1st Night With CPAP, Need Tips!

Oooh! What's that? Is it an actual pillow or a different kind of mask? I need to get on Amazon!

Mine was similar to this: 

CPAP pillow

Your mask is not fitted properly. Keep working with the straps. 

Stomach sleeping is difficult. Side with pillow props can help.

You are doing an amazing thing for your body..giving it enough oxygen while you sleep. Keep trying.

Deb

Last night was much better! I kept it on all night! I messed with the straps a little more and that seemed to help some! 

Been there, done that, just a month and a half ago.  I have to say that I believe I got lucky.  Which mask are you using?  I use the Respironics DreamWear.  I think that was probably my saving grace.  I must be on my stomach to fall asleep and I usually stay that way most of the night.  I also have a second pillow that I maneuver around to help get me comfortable.  It probably also helps that I no longer have a sleep partner :(  I moved back to Kentucky to see that my dad gets the medical care that he needs from VA because I was sick and tired of him being jerked around.  Moving home meant leaving my boyfriend of 5 years in Arkansas, because his mother needs him as well as my dad needs me.  We lost his dad and my mom within 7 months just after we started dating.

Oh boy, I got so off track.... I'm sorry.  Definitely try other masks and hopefully one will work for you.  I like the DreamWear because my nose just lays on it and the tubing is up over my head, so I have nothing to wrestle with all night.

Wishing you the best!!

~Helen

That's the exact kind I have! I do like that it's soft and doesn't cover my whole face. I think I just need to get used to it and learn what positions work best. I'm so sorry about your Mom and your boyfriend's father, that's a very hard thing to go through. It's a blessing to be able to take care of our loved ones when they need us though, and I'm sure your dad appreciates all the help you provide him. I hope that you have some caretaker support for yourself as well, it's easy to get burned out and forget that you also need to take care of you! I will keep you all in my thoughts!

Changing masks made a huge difference for me. The full-face mask just didn't work, so I ended up with one that just went over my nose and had a thingy that let me spin the tube around to point upwards towards my forehead or town towards my toes. You can also get little silicone pads that go around your nose, they can help make your mask seal better.

I was a stomach sleeper, but that just didn't work on the CPAP. I managed to move to my side, but eventually learned to fall asleep on my back since I was breathing so much better.

I'll look for the little silicone pads, thank you for the info! I did much better last night, kept it on all night and didn't wake up once (that I recall anyway).

I also had to try several different masks till I found one that worked well for me.  Now, I swear that even if I don't really need my CPAP one I lose all my weight, I'll still use it - it keeps my nose clear and I never sleep with my mouth open anymore.  

I did feel more refreshed this morning, I managed to keep it on all night last night. Not sure if that "refreshed" feeling it's just in my head or for real, but I'll take it either way!