I have started a new blog about some of my experiences with sleep apnea over the past two years. I call the site www  .LivingWithCpap.com for a couple of reasons. One is because my CPAP machine has given me a new lease on life: I feel like I really can live my life more fully. The other is because as grateful as I am to have my life back due to this machine, it has taken a lot of effort to "live with" the reality of sleeping with a mask and hose hanging off of my face--probably for the rest of my life.

My goal with my website is to share some of my experiences with CPAP and sleep apnea in the hope that someone out there might be encouraged and give CPAP therapy a try, or maybe even another try. I don't profess to have the level of knowledge that a lot of you have about sleep apnea; I'm just a regular guy, learning this as I go. But I do hope that I can help a few people to realize there can be rewarding life after your sleep study.

So, come on along. I hope you enjoy the site.

  --Steve

www .livingwithcpap.com

Hey, Steve.  You are my very first contact on a Sleep Apnea chat line.  I was diagnosed a few weeks ago and started my CPAP last Thursday.  I do believe it will be wonderful, but it is a challenge going to sleep and sleeping with it.  I do feel better in the morning and get up not at all in the night anymore, when I was getting up 2 to 3 times before treatment.  I'm curious about how long it takes to actually make a difference in one's energy level.  The couch and I are still reallllyyyy good friends!  I made an effort not to take a nap over the weekend to ensure I could get to sleep at nighttime, but as of yet I do not feel like spending the day at the mall or working on a scrapbook or or or....

I'd be curious to know how long it takes to feel better.
Thanks so much,
Shari in CA

Hi Shari,

I suggest you repost your questions and comments in the "Sleep Apnea Help!" forum section on the main page.  This section is more for people posting links to websites which offer interesting information.  Not as many people read this section as they do in that main forum section.  You would get more comments and suggestions if you post there.

You've just started, it can take time to see improvements.  For some the improvements are rigth away, for others the improvements occur gradually, and for still others, they don't notice improvements for awhile.  It can really vary.

But be watchful to see how things are going.  Any mask leak problems?  If you use a mouth-only mask, are you mouth breathing?  (that can determine the effectiveness of the cpap)  But if all things are going right, then it just may be a matter of time to see improvements.  As someone told me when I first started cpap, "we didn't get this way overnight, so it stands to reason that it could take time to start feeling better."  But I urge you to have periodic followup visits with your doctor.  If after weeks or months of no improvement at all, they may have to adjust your cpap pressure a little (approved by your doctor).  

And I urge you to try to take naps using your cpap.  I know that might be difficult.  But try.  Not only would napping without cpap be counter productive to your treatment, it could make you less sleepy at night.  

Good luck, and let us know how things go.


Linda


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