I have severe sleep apnea (apnea/hypopnea index 66). I've tried various CPAPs (currently a REMstar Auto M Series with C-Flex) and masks (full-face, nasal pillow, currently a nasal mask). The problem is that for every combination of machine and mask, I wake up in an hour or two, generally having swallowed a lot of air, and stop using the CPAP for the night. The respiratory tech says that it's working when I use it - index as low as 6, which is well within the normal range - but I'm so uncomfortable when I wake up that it's very hard to put the mask back on. Suggestions? [more inside]
posted by lukemeister on Jun 7, 2008 - 14 answers