xPAP in Summer - air conditioned bedroom more important?

[green wings]

I started using CPAP during the coldest part of this past winter. It has only occurred to me during the past week to wonder what it's like sleeping with a CPAP machine during hot summer weather.

Do you find that you have an increased need for air conditioning/lower bedroom temperature during the summer if you're using xPAP?

Also, I'm wondering if a nasal pillows mask feels less hot on the face than a nasal cushion mask or a full face mask.

It's usually not a comfortable sleeping temperature until 2 am or so during the summer around here unless you have a good air conditioner, which I don't.

My sleep has been so awful the past few summers that I was usually awake until 2 am anyway, so I didn't worry about it, but now I'm used to falling asleep around 11 pm.

Thanks.

[FrankNichols]

I started using CPAP during the coldest part of this past winter. It has only occurred to me during the past week to wonder what it's like sleeping with a CPAP machine during hot summer weather.

Do you find that you have an increased need for air conditioning/lower bedroom temperature during the summer if you're using xPAP?

Also, I'm wondering if a nasal pillows mask feels less hot on the face than a nasal cushion mask or a full face mask.

It's usually not a comfortable sleeping temperature until 2 am or so during the summer around here unless you have a good air conditioner, which I don't.

My sleep has been so awful the past few summers that I was usually awake until 2 am anyway, so I didn't worry about it, but now I'm used to falling asleep around 11 pm.

Thanks.

Just a crazy idea, do you have health insurance and have you tried asking your sleep doctor to write a prescription for a small AC window unit so you can sleep?

[robysue]

I have to say that the need to run the AC in the summer time is one of the things that bugs me the most about PAP therapy. I've never liked sleeping in overly warm rooms to begin with, and yes my mask (a nasal pillows mask) aggravates that tremendously.

Hubby and I are resigned to the fact that we have to not only run the AC a lot more than we used to, but also that we have to run it at temps that are far lower than what's commonly recommended as being "environmentally friendly". To clarify that, here in the US people are often told to set the AC thermostat at 78 during the night and 74 during the daytime. While 74 during the daytime is not too awful, it still allows our upstairs bedroom to become very warm (low 80s) on the sunniest and warmest days. And if we set the nighttime thermostat to 78 our bedroom really does not cool off enough for me to be comfortable sleeping. Hence when we do run the air, we usually keep the thermostat at 74 in the daytime and at 68 during the night. That's not good for global warming, but I also have to be able to sleep.

[OpalRose]

I would think that whatever your needs were prior to Cpap use, that it would be about the same now that you are on Cpap.

I run the air conditioning set at 68-70 in the summer. Also have a fan in the bedroom.
If I am the least bit hot or sticky, there will be no sleeping.

[FrankNichols]

The OP said they do not have an AC. So, telling them that the AC helps isn't particularly helpful unless they can get one.

[justMongo]

AC is essential for me. (It's hot in this missile silo!)

How can the OP get one... I do not think any health insurance would pay -- even with an Rx.
I know that doesn't help -- however, there are programs for electric customers who have a need to get a reduced electric rate to run things their doctor says are essential.

I would suggest that a used unit might be obtained at low cost -- perhaps even no cost.

As an aside, Governor Moonbeam predicts rolling blackouts this summer.
One can get on a medical necessity list for that situation also.

[sptrout]

One of the top recommendations for a good sleeping temperature is around 65 degrees, XPAP or not. In most parts of the world this low of temperature would be cost prohibitive, if not impossible to even obtain, in the summer months.

There is an alternative to lowering the temperature of the room and that is to lower the temperature of the bed. Two products on the market today are the ChiliCube and the NuYu Sleep System. Either can be found by doing a search on the Internet. The ChiliCube allows the user to set the bed temperature anywhere between around 50 degrees upto well over 100 degrees. The NuYu Sleep System also controls the bed temperature, but uses a specific temperature control program over the night (warm at first, then cooling down soon, then warming backup towards wakeup time). We have both systems and prefer the ChiliCube. Another advantage of either of these systems vs. more AC is their operating costs will be far less.

As for insurance, no way for temperature control IMO. However, if you can deduct medical expenses (many cannot due to ObamaCare changing the percentage of AGI from 7.5% to 10% for medical deductions) there is this possibility. Have your doctor write a prescription for either a new air conditioner, or one the products I mentioned above. Presciptions for OTC products and other medical necessities are then tax deductible.

[green wings]

Thanks, Frank. I appreciate your concern there.

I did want to know what people need to sleep well in the summer heat with xPAP, though, and it sounds like that's good air conditioning.

So far no one has replied to say that they sleep just fine in an 80 degree bedroom.

I didn't say exactly in my original post, but I do have a portable air conditioner. It's just way undersized to try to cool my whole apartment. It's also super loud. (I bought it used.) I usually have it in the living room in hot weather.

As I said in my first post, my sleep quality has been awful during the past 2-3 years, so I typically wasn't able to fall asleep before 2-3 am, by which time the temp in the bedroom is usually down to 75 or so.

I am doing well with an 11 pm bedtime now, though, and I don't really want to change that if I don't have to.

I was lying in bed the other night wearing my Wisp nasal mask when it suddenly occurred to me to wonder what it was going to feel like to sleep in a silicone mask in July.

I had a feeling that it was going to be tough to do, and that I might need to look into getting some better air conditioning.

I can either move the very loud portable unit to my bedroom or buy another portable unit. (not allowed to have window units for "aesthetic" reasons, which I think is ridiculous for apartments.)

At least I don't live in a silo. How many BTUs does it take to cool that, Mongo?

Thanks for your replies.

The OP said they do not have an AC. So, telling them that the AC helps isn't particularly helpful unless they can get one.

[Possum]

Cool bedroom temperatures (< 66 deg F) are absolutely essentially for me, with or without PAP therapy; however, they are especially important with it. Having a mask blow hot air up your nose all night is 10x worse when I'm also sleeping in a hot room. I start sweating, and then the sweat gets into the mask and tickles my nose, waking me up, or compromises the seal. That's exactly what happened when my wife and I traveled through Italy last summer, where most hotels either have no AC or really crappy ones. We were also traveling during a major heat wave - temps well into the 100s everyday. Anyway, I was grateful to be there, but I hardly slept.

That said, I use AC gratuitously during the summer. I have solar panels that make more electricity than I need, so I do not feel the least bit guilty about it either. I will say that while it makes me sleep better, I had to adjust my setup quite a bit to avoid rainout situations that tend to shut down the A10. Generally I have to use lower humidity with the hose temperature still maxed out.

Also, I find my P10 pillow mask to be much more comfortable and less intrusive than the N10 nasal mask that I started off with. If you can make the switch, I highly recommend it.

[sdb7802]

Check with your local power company to see if you qualify for any available assistance programs.

You might try the medical necessity route with your doctor to get an effective portable ac for your bedroom.