What To Expect While Using CPAP
CPAP is a long-term treatment. Many people have
questions when they first start using CPAP.
Talk to your sleep specialist about how to handle
followup questions. He or she can answer some questions, but your home
equipment provider may need to address others. Ask your sleep specialist to
recommend a home equipment provider that has a lot of experience with CPAP.
To achieve the full benefits of CPAP, use it every
time you sleepduring naps and at night. Most people should use CPAP for
at least 7.5 hours each night for the best results.
The CPAP Machine
It can take time to adjust to using CPAP. It may
feel strange wearing a mask on your face at night or feeling the flow of air.
Some people feel confined by the mask. If you feel this way, it may help to
adjust to the mask slowly.
First, hold only the mask up to your face for short
periods during the day. Next, try wearing it with the straps for short periods.
Then, add the hose.
Breathing with a machine doesn't feel natural. If
your machine has a "ramp" feature, you can use it to slowly "ramp up" from a
lower air pressure to the pressure that's needed to keep your airways open
during sleep. Once you're comfortable using CPAP during the day, try using it
at night while you sleep.
Relaxation exercises, such as progressive muscle
relaxation, help some people adjust to using CPAP. Talk to your doctor about
whether relaxation exercises may help you.
If you're having trouble adjusting to the mask or
the CPAP machine, contact your home equipment provider. Your provider may have
staff who can help you adjust. You may want to try a different mask that has
fewer straps or less contact with your skin.
Followup Care
Your sleep specialist may ask you to schedule a
followup visit about a month after you begin using CPAP. He or she will want to
see how well you're adjusting to treatment. After that, you may have followup
care every 6 or 12 months.
Your sleep specialist may need to adjust the air
pressure setting of your CPAP machine if:
- You gain or lose a lot of weight
- Your symptoms, such as daytime sleepiness,
persist or recur
- You have another treatment for
sleep
apnea, such as upper airway surgery or a mouthpiece
Benefits of CPAP
CPAP has many benefits. It can:
- Keep your airways open while you sleep
- Correct snoring so others in your household can
sleep
- Improve the quality of your sleep
- Relieve symptoms of sleep apnea, such as
excessive daytime sleepiness
- Decrease or prevent
high
blood pressure
With CPAP, you may fall asleep faster and wake fewer
times during the night. The pauses in breathing that are typical with sleep
apnea won't interrupt your sleep.
Studies also show that treatment with CPAP is linked
to a decrease in reported car accidents and near accidents. Some studies have
shown that CPAP improves reaction times, concentration, and memory in people
who use the treatment.
Many people who use CPAP report feeling better once
they begin treatment. They feel more attentive and better able to work during
the day. They also report fewer complaints from bed partners about snoring and
sleep disruption.
You may feel better after the first night you use
CPAP. You may wake feeling refreshed, alert, and in a better mood. You also may
feel less tired during the day.
However, it may take a week to a month to adjust to
CPAP. Some people have trouble falling asleep when they first start using CPAP.
This problem usually is short term and goes away as you adjust to the
treatment.
Even if you don't notice a change right away, stick
with the treatment. The benefits are worth it. Once you adjust to using CPAP,
you'll sleep better. |