well worth it huh!

i understand even at my size i am a stomach sleeper. my first 2 weeks were horrible with it id wake up with everywhere including hanging off my hubbys foot dont ask..lol but every day id lay on my side and try it for a couple hrs it worked. i dont no what i ever did without it. as chris said check into a hose that attaches from the top.. once you fall asleep you wont know if your on your belly or nott.. good luck with it and your scheduling

I'm a CPAP wearer too and I can't live without it. 

I wanted to drop in on your thread to see if your machine has a water heater?  I'm asking because if my water is too cold, I wake up in the night.  That cold air blowing down my nose is annoying.  When I raise the heat one level I don't wake up until morning.

Also.... I too can't sleep with the mask that covers your entire nose. YUCK.  I felt like I was being suffocated.  I got the hose that goes over the top of your head.  It's great for me since I'm a stomach and side sleeper. 

Hang in there... just think of this as a short term investment in your healthier life to come.

Best of Luck.

I've been a CPAP user for over a year now.   The first two weeks I would take it off in the middle of the night so I was waking up with the headache still and tired all the time.  I started taking little cat naps during the day with it on, it took about a month but now I don't know what I would do without it. 

Starting tomorrow I am really going to do my best to sleep with it on all night.  Hopefully I will be scheduling my surgery soon and I dont want this to hold me back.