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Did you have any issues with the device when you first got it? I've been using a cpap machine for a while, but it took me literally years before I could sleep

Did you have any issues with the device when you first got it? I've been using a cpap machine for a while, but it took me literally years before I could sleep through an entire night with it on. I've been thinking of either having surgery or going the oral appliance route this year.

didgeoridoo 3y ago
For me the trick was a full face mask (Dreamwear, where the hose comes out the top of your head) and a heated hose. I was initially resistant to the full mask, thinking it would feel more restrictive than the nose-only, but distributing the pressure over a wider area ended up feeling a lot more comfortable. Similarly with the heated hose, my initial thought was that it would feel like breathing hot air all night. The the actual effect is that it keeps the added humidity from condensing out out of the air and gurgling in the tube.
schwartzworld 3y ago
Not OP, but it took me a year of actively reading my machine data and changing settings to figure it out. Have you tried OSCAR?
- johntash 3y ago
  I have! Or I think it was sleepyhead? It helped me a little bit, but I think I had a hard time figuring it out because I wasn't really wearing it for very long before I'd take the mask off, so it didn't feel like there was enough data each night. I did also post to one of the apnea boards with data from it and they helped figure out better pressure settings for me which did help some.
kwanbix 3y ago
I have been having serious issues getting used to it. What do you mean by surgery and oral appliance? Thanks.
- achileas 3y ago
  My old dentist made and sold these, but the oral appliance is a custom-fit mouthpiece that forces you to keep your lower jaw forward while you sleep, preventing airway collapse.
- johntash 3y ago
  achileas mentioned the oral appliance. It's apparently somewhat common, but I didn't know about it for the longest time either. For surgery, it really depends on your body and what the cause of the apneas are. In my case, it is _probably_ due to tonsils + a long(?) palette. An ENT told me I could have surgery to remove the tonsils and also shave down the palette, but I didn't go through with it because it sounded like a terrible recovery time and didn't have any guarantee it would actually fix the issue. If you haven't already, it might be worth talking to an ENT (Ear Nose Throat) specialist that also deals with sleep apnea. The oral appliance definitely sounds like the less painful option though.

didgeoridoo 3y ago

For me the trick was a full face mask (Dreamwear, where the hose comes out the top of your head) and a heated hose. I was initially resistant to the full mask, thinking it would feel more restrictive than the nose-only, but distributing the pressure over a wider area ended up feeling a lot more comfortable. Similarly with the heated hose, my initial thought was that it would feel like breathing hot air all night. The the actual effect is that it keeps the added humidity from condensing out out of the air and gurgling in the tube.

schwartzworld 3y ago

Not OP, but it took me a year of actively reading my machine data and changing settings to figure it out. Have you tried OSCAR?

johntash 3y ago
I have! Or I think it was sleepyhead? It helped me a little bit, but I think I had a hard time figuring it out because I wasn't really wearing it for very long before I'd take the mask off, so it didn't feel like there was enough data each night. I did also post to one of the apnea boards with data from it and they helped figure out better pressure settings for me which did help some.

kwanbix 3y ago

I have been having serious issues getting used to it. What do you mean by surgery and oral appliance? Thanks.

achileas 3y ago
My old dentist made and sold these, but the oral appliance is a custom-fit mouthpiece that forces you to keep your lower jaw forward while you sleep, preventing airway collapse.
johntash 3y ago
achileas mentioned the oral appliance. It's apparently somewhat common, but I didn't know about it for the longest time either. For surgery, it really depends on your body and what the cause of the apneas are. In my case, it is _probably_ due to tonsils + a long(?) palette. An ENT told me I could have surgery to remove the tonsils and also shave down the palette, but I didn't go through with it because it sounded like a terrible recovery time and didn't have any guarantee it would actually fix the issue. If you haven't already, it might be worth talking to an ENT (Ear Nose Throat) specialist that also deals with sleep apnea. The oral appliance definitely sounds like the less painful option though.