Better Sleep Coach; Your Help to Better Health through Better Sleep
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • Tips for Better Sleep
  • Tips for Students of Any Age
  • Tips for Making CPAP your Friend
  • Tips for Techs
  • Sleep Quiz
  • Coaching
  • Night shift coaching
  • Products to Help You Sleep Better
  • The Gel

Your First Week on CPAP

4/14/2011

0 Comments

 
Everyone has questions and issues as they learn about their new bedtime friend, their CPAP machine.  This first week will really set the tone for your success with your machine.  During this time it is essential for you’re to ask questions and get the help you may need so that you sleep better at night. 

These 5 steps will help you have a great first week on your CPAP and will help you move on to a successful future of restful sleep

1.       Learn what the results of your sleep study were.   You really need to understand why you need the CPAP.  Learn what your test says.  What was your Apnea/Hypopnea index, the number of times you stopped breathing and breathed so shallow your oxygen levels dropped?  Knowing how bad your sleep apnea is will allow you to understand that this machine will help you to feel better and live healthier,   Did you have other issues such a limb movements and teeth grinding, also known as Bruxism?  If you have other issues your doctor may not want to deal with them until after he has dealt with the sleep apnea.  Know that these conditions may still cause you to wake up during the night and might have to be pursued at a later time.  What pressure did they use to correct the breathing issues and what pressure did all snoring go away?  If you understand why the pressure was set at a certain level you might better understand why the machine feels the way it does.

2.       If you are having a mask problem, deal with it as soon as possible.  Most insurance companies will replace a mask during the first 30 days.  If you do not give the company enough notice you may run out of time and have to pay for a new mask.  This is especially true if you develop a pressure mark of any type.  These usually occur on the bridge of the nose.  They mean one of two things, either you have the headgear too tight or that your skin cannot tolerate the pressure of the mask.  There are many masks on the market so if the first one gives you problems there is likely a second style of mask that will work better for you. 

3.       If you cannot sleep with the machine the first night, do not fret.  Many people have this problem.  The sensation of CPAP blowing air in your nose and mouth may take a little getting used to.  Try using it while sitting in the living room watching television.  This will give your mind something to concentrate on, a comfortable place for you to learn to adjust to the air and will make it less threatening then lying in a dark room with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling.  Once you have done that for a few hours then bring it back to the bedroom and try using it at night again.  The second time you should feel more comfortable and be more successful falling asleep with your CPAP.

4.       Find the right humidity for you.  Humidification can help reduce stuffy nose, sinus issues and dry mouth but you have to find the balance between fixing drying problems and getting too much water in your mask and tubing during the night.  Just remember that a dry nose and mouth is much more uncomfortable then a little condensation on your nose.

5.       Talk to someone if you cannot solve a problem.  Three days after you get your new machine the company that set you up should call you to see how you are doing.  Do not hesitate to talk to them.  Tell them the truth.  They may have a solution to your problem.  If they do not have a solution, talk to your doctor.  Sometimes they are able to give you a prescription to help deal with an issue.  If you need to be reinstructed about something to do with the machine.  The company that set you up will be happy to come out and reinstruct you.  That is what they are paid for.  But they do not know what you need if you do not tell them.  Ask the question you never know what solutions will pop up. 

Once you have had your first week of sleep on your CPAP machine you will find that you will start to feel less tired during the day.  You might even find that some of your health issues that brought you to the sleep lab in the first place may be improving.  It might take a little work but in the end the time you spend learning to use your CPAP will be well worth it. 

0 Comments

    Archives

    May 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    January 2018
    January 2017
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    August 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010

    RSS Feed

    Blog Roll
    Stop Snoring
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Categories

    All
    Aasm
    Aast
    Add
    Allergies
    Amy Korn Reavis
    Amy Korn-Reavis
    Anxiety
    Apap
    Auto Titrating Cpap
    Balance
    Bedding
    Bipap
    Boards
    Bodymedia Fit
    Books
    Breathing
    Brpt
    Career
    Children
    Cpap
    Cpap Accessories
    Cpap Mask
    Cpap Masks
    Cpap Problems
    Cpap Solutions
    Cpap Therapy
    Daylight Savings Time
    Dental Appliances
    Diabetes
    Dr Steven Park
    Education
    Enurisis
    Exercise
    Fatigue
    Fibromyalgia
    Florida Association Of Sleep Technicians
    Gerd
    Growth
    Habits
    Health
    High Blood Pressure
    Holidays
    Hot Weather
    Insomnia
    Insurance
    Job
    Licensure
    Management
    Monitoring
    Morning Headaches
    Napping
    Nbrc
    New Cpap
    Obesity
    Obstructive Sleep Apnea
    Oral Appliances
    Osa
    Pain
    Pap Nap
    Physicial
    Planning
    Publicity
    Relax
    Relaxation
    Resolutions
    Respiratory Credentials
    Respiratory Therapy
    Shaq
    Sheets
    Short Sleep
    Sleep
    Sleep Apnea
    Sleep Deprivation
    Sleep Disorders
    Sleep Education
    Sleep Hygeine
    Sleep Hygiene
    Sleep Lab
    Sleep Routine
    Sleep Societies
    Sleep Stages
    Sleep Study
    Sleep Technician
    Sleep Test
    Sleep Testing
    Sleep Therapy
    Snoring
    Stress
    Studying
    Summer
    Support
    Support Groups
    Surgery
    Teens
    Tired
    Travel
    Treatment
    Vitamin D
    Weight Loss
    Winter Health
    Women
    Writing

    Amy Korn-Reavis, EzineArticles.com Basic PLUS Author
    Follow this blog
Photo used under Creative Commons from momentcaptured1
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • Tips for Better Sleep
  • Tips for Students of Any Age
  • Tips for Making CPAP your Friend
  • Tips for Techs
  • Sleep Quiz
  • Coaching
  • Night shift coaching
  • Products to Help You Sleep Better
  • The Gel