Is it Normal

[verytired]

Hi All,
Just out of curiosity!
Does anyone else long for a good nights sleep without the mask?
I know this is impossible but I've been on cpap for 3 years and I would love to have just one night where i can sleep without the mask.
Is this Normal?
Ta
Verytired (not as much now)

[Grumpy]

Oh yes.

would pay good money too!

[acebass]

Tried it, didn't go well, didn't feel right either weirdly!!

[jackieb]

Me too. Would love to not have to take it on holiday next week. This will probably be the first time my grandson will see it because we are having a family holiday for the first time in years. We can actually all get together this year.

[Grumpy]

enjoy your holiday Jackie

Hopefully you will sleep well and get to spend some quality time with your family.

[Barely Awake]

Not me, can't snooze let alone sleep without it now.

[martin]

Need it to sleep comfortably, throat closes without it. Had a hol breakdown once and could only nap sitting up with those plaster things that open the nose. Highly unpleasant 3 days. Has anyone tried those ProVent things? Would love something portable as back up and to use on planes. I'm paranoid about the snore/snorts in a public place.

[Barely Awake]

Haven't seen that before Martin!

[martin]

Haven't seen that before Martin!

Someone here posted a mention about it a while back.....it seems to work by as you breathe out the restricted pressure opens the breathing tract and then i guess they think it wont quite close by the time you breath in. Can't see that working myself but then I wouldn't have guessed myself and the octopus/face hugger would get on as well as we do.

[dravidio]

Is it Normal? Well - it depends how you define normal. It is not "normal" to wear a CPAP mask as the majority of the population do not do so. Within the sub group that do so - the question means that do the majority of them want to sleep without the mask? I don't know. Common sense is that if we COULD get a good night's sleep without CPAP then we WOULD.

[LeeNotts]

Not me, i actually look forward to going to bed and putting my mask on! knowing the next morning i wake up feeling well "normal" rather than in what i can now describe as my "feeling like im walking underwater, confused, nasty grumpy B*****D" state.

The odd time when i couldn't actually use my Cpap (stranded in Luton lol) i was nasty and grumpy even before bed, knowing full well what i'd feel like when i woke up.

Maybe its because I'm still relatively new to cpap, but i wouldn't want to be with out it!

[dravidio]

Well said Lee

You seem to have adjusted quickly and area mindful of the benefits

[LeeNotts]

Well said Lee

You seem to have adjusted quickly and area mindful of the benefits

Thanks dravidio, It wasn't easy at first, went through 4 different masks and was on the verge of giving up, before finding the "one" for me, surprisingly one of the cheapest masks the Apex wizzard 220 full face mask. I have to say though i think i would have given up if it wasn't for forums like this. its a great place to vent. even just reading other peoples experiences is a help, makes you realise its not just you.

[Darren @ Intus]

Well it is important to remember that there are other options for people with OSA. CPAP may be the main mode of treatment in the UK and is most effective on and only option for those with severe OSA.

However for those people who suffer from Mild-Moderate OSA there are other options, especially if it is just one night away from the mask that you need.

Positional devices are often used to make sure people remain on their side, preventing them from sleeping on their back where the majority of apnoeas occur.

Oral Appliance therapy is another option that can be used as a temporary therapy or as a long term solution. If you do feel like you need some nights away from CPAP or interested in trying out a different treatment option then take a look into the specially designed oral appliances that are available to OSA sufferers.

[Sienna]

After a couple of false starts and, ahem, some mask hurling issues () and now that I've found a mask that works for me, I've been using my machine every night for three weeks now and I have just about settled down to a routine. I've been able to sleep through the night without waking up more than once or twice a night at worst.

I would like to be able to sleep without a machine. But, them's the cards that I've been dealt and so I have no choice.

I think a big plus is that my partner is backing me 100 percent on this. She's been an angel. Supporting me all the way. Indeed, it was her concern that led me to contact the doctor in the first place.

Slightly off topic - for which I apologise to the OP.

I have a couple of minor issues which maybe deserves a new thread. For over two weeks now my AHI has been @ 1.00 or under. However, most days I feel almost as tired as I did before treatment commenced. So, AHI is surely not the be all and end all number that I thought it was.

Secondly, I've got Sleepyhead. But, it's online help is so minimal - the help that I can find that is - that I've yet to decipher what all the graphs exactly mean and how to interpret them.

Is there a thread or wiki that can help me with these problems?