It is way after midnight and I have found this site.  I am struggling with a sleep disorder, severe sleep apnea or OSA.  Just yesterday, I got my CPAP machine.  I am using one with nasal pillows rather than a mask.  This is a better choice since I am a restless sleeper who goes from side to side all night.  I also am always HOT, sweating a lot.  With all this, a mask would never have worked.

It was a long process working up to the CPAP.  I spent a great deal of time suffering and had to develop an irregular heart beat before the doctor suggested I get a sleep study done.  My nights were wrestling matches for me.  I had nightmares of suffocating.  Often I awoke, gasping for air.  It felt as though someone was choking me to death. When I did sleep, it was only in short spurts...maybe a hour or two.   My husband must love me very much to go through nights like this with me.  It finally got to the point that I didn't want to go to sleep at all.  I got very tired and depression set in.  Daytime sleepiness hindered my driving and daily activities.  I had to take frequent short naps.  Then came the heart papitations...

The sleep study was not difficult.  Two nights in a hospital, sleeping in a strange place on what felt like an ironing board, hooked up to lots of little wires...it was tolerable.  The second night, I was hooked up to a CPAP and was actually able to sleep for four hours--and I dreamed normally!  The second night was used to find the correct level at which my CPAP should be used.

It took a couple of weeks for my doctor to get the results.  Then it took a couple more for my insurance to okay the prescription (they were backlogged).  I'm not sure if I would have my CPAP even now if I hadn't become a little irritable at the wait and began calling people.

I have vascular dementia, also,so I had to seek help from my husband in this process.  Once approved, my husband and I had to drive forty-five miles to the company dispensing the equipment.  There we had a two hour class of instruction, which ended up being three hours.  The respiratory therapist did a fine job instructing and fitting me with my nasal pillow CPAP. 

The first night, last night, my husband helped me get the headgear and nasal pillow set into place.  I turned on the machine and temporarily lowered the level.  This is a great feature which allows one to get used to the air flow as it gradually builds up to the pressure you need.  I slept well the first night, only waking up because of the newness of the headgear and nasal pillow.  When I awoke this morning, it took me awhile, but I think I did feel a slight more energy.  I had no daytime sleepiness for once!

Tonight was my second night.  For whatever reason, I kept being bothered by the headgear.  It irritated my face.  The air didn't seem to be coming in as well as last night.  Possibly I needed to readjust the whole thing.  In addition to that, my mind just kept whirring...The CPAP doesn't fix everything...  So, I decided to get up for awhile.  And I found this site.