CPAP machines and how to deal with them.

Approximately 3 years ago I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. There are lots of reasons a person could develop sleep apnea. Mine is  from having very small airways and asthma. I came very close to setting a record during my sleep study for times I quit breathing per hour. 152 times per hour was my average before they put a CPAP machine on me. Once the CPAP was on I slept like a baby. I wasn't getting much sleep before and the deepest sleep I went into was just the first stage of R.E.M. most people in that stage still think they are awake. So needless to say I was very tired. The doctors say I could have died at any time because of the strain that was putting on my body. I start by telling you this so that you understand how important it was for me to use a CPAP every night.

Using a CPAP is not an easy thing to get used to. They make noise, you're attached to a machine by a hose all night, they can dry out your mouth and sinuses, it can take a while to find the right mask for you, etc. So I thought I'd share what my issues were and how we eventually solved them.

First issue. I had no place to put it on my side of the bed since my bed is up against the wall. I talked to the place that handles my CPAP equipment and they gave me an extra hose so I could make it longer by connecting the two! My husband also uses a CPAP and we have a lamp with shelves that we use for our machines. They fit perfectly!

My second issue was masks. I have a very small head and face so I wear a size extra small in the masks which limited my choice of masks since they don't all come in extra small. Luckily when I realized that a nasal mask wasn't going to work for me they had one full face mask in extra small. It's actually still a little big but the company that makes this one just started making pediatric sizes! I just always have to call ahead to make sure they order my mask when I need a new one because they don't always keep my size in stock.

Third problem was I am hyper sensitive and have many skin allergies. So, I kept developing a rash on my forehead where the mask touched it. The rash would lighten but not go away by the end of the day. Luckily my brilliant husband came up with a solution. I now wear a thin beanie hat pulled down over my forehead under my mask. Since then I haven't had any rashes! Another problem solved.

Other then that I had some issues with drying out my sinuses and making me get sinus infections more frequently but I have a humidifier in my machine so that just took some trial and error with figuring out what setting worked best for me. Also I now apply Chapstick 8 hour hydration lock every night before bed to keep my lips from drying out. http://www.luvocracy.com/tuffygirl52/recommendations/chapstick-hydration-lock

Those were my issues and it took some time but I now can't even think about sleeping without my machine! I know it's a hard adjustment for anyone getting used to one but there are ways to figure it out and it's amazing how much better I feel now that I am not always sleepy. There is some maintenance with these machines but it's pretty minimal. I wash my mask and change my filters on a weekly basis. We get new tubes filters masks and water basins as needed through our sleep medicine company. Our insurance covers all of it. It may feel like a huge adjustment in the beginning but it quickly becomes a part of your routine and it takes like a minute at night to add water and get my mask on. I'm even so used to the noise that if my husband takes his off at night I wake right up! Good luck to anyone starting this journey. It can be daunting at first but it is well worth it!