Tom's Sleep

[Melbosa]

If I end up with the mask... I can't sleep on my back without being so incredibly tired that I just collapse. I have never been able to fall asleep on my back. I don't know why. It took months of training when I was younger to manage to fall asleep on my stomach. Used to be I could only fall asleep on my side.

It'd be mighty tough to actually get to sleep with it on.

Wow you are describing a common problem with people whom have a sleep disorder like Mr. Analog and I.  You may find sleeping on your back is fine after you have a CPAC machine to help with your breathing.

DAMN I see Mr. Analog already said that... types faster than me and his forum response must be getting better!

[Mr. Analog]

It is and yeah, I regularly sleep on my back now, it's actually a lot better for your back too.

I actually feel energized after sleep, I can't even describe it, I mean tomorrow I will be up with the sun and have the whole day to make art and play games.

If this was a few years ago I'd sleep in until noon and then just be in a fuzzy haze all day (without drinking! lol)

[Melbosa]

I would not be surprised to find that you have sleep apnea, I was HIGHLY skeptical of the mask when I first heard about it too but it REALLY works actually and not just for me but for over 90% of all sleep apnea sufferers.

I whole heartily agree! The CPAC machine has really helped with my sleep!

I was told almost 70% of adults in Canada have some form of sleep apnea, to varying degrees, and most don't even know they do have it.

[Mr. Analog]

I was surprised actually how many people I knew that had it and were on CPAP, my co-worker, my boss, half the guys at fraga... it's crazy!

[Thorin]

Tom: CowGirl wears the mask and falls asleep in several different positions.  There's no need to be lying on your back with it on.

I'm lucky enough not to have breathing problems while sleeping.  I have slowly but surely figured out that I sleep in 90 minute cycles, so I feel rested after 90 minutes, 3 hours, 4.5 hours, 6 hours, and 7.5 hours.  If I sleep a full 8, I'm a zombie, moreso than if I sleep 3.  I count on about 15 minutes for falling asleep, so set my alarm each night to be about 6 or 7.5 hours + 15 minutes.  This seems to work pretty good for me.  I've done the odd three-nights-in-a-row-of-3-hours-of-sleep, and was still able to concentrate.  I did find I eventually had to have a longer sleep, though.

Getting away from the screens and electronic gadgets at some point certainly is a concern, though.  More than once I've gone to bed at 4am because the TV was on and I just couldn't stop clicking.

[Melbosa]

I was surprised actually how many people I knew that had it and were on CPAP, my co-worker, my boss, half the guys at fraga... it's crazy!

Yes sorry CPAP... not CPAC

[Tom]

It's not that I can't sleep well on my back, but that I can't even get to sleep. It's like I can't relax. I find it hard to calm my brain down, which is usually what keeps me up (racing thoughts, etc).

But yeah, there is a high chance I need one of those things. One reason is I'm overweight... I wake up a lot.


Its weird though, I used to sleep so deeply almost nothing would wake me up. Now, almost anything will wake me up most days.

Tom: CowGirl wears the mask and falls asleep in several different positions.  There's no need to be lying on your back with it on.

I just figure I'll find it hard to lay on my side or front with it on.

[Mr. Analog]

My counselor suggested giving a one hour buffer between anything with a backlit screen and trying to sleep, so that's my book or music time now. HUUUUUUUUUGE difference

BUT if you are like me and you really can't just shut brain off, get out of bed and do something for a while until you are tired.

The worst thing you can do is start associating the place you sleep with not being able to actually sleep (this is why some people will say that they can only get good sleep on the couch or in a guest room). Try re-orienting your bed if you are having trouble sleeping in it, sometimes a little change like that can make a big difference.

[Tom]

Yeah, I was told that if you can't fall asleep withing 15-30 minutes of getting in bed, just get up till you know you can fall asleep. It works for me.

I can fall asleep pretty good these days, even if I haven't been up for /waaaay/ too long. I do sleep better than I used to. Still not great though

[Thorin]

She doesn't have a problem at all laying on her side.  The mask is small (just covers the nose) and the hose has a freewheeling universal pivot on it so it can go in any direction easily.  She won't go anywhere without it now.

Taking an hour away from screens before sleep is a good idea.

I find myself going over the day's events again and again in my mind.  I've found that if I get up and write down what I'm thinking about, my subconscious will let go of the desire to remember these events, and then I stop thinking about them.

[Tom]

I do have one small issue with laying on my front. since I gained some weight back, it tends to put my shoulder out. So I try not to do that. so yeah, hopefully it wont get in the way.

[Mr. Analog]

Yeah, that's important to mention, DO NOT GO BACK TO THE COMPUTER, grab a book or a crossword puzzle anything.

The other thing that helps is turn the clock around, when you are in bed it DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TIME IT IS

We all do this little game where it's like if I fall asleep EXACTLY NOW I'll get X amount of sleep (being well rested doesn't work that way and it never will)

Again, this is why I like reading or listening to music before I go to bed, I start concentrating on just one thing and all the other crap I worry about goes away.

If I'm REALLY having problems because there's a lot of other @%&# going on I'll actually take my anxiety medication, because that's what it's for. However it's rare that I have to do that, though there's a certain amount of stubbornness that stops me from doing this and I suffer for it (was going through some rough stuff around Christmas and decided NOT to use my medication to help me through it and payed the price in weeks of not sleeping/relaxing).

So m'yaa!

I do have one small issue with laying on my front. since I gained some weight back, it tends to put my shoulder out. So I try not to do that. so yeah, hopefully it wont get in the way.

The hose has a steel coil in it, you can roll right over it if you want to, it won't break.

[Tom]

I'm a bit too obsessive. If I'm reading something, its something I'm interested in. Which means I have a hard time putting it down.

these days I tend to put on some animu or youtube if I can't sleep.

As for anxiety, yeah, it sometimes is that, but my medication is a regular 2x dose per day type thing. My dr was very hesitant to prescribe a habit inducing medication for it, and I agree with him.

[Melbosa]

So I'm a bit more unlucky than most with sleep apnea, as I am a solid mouth breather.  So my mask is both Nose and Mouth coverage.  My first mask was like an aviators mask, which drove the bridge of my nose nuts.  My second mask is more to my liking, but seems to be the most unpopular of the 4 mouth & nose types according to RHS.  But it works for me and is as both Mr. Analog and Thorin have said.  You can sleep with it in many different positions.  Key is not to have leaks from the mask area.

[Lazybones]

No TV or electronic device screens in the hour before bed
No caffeine in the after noon or after 3pm for sure.
Make sure you are hydrated
Darken your room and also try to cover or remove ANY distracting light sources
- don't have the alarm clock face you
- cover any charging LEDs on devices in the room
- cover your windows

CPAP did not work for me, I am on a waiting list to get at least two surgeries to correct my nasal passage, upper pallet and possibly remove my tonsels.. I may still  need a CPAP machine but it may not help till my airway is opened up.

Did two runs of CPAP trials and O2 monitoring, came back boarder line. Went in for a sleep study (they wire you up and record you sleeping) where it was confirmed my breathing stopped several times during the night.