British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association

I would only add that if it is an APAP machine the pressure WILL increase if there is a leak at the mask. Most APAP machines can be set to limit the pressure though. Contact the clinic or where you got the machine for advice.

Ramp is a feature on most cpap and apap machines you can set it from 5 to 30 minutes its used so you can get off to sleep before the full pressure kicks in. Or you can turn ramp off on the machine.

Regards,

sorry for being a bit of a newbie, but whats ramp? When I picked the machine up, i was just told to switch it on and put the mask on. I think perhaps the tech didn't want to bombard me with too much info. In fact, i didn't realise for the first two nights that the pressure had increased until i looked at the machine, how daft am I?

I've had my appointment come thru for the 31st for my check up so I'll ask about the mask thing when I go. I am really trying to sleep on my side, but its just so uncomfy.

I got really claustrophobic last night and had to take it off, I went to the loo and had a drink of water, but I just couldn't physically put it back on so had a mask free night, needless to say I've been completely useless today, headache, yawning my noggin off and generally grumpy so I'm going to grab Pepe(that's my name for the machine) by the horns and persevere tonight.

Thanks for everyone who has replied, its nice knowing i'm not alone

[quote="kbrab"]Hello, have been a really bad snorer for years but didn't give it much thought until I was referred to Obesity clinic by GP who did the scoring thing and I scored 19. A mere 2 years later I finally got my appointment through. Have now had three home sleep studies and got my C-Pap machine Thursday.

I am wondering if there is anyone with advice for a tummy sleeper. I have recurrent back pain and can't sleep on my back[color=#BF0000]Sleeping on your back is the worst possible position for a osa sufferer you are far far better sleeping on your side[/color] so have adopted a sort of arm under the pillow sidey kind of thing which leaves me waking with a dead shoulder. And as I fall deeper into sleep the mask starts to gape and I get an eye full of cold air waking me up.[color=#BF0000]Perhaps adjust of the masks straps may stop this happening[/color] I have seen pillows on the net, but wonder if they really live up to their hype before I buy one.[color=#BF0000]These pillows that you see on cpap firms sites are an expensive waste of money they are around fifty quid you are far better buying a contoured memory foam pillow or a V pillow which will cost you a tenner in most good shops[/color]

Also, as the machine starts on "4" and increases pressure as the night goes on does anyone find that if they wake during the night they have to reset the machine to get back to sleep as the pressure can be quite fierce?[color=#BF0000]You are new to cpap getting used to the pressure will take time but you will overcome that stage its early days .[/color]

Sorry if I'm sounding negative, I don't mean to, its just quite hard to get used to and considering the pressure increases from a 4 to a 10 in quite a short space of time, I keep dwelling on the fact that my god I stop breathing!![color=#BF0000]Thing is did you worry about it before you were diagnosed ??? because i know for sure i didnt .Consider yourself to be one of the lucky people out there that have been diagnosed and are getting the gold standard treatment for the condition. There are thousands of people who have this and are undiagnosed they are the ones to worry[/color] which never really occured to me before and when I read all the side effects of apnoea I find I tick all the boxes and am hoping that the machine is going to help dampen some of them.[color=#BF0000]Give it a few months to get used to the machine and you will feel a new person for sure ask anybody on the site .[/color]

On the plus side my hubby has said that i don't thrash about quite so much as i did before which is a step in the right direction![/quote]

[color=#000000]Welcome to the forum ,
Please keep posting if you need any more advice or help .

Best Wishes,[/color]

I would tell any newbie on cpap to take the ramp time off there machine if they can tolerate it because the thing to remember is -

If you set ramp time to 30 mins what happens if you fall straight asleep ???
Your machine will not kick in for 30 mins in that time you could be having apnoea events occuring .

If you use apap the machine will adjust the pressures anyway .

Regards,

Hello and welcome!

I didn't get on with the ramp feature at all so pretty much from the beginning have gone straight in the normal pressure. At first I felt like I needed 10-15 minutes to get used to it before I attempted sleep to "normalize" my breathing (exhaling was difficult at first) but now, roughly 2 months later, I don't feel I need that anymore and usually go straight to sleep.

I'm also a side/stomach sleeper and had a hard time during my week's trial with a normal nasal mask. It kept getting jammed into the side of my face and causing sores, leaking, and generally left me rather claustrophobic. I went back to the sleep clinic with my complaints and they fitted me with nasal pillows (I used the Swift LT). Since then I've had very little problem (other than currently having a bit of a cold!) and am reasonably happy wearing my mask most nights.

Best of luck to you!

I too no longer use the ramp feature, but each to his or her own. Well done for making a good start despite having to wait for such an unacceptably long time.

HEY! Welcome to the forum.

I was diagnosed just over a month ago and now have my ramp on instant pressure @ 12.

Firstly... I enjoyed the 30 mins of it building up to the correct pressure but now I need it straight away.

So all I guess Im saying is - it just takes time to get used to it!!

Vicci

Welcome to the forum!

It does take time to get used both physically and psychologically to having OSA and being treated with a CPAP machine.

I think you are making very good progress, and if you need to start the ramp up again, do so. You are not alone! Also you can prolong your ramping time, usually to about 30 mins max depending on your machine which might help you to fall asleep more easily. Do talk to your sleep tech about this.

Do check that your mask is fitting correctly. Lie down first and put the mask on. THEN adjust it so it is sitting against your face. Power up your machine and 'fine tune' your mask so it is not rigid against your face when the air is going through it.

As regards pillows, there are some members that find memory foam or 'V' shaped pillows help. Mine is just an ordinary one, but I found that a cheap shaped pîllow from Ikea helped a bit till I found a position that suited me. You are wise to investigate before investing big bucks in a 'head cushion'.

Hello, have been a really bad snorer for years but didn't give it much thought until I was referred to Obesity clinic by GP who did the scoring thing and I scored 19. A mere 2 years later I finally got my appointment through. Have now had three home sleep studies and got my C-Pap machine Thursday.

I am wondering if there is anyone with advice for a tummy sleeper. I have recurrent back pain and can't sleep on my back so have adopted a sort of arm under the pillow sidey kind of thing which leaves me waking with a dead shoulder. And as I fall deeper into sleep the mask starts to gape and I get an eye full of cold air waking me up. I have seen pillows on the net, but wonder if they really live up to their hype before I buy one.

Also, as the machine starts on "4" and increases pressure as the night goes on does anyone find that if they wake during the night they have to reset the machine to get back to sleep as the pressure can be quite fierce?

Sorry if I'm sounding negative, I don't mean to, its just quite hard to get used to and considering the pressure increases from a 4 to a 10 in quite a short space of time, I keep dwelling on the fact that my god I stop breathing!! which never really occured to me before and when I read all the side effects of apnoea I find I tick all the boxes and am hoping that the machine is going to help dampen some of them.

On the plus side my hubby has said that i don't thrash about quite so much as i did before which is a step in the right direction!