falling asleep without CPAP

[quiescence at last]

be sure to make appropriate adjustments to CPAP pressure to account for cat on the chest.

jk jk

actually it doesn't make any difference until they reach about 40 pounds.

[multime]

be sure to make appropriate adjustments to CPAP pressure to account for cat on the chest.

jk jk

actually it doesn't make any difference until they reach about 40 pounds.

Except when she jumps from the floor directly on to my chest. I never know when she sneaks in but man it hurts and takes me a few minutes to catch my breath again.

[quiescence at last]

be sure to make appropriate adjustments to CPAP pressure to account for cat on the chest.

jk jk

actually it doesn't make any difference until they reach about 40 pounds.

Except when she jumps from the floor directly on to my chest. I never know when she sneaks in but man it hurts and takes me a few minutes to catch my breath again.

Feline nocturnal fibrillation - thanks for the shock, kitty!

[OpineCone]

I do understand - my hubby has been known to nap during the day without his APAP, thankfully he is usually in his recliner when he does this. I try to wake him up to move around & stay awake OR to put on his APAP but he doesn't always do either.

You did a great job of explaining why you always use your XPAP every time you sleep, and got me all motivated to do the same. But then you confused me by saying that "thankfully" your husband is usually in his recliner when he takes a daytime nap without his APAP. Is it less serious to sleep without an APAP in a recliner than lying on a bed? Or sitting on an upright chair? Or relaxing in a jacuzzi?
Or maybe you mean something more serious like while driving a car?

Greetings OpineCone,

Sorry for the confusion. If someone is unable or unwilling to use an APAP then napping/sleeping somewhat upright is better than sleeping flat, at least for obstructive apnea.

Since my hubby has BOTH obstructive and central nervous apnea he should NOT be napping/sleeping without his APAP at all. However, hubby being hubby - there are times when he doesn't Think he will be napping/sleeping and resists my efforts to have him put on his mask/APAP. Frustrating for me, but hubby will be who he is.

Hi Evpraxia,

Thank you so much for your additional comments. I realize now that my own experience supports your contention that, for someone who has central apnea as well as obstructive apnea, sleeping in a recliner without an APAP mask is definitely preferable to sleeping flat without one.

During the year or so before I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, my symptoms gradually became more and more severe until I was unable to sleep in bed for more than 4 to 4 1/2 hours a night. While my wife continued going to bed at the usual time, I lingered in front of the TV in my recliner and eventually was getting 2 to 3 hours of sleep there before I went to bed. I did not understand why I felt so much better if I divided my sleeping time between the recliner and the bed, considering that the TV sound was almost always on while I was sleeping in the recliner. It was only months later, after I started using an APAP and sleeping all night in bed again, that I realized just how bad the experience of sleeping in a horizontal postion had become before I got the APAP.

[JVinNE]

At least you don't have to fight with a cat who wants to help you put your mask on. I've also got a cat that loves sleeping on my chest a few times a month. Keep in mind she is about seventeen pounds.

That's cute.

[JVinNE]

Last night, I once again forgot to hose back up after I got up to pee; fell asleep with mask on for about a half an hour, then woke up feeling like I wasn't breathing well enough, then I hosed back up again. Had a lot of nightmares last night, too, and ended up waking about every two hours. I also had a big mask leak while I was sleeping; according to Sleepyhead, and my AHI went from 0.0 yesterday, up to .085; which I know isn't high, but...

When you have sleep-onset central hypopnea, sleeping without the machine is not fun at all; to put it mildly. My ass needs to get to that marine store and get a deep cycle, gel battery, for a power outage, because I need my machine.

[Evpraxia]

Last night, I once again forgot to hose back up after I got up to pee; fell asleep with mask on for about a half an hour, then woke up feeling like I wasn't breathing well enough, then I hosed back up again. Had a lot of nightmares last night, too, and ended up waking about every two hours. I also had a big mask leak while I was sleeping; according to Sleepyhead, and my AHI went from 0.0 yesterday, up to .085; which I know isn't high, but...

When you have sleep-onset central hypopnea, sleeping without the machine is not fun at all; to put it mildly. My ass needs to get to that marine store and get a deep cycle, gel battery, for a power outage, because I need my machine.

This reminds me of the time when we were "boon docking" (dry camping, no electrical hook up) in our motor home and hubby's hose pulled off his mask while he was sleeping (the CPAP was in an awkward position for the hose to stay connected). When he got up in the morning he realized what had happened, which explained his headache. He tried to drive from north of Seattle, WA to home (near Portland, Oregon), about 300 miles, but kept getting drowsy after about 15 minutes of driving. So - I got to drive a motor home through Seattle's rush-hour traffic on the I-5 freeway. He learned his lesson.