Well, I cannot use my mask becasue I cannto fall asleep with it.  I feel good mentally and that is becasue I am no longer taking Ambien.  But Ambien has side effects and one of them is depression.  cannot believe that my psychiatrist gave it to me knowing my history of depression.  I think she knew how desperately needed treatment.  I feel very good mentally and that is because I decided to stop taking Ambien.  Ever I started taking it I was getting very sad and cried.  It was this ongoing feeling.  So I figured it had to be the drug.  Well, I feel so good mentally so much so that I feel like I am a new person. Back to my normal self!  So I know for a fact it was the Ambien. I still of course take my other depression bipolar meds that keep me stabilized.  My dilema is I have tried and tried to sleep with my c-pap but I lay there and no sleep happens so I have to remove it because I have to get up for work the next day.  I get there late but that is okay.  I am sleeping 9 and 10 hours again instead of 8 hours with the treatment of c-pap. And of course I am tired.  But I am just relieved the sadness is gone!   I am going to see my sleep doctor soon.  I saw him last month and he is following up with me soon.  I am envious of all of you that can just fall asleep with all that noise.  I put on ear plugs but still no luck.  I am not going to give up.   I will try the items on the following list I found weeks ago on this site:

What is the secret to getting a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep? (Besides using your cpap.)  Head for the kitchen and enjoy one or two of these 10 foods. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin - flowing.
1.    Bananas. They're practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.
2.    Chamomile tea. The reason chamomile is such a staple of bedtime tea blends is its mild sedating effect - it's the perfect natural antidote for restless minds/bodies.
3.    Warm milk. It's not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan - an amino acid that has a sedative-like effect - and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus there's the psychological throw-back to infancy, when a warm bottle meant "relax, everything's fine."
4.    Honey. Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that's linked to alertness.
5.    Potatoes. A small baked spud won't overwhelm your GI tract, and it clears away acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the soothing effects, mash it with warm milk.
6.    Oatmeal. Oats are a rich source of sleep - inviting melatonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy - plus if you've got the munchies, it's filling too.
7.    Almonds. A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can be snooze-inducing, as they contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.
8.    Flaxseeds. When life goes awry and feeling down is keeping you up, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal. They're rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.
9.    Whole-wheat bread. A slice of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it's converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs "time to sleep."
Turkey. It's the most famous source of tryptophan, credited with all those Thanksgiving naps. But that's actually modern folklore. Tryptophan works when your stomach's basically empty, not overstuffed, and when there are some carbs around, not tons of protein. But put a lean slice or t

Grateful talk to your doctor about taking a different type of sleep medication, heck maybe even a Benadryl might help you get to sleep, it is often given as a sleep aid. Try and get an appointment soon, as you really need to get this addressed, not using your CPAP (as you know)  is not way to go. But I understand about not taking the Ambien, you have got a dilemma but you really need find a solution for it ASAP. Good luck to you, I hope you get this resolved soon.


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White Beard with a White Beard
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Have you tried getting used to the feel/sound of the equipment by wearing it turned on while sitting in your living room? To me it's like a quiet fan running in the background. I have a fan on in my bedroom anyway so the machine is nothing compared to the room fan. Once you get to the point where you can ignore the sound of the cpap machine and stop focusing on it, it should cease to be an issue. Just think: If you snored as loud as I used to, and I don't know a single snorer that will ever admit he snored without being told he did (because we tune it out), a cpap machine is nothing in comparisson.... it's just a thing you aren't used to... yet.

Oh... most of the sound is the venting air from the mask (can be quite loud... especially if it bounces off the top sheet or pillow) and not the base unit (barely a whisper in some units). You might try some of the quieter masks.

John


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Grateful,

Your post cut off the bottom sentence!  I think I'm going to have a banana drizzled with maple syrup wrapped in whole wheat bread and wash it down with milk.  I actually have all of that in my house.

A word in your post reminded me of something.  I know this is hijacking your thread a bit, but I am working with one of the world's experts in brain chemistry and spirituality.  He and his partner have studied brain chemistry when meditating in Buddhist monks to atheists.  Anyway, they have found that there is a simple technique which, when done repetitively in the span of 10 minutes (so like 20-40 times) has the same effect in the brain as 40 minutes of meditation.  Given that I don't have 40 minutes for meditation, it really appeals to me.  That technique is yawning.  Oh no here I go.  I'm a real Pavlov now, all I have to do is say the word.  It is a common myth, he says, that we yawn because we need more oxygen.  What it does do (and I really noticed it the first time I did this), is that is decreases our anxiety and increases our awareness.  Here is his web-site:  www.markrobertwaldman.com

Vicki


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That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

Be careful about eating at bed time, especially things like honey and syrup  -- it will sit on your teeth while you sleep and increase the likelihood of tartar and cavities.  Brush or at least rinse your teeth before you go to bed.  

Eating before bed may also increase the likelihood of GERD and acid reflux.  

Your digestion slows down while sleeping, and trying to digest food can adversely affect sleep; that is the reason that somebody's mom used to say that eating before bed will cause nightmares.

Thank you Whiite Beard, Bearded one, dunetraveler and Viki!  I will check out the web site.
You are funny when you said you will have a banana drizzled with maple syrup wrapped in whole wheat bread.  The we will surely fall asleep or get sick trying!  I was typing my response and my laptop computer went blank.  I realized I had not plugged it in.  Now I cannot remember what I said. I can tell you it was good! HA!  At least I have my sense of humor back!  If I have no heart problems and low blood pressure and low cholesterol and low sugar at age 54 would I sitl be prone to dying with severe apnea??  At least I am not anxiety ridden like I was when I started this. I am not crying and throwing up from Anxiety.  I know I can give my life to GOD but I also know that God (as I undrstand him/her) put doctors on earth for a reason.  So I have to see the sleep doctor.  But I have a feeling he is going to prescribe another pill and I do not want that.  Thanks everyone; you're the best!!

If I have no heart problems and low blood pressure and low cholesterol and low sugar at age 54 would I sitll be prone to dying with severe apnea??
I just am now thinking of giving up.  And I am usually never a quitter.  I am just so tired of all my medical issues and doctors appointments. I forgot to call the sleep doctor or was it forgotten subconciously on purpose? I am going to go on vacation and meditate and decide what I want to do.  I'll bring my mask
and try becasue I will not have to get up and go to work.