How long did it take you to get used to the machine?

[vig1116]

I just finished night 3 and even though I am wearing the mask all night, I'm not getting a full nights sleep. Waking up 4-6 times to make sure seal is good, or to turn without compromising the mask. The bags under my eyes are the worst I've ever had, but yesterday I didn't feel like I needed a nap. I'm assuming the sleep I am getting is the good kind?

So, how long did it take you to sleep "normal" again??

[Tom in RI]

Normal, that's a tough one. Anyway, it took me about 3 weeks to get used to a machine. Then I went close to 8 years before really taking to heart that I needed to force myself to sleep on and stay on my stomach. That took another 2-3 weeks. It wasn't until I began using Sleepyhead that I came to really get the importance of not rolling over onto my back. For that I can thank this forum. Now my AHI has averaged about .75 for the past year.

[trish6hundred]

Hi vig1116,
I took to CPAP therapy right away, but on the other hand, my dear mom didn't get used to her machine for a year or so, it's a very individual thing as you are finding out.
Keep up the good work.

[PaytonA]

Due to mask leakage problems it took several months to get things to where I thought they under control. Then it took over a year before I found this forum and found out by watching my data that I did not actually have my leakage under control. I am still working on some details but I think I finally may have my therapy under control.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

[JimZZZ]

Over a six month period, I changed masks/liners/chin straps several times, adjusted the pressure from static CPAP to AutoSet, tweaked the pressure range three times, changed the EPR from 2 to 3 and gradually started using Melatonin. For the past two months, I have been happy with my numbers, sleep patterns and daytime energy. At first, I let my fear of sleep lab disapproval stop me from experimenting but with experience have discovered they don't really care as long as compliance is okay. I have never met my sleep doctor so he can't fuss at me.

I'm just saying, it took time, close monitoring of Sleepyhead data and study of this forum to get comfortable.

[APAAW]

I think you're doing better than average already. How long it takes is uniquely personal and unpredictable. You've probably noticed that _nobody's_ sleep doc correctly tells them in advance how long it will take.

Using PAP could become second nature for you in a week, or a month, or six months. It doesn't seem to be something that just "clicks" for most of us, from "how weird is this?" one night to "can't imagine living without it" the next night.

But your body and brain _will_ notice the difference. Self-monitoring, both subjectively how you feel and the numbers your machine records, provides your conscious mind the information and encouragement many of us need to get this working to improve our lives. There's good advice on this thread already, and more to follow I'd imagine. For me, hanging out on this forum and Sleepyhead made the difference.

It sounds like mask fitting is your biggest issue right now, like it is for almost everybody else. Hang in there, is all I can offer from a distance. It took way too long for me to solve that, and getting it solved was up to me and not the DME or the sleep doc.

There can be ups and downs. There can be one bad night for no apparent reason after 30 good ones in a row, even though one is otherwise in a solid groove. If and when that happens, don't let that bother you much. It's the long term trend we're all working on.

[retired_guy]

but yesterday I didn't feel like I needed a nap.

And that is progress!

As to how long it takes to get a "normal" night of sleep? Maybe never, if you relate "normal" to what your "normal" has been all your life.

You'll soon be at the point where you sleep all night, but you very well may have times during the night when you wake up, "take stock" of your environment, then go back to sleep. That too is normal.

As to actually getting up to go to the restroom, that should be about done at this point. If not, then I'd like to know a bit more about your high/low pressures, your leak numbers, and your ahi. You may still have some adjusting to do.

But overall, you're doing great! Keep it up!!

[zonk]

So, how long did it take you to sleep "normal" again??

If before CPAP anything to go by as normal, I could do without this "normal", you don't miss what you never had

Getting used to the therapy and figuring out what works and what don't, that took few months, not giving up is the key

[vig1116]

great advise here guys!! I knew the word normal was not the right word, that's why i put it in quotes, but you guys got the gist of what i meant. I consider myself lucky in that, even though i have severe apnea (ahi of 49, i believe), i have always had decent nights sleep and never felt so tired i fell asleep at the wheel or anything as bad as that. I just snored like a banshee for decades, and my wife made me go to the sleep center where i found out how bad it really was. I'm happy i'm able to wear the swift fx pillows all night cause like you guys mentioned, thats big!! but the hose is something thats gonna need a lot of getting used to. Cant wait to try the swift fx nano when i can get my hands on one.

[TheDuke]

I adapted to the machine very quickly (that was about 25-26 years ago when my machine was an extremely simple Healthdyne) . Those earliest machines didn't even have run time registers, and certainly no data record at all. And CPAP was the only mode- There was a screwdriver adjust pointer in the base of the machine with CM units printed on a decal to turn to change pressure. BUT, I did get immediate relief from all my major apnea symptoms, and I am still grateful that I was diagnosed and fitted with that machine. I used it about 12 years , and it will still work. Now I use it to dry out my hose and mask after washing.
My big difficulty was with the early nasal masks, blisters on the bridge of my nose, strap marks, etc.
I really never had a satisfactory mask until one of my sleep doctors insisted that I try a ResMed Activa- that was about 8 years ago, and I have never used anything else since then.

TheDuke