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sleep apnea
I have sleep apnea. I wear a full mask. Is it normal to wake up several nights (3 or 4) with the mask on? I thought the CPAP was supposed to make me sleep better not waking up a lot of times. I'm not sure what is going on because I woke up one night with the mask on and was choking and gasping for air than I had a seizure.
Best Answer
Hi, you shouldnt really be waking several nights when using the mask. Is your mask fitting correctly, you need to be sure it is not leaking. Do you use an auto machine or a fixed pressure. If it is an auto the pressure could be going quite high if the mask is leaking. If it is a fixed pressure you need to check the pressure setting is correct, you can check this with your health care provider. The other thing is it does take time to get used to the CPAP machine, some times you have to build gradually on your usage and make sure you use the ramp facility to reduce the pressure to help you get over to sleep better. If you get up for the bathroom during the night hit the ramp again to help you get back over to sleep.
Thank-you for your response. The times that I wake up 75% of the time my mask is not leaking as the machine checks this for me with a smile or a frown. I agrre with your comment about getting used to the CPAP machine. I've been using it for 6 months. My machine is a fixed pressure that gradually gets to full pressure in 30 minutes. One of my main issues is sleeping in bed with the mask on. I have to sleep on my back because if I turn on my side the mask leaks and sleeping on my back is not normal for me as I usaully sleep on my stomach or side. I've been sleeping in a recliner but did have a good night sleep when I slept on the couch. I woke up 1 time. I tried again but had a bad night as the mask kept leaking and just slept without it. The experiment with the couch could tell me that I need a softer mattress, not sure as I bought a hospital foam pad and it felt good but still had a problem sleeping in bed. I will be seeeing a sleep specialist next month concerning my seizures and sleeoing in bed. He will aslo check my machine for any problems.
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