I am a new CPAP user myself, so for what it's worth, I top off humidifier, wash mask, wash my face and shave, jump into bed about an hour earlier than I used to, put my mask on and check headgear for proper tension(not too tight) then lay down in bed and breathe normal for a few minutes, and reach up and connect my hose to the mask(I have routed my hose up over the headboard) take a good breath in to auto start my machine, and lay there thinking about positive things in my life, whether today or yesterday or any time in the past, while hearing the gentle hum of the machine. Asleep pretty soon!
As most people will tell you on this forum,do not give up! This takes some getting used to.



Equipment:
RESMED S8Elite
Mask: RESMED Quattro (full face)
Pressure: 6.0/10.0
Humidifier: RESMED H3i

Mrs Rip Van Winkle wrote:

I fill my water chamber, spill some on the floor, swear, climb into bed, slip on my mask and turn out the light....king size bed...have to ask my DH to snuggle over to me cuz I am tethered, beg for a back rub and off to LA LA land!

LOL sounds like me. I don't even put on the mask till I am ready to go to bed. My DH and I have to have it dark in the room. So when lights are out then it is beddy by time. I put on my mask turn it on, and fall a sleep to my breathing.


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Severe Central & Obstructive Sleep disordered breathing
AHI:116.4
Lowest Sat 85% High96.1%
Total Central,Obst,& mixed 190/hr
Out of that total 66 were Hypopneas
IpapMin7 max16 Epap6
Bipap Auto SV
Resmed Mirage Swift II

Ok I haven't been doing this long but here goes I take my night time meds, put in my eye drops, wash my mask, fill my humidifier, wach the news, check the boards one more time and go to bed put on my mask, turn on the machine, turn out the light and attempt to go to sleep sometimes right away sometimes not, wake up a couple of times, if I've taken ambien I've probly taken my mask off and have to put it back on and the sleep till the alarm goes off.

Take my meds, take out the dogs, brush my teeth, wash my face, fill humidifier with distilled water, turn on the tv and set the sleep mode to 30 minutes, put my mask on (machine autostarts), watch a little tv, roll over and hopefully fall asleep before tv shuts off.  In the morning take off the mask, take off the pillows on mask and wash in ivory soap and twice a week wash hoses, humidifier, headgear (I know, I know, should be more often).   It won't take you long to find a routine.  


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Diagnosed with moderate OSA on April 28, 2008 (had for many years undiagnosed)
Total hypopneas 122, AHI 36, AHI in REM 84, O2 as low as 78%.
Remstar Auto M-Series with C-Flex and humidifier, pressure set at 11cm
Resmed Swift Mirage II Nasal pillows

I fill my humidifier when I put the kids to bed because hubby is usually right behind them and I don't want to wake him when I go in. (he gets up at 3:30 am for work, I usually have only been asleep a couple hours at that point!). I leave my stuff set up all the time unless I am going somewhere and sleeping there, so I just put my mask on, lay down, and turn it on.

In the morning, I wake up, turn it off, take it off, wipe it with a baby wipe and throw it on my pillow for the next night. Minus Wednesdays when I take it all apart and wash it.


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Started CPAP 4/08, pressure 10
nights camping with CPAP: 11!

Let's see... I take out my contacts, brush my teeth and put in my mouth guard, trip over a cat, give all the cats their treats so they'll shut up, put my hair up in a pony tail so that my mask doesn't slip off, put my mask on while holding my breath (so my CPAP doesn't auto-start), turn on my iPod, turn off my lamp, roll into bed and breathe.

Morning routine...pull mask off, put up on hook, turn off CPAP, take hair out of pony tail, step on cat, remove mouth guard and wash it, seek out coffee...

My husband puts on his jammies, goes to the bathroom etc., gives me a goodnight kiss, sits on the side of the bed, puts his pieces together, turns on the air, puts on the mask, adjusts it if necessary, turns out the light.  I don't think he always goes to sleep right away although it is hard for me to know.  

He may go to the bathroom during the night but much less often than before he was diagnosed.  

In the morning, he gets up pretty soon after he wakes up, takes of his mask, turns off the machine and takes the mask and hose into the bathroom with him and hangs it up until he gets around to washing things.

Ha ha ha...Mrs. Van Winkle.  Your routine sounds JUST like mine.  I always spill the water I keep by my bed for the humidifier.  Actually my rountine is just like Barry's...I don't have time to watch t.v or listen to the radio.  Once I strap on that headgear and start breathing I'm out like a light.  If you need time to get used to the mask, just do what my RT suggested....wear it during the day while watching t.v.   You'll get used to the pressure of it without the anxiety of trying to go to sleep.  Worked for me.  Good luck!

Dimples and Mrs. RVW, I'd kill my husband if he spilled water in the bedroom!  He takes the reservoir to the kitchen to fill it, or into the bathroom.

Aaaah.  It's just water.  Who cares....I'm getting a good night's sleep.  See it's already working for the better on my disposition.  

I'm approaching the 2 year mark with my CPAP.  The following "ritual" is performed nightly (and I sleep like a baby).

1.)  I wash and dry my face thoroughly (this definately helps for a better seal)
2.)  I brush my teeth (this improves the "morning breath" inside my mask)
3.)  I add distilled water to my humidifier and turn it on to begin warming
4.)  I fit the insert into my HyBrid mask
5.)  I put on my mask and headgear in front of the mirror
6.)  I attach the CPAP hose to the mask to check for leaks
7.)  I climb in to bed, turn once, and fall asleep
8.)  I wash my mask insert every morning with Ivory bar soap (again, this definately helps for a better seal)

I love my CPAP and I am very thankful to have it.


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As a Christian, you may be the only bible someone ever reads.

I have been enjoying reading everyone routine. As a brand new user (one night so far) I find them helpful in forming my own routines. Thanks for sharing.

For the first six month, I did what everyone else did -- wash the mask, my face, etc, etc, etc.

For the last four years, once every other week i clean the mask and humidifier (i alway use distilled water so no real clean-up).

when i'm ready for bed i top off the humidifier tank (near empty every night), slap the mask on and wake up 8 hours later. I seldom have leaks, when I do, i re-position the mask. I think i'm doing so well cause my routine is so natural -- one feels like sleeping and goes to bed. I'd be up for an hour if I had a twelve step routine I would have to think and execute everynight.


Once a month I clean the filters, thats it.

Before anyone goes, that's gross -- i've had no problems for the last four years what so ever. I think the key is to use distilled water. My machine looks new and preforms like new also..


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My Kinda town Chicago is



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