I've tried to use Nix in the past, but I can't get past the layers of abstraction. Normally I go and consult the relevant docs for what I'm trying to configure

I've tried to use Nix in the past, but I can't get past the layers of abstraction. Normally I go and consult the relevant docs for what I'm trying to configure (postgres, systemd, etc), but with Nix I also need to consult the Nix docs and figure out the discrepancies/map values between them. I love the idea of systems configuration like this, but I'd much rather see less abstraction ala cloud-init with nixos-rebuild. For those who use Nix, how do you deal with this kind of abstraction? Additionally, how soon do you see security updates land?