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Tips For Falling Asleep While Wearing A CPAP Mask

August 26, 2016 2 Comments

Finding It Hard To Adjust To Wearing A CPAP Mask? You’re Not Alone

As we’ve mentioned before, it can take a long time to get accustomed to CPAP therapy. Between ill-fitting masks, feeling a little claustrophobic, getting used to the feeling of airflow and pressure, it can be about a month before s falling asleep regularly with little to no issues while wearing a CPAP mask is achievable.

Let us assure you, this is all very normal.

If you’re new to CPAP therapy, try wearing just your Sleep Apnea mask around the house – without the machine attached. Do it during the day, while watching TV or reading (if your mask allows for that). Just get used to the feel of it.

An OSA patient (and our newest CPAPal) who emailed us at CPAPmachines.ca likened it to getting used to Invisalign orthodontic treatment. For those who don’t know, Invisalign is basically a series of plastic trays you wear that, over time, straightens your teeth. The more you wear ‘em each day, the quicker your teeth become straight.

Similarly, the more you wear your CPAP mask, the quicker you become accustomed to how it feels.

Top Tips To Make CPAP Therapy More Comfortable

Getting used to CPAP therapy is different for everyone. Some people take to it a lot quicker than others. But, there are many tips and tricks that you can try to help you feel more comfortable when going to sleep at night.

One trick that is often recommended is using a ramp setting (if your CPAP machine has the option). This setting helps to gradually increase the air pressure from your CPAP machine through your mask as you fall asleep. Oftentimes, this can be the most uncomfortable aspect of getting used to wearing a Sleep Apnea mask - the airway pressure. If it is this that is causing you to struggle to fall asleep, using a ramp setting can be extremely beneficial.

Simple things like practicing good sleep habits are also likely to help you. Many people don’t realize the importance of having a good wind-down routine in the evenings and sleeping in a bedroom environment that is optimal for a restful night of sleep.

Natural Ways To Improve Your Sleeping Habits While Wearing A Sleep Apnea Mask

Below, we list some of our favourite ways to improve our sleeping habits so that we can fall asleep easily at night while wearing our CPAP mask:

Going to bed at a regular time every night and abiding by a strict sleep ritual (eg: brush teeth, put on mask, read one chapter, turn on CPAP machine, read a few more pages, turn off light, Zzzzz) will tell your body it’s time to shut down.
Avoiding sugary, alcoholic or caffeinated drinks (do they make one that contains all three?) before to bedtime. Delicious as they sound, they’ll keep you wired all night.
Exercise regularly. Even a brisk 30-minute walk in the evening will tucker you out just in time for ‘lights out’.
Take a warm bath. And I’m not just talking to the ladies here. Fellas, too! If tough guys like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood can, so can you.
Avoid going to bed if you’re not tired. If your body doesn’t need it, it’ll just frustrate you to lie there unable to sleep. If you do go to bed prematurely, wait 20 minutes and if you can’t fall asleep then we recommend getting up, going to a quiet room and reading a book for a while. This can help your mind to relax and prepare you for sleep.

One more thing: Be patient. Babies don’t learn to sleep on command. Kids have a hard time at bedtime. There’s no reason why you should expect to fall asleep right away wearing your new CPAP mask. It may take a few days or longer, but rest assured, it’ll happen.

Sheldon Stotz

November 21, 2018

I would agree with everything said. As a user of 2 weeks, the very first day after supper I wore the APAP for 3.5 hours before I went to bed, there was 30 of nighttime rituals then I put it on and went to sleep. I got 4.5 hours the first night before I took it off, and said I’ll try again tomorrow. The next day I got 7.25 hours and it has been getting better everyday. The biggest help I found was using the A-Flex on the Philipps Respironics Dreamstation APAP, as it mimics normal breathing, as the first try without was terrible. The ramp feature also does work, but I found I only needed to use it for 3 or 4 days, before I got used to the 5cm of H2O, then turned it up to 7 after consulting with specialist, as I was waking up to 7 to 9 cm of H2O and it wasn’t bothering me. The A-Flex does mimic normal breathing as C-Flex and ResMed’s EPR, only reduce the pressure on exhalation, where as the A-Flex also rounds off the inhalation part of the air flow so you don’t get hit by the blast of air when you start to breathe in , so it feels much more normal. I have been cutting down on the A-Flex slowly, I am at setting 2 right now but am changing it to 1 tonight as I am finding it easier to breath against the pressure, as I realize this is meant as an aid to getting used to the air pressure, and not as a crutch. But as one Sleep Specialist noted, “using the A-Flex, C-Flex or EPR, is still way better than NOT using the CPAP (or APAP, BiPAP, ASV, etc.) at all”. And keeping regular bed time hours does help a lot but it takes getting used to too. If I can get used to it, anyone can, just keep and open mind and think about the positive improvements it will make in your life.